Every Fashion Designer Focus

Today’s article will be addressing the focus of every fashion designer in Nigeria.

Fashion designers in Nigeria are practical professionals, they start from the scratch. Many of them didn't become fashion designers just by reading books, this therefore drives the difference between fashion designers in Nigeria and that of others. Their needs, commitment and focus are different.

Let’s consider the focus of every fashion designer in Nigeria.

Fit:  They pay attention to details, making sure that the fit is flattering.  Not having the proper fit is one of the most common mistakes many fashion designers and tailors make. They ensure that clothing attractively fit every body shape, whatever shape that may be and look like they have been hand-made particularly for that shape.

Advice: Always wear clothes that fit like a glove, but don’t wear anything too tight. It just doesn't look good on a man.

For pants, make sure they’re the right length. There shouldn't be too much fabric bunched up around your ankle and they shouldn't be so high that people can see your socks when you’re standing.

Fashion Trends: The Fashion designers in Nigeria, studies the fashion trends and how to manipulate it, in order to own it. They Select fabrics, embellishments, colors, or style for each garment. They find a way to relate the trends to fabrics, color and shapes.

Advice: In order to stay ahead of trends, create a relationship with a fashion designer.

To be Cont.d

Looking Good While Dressing Casual

When you’re dressing down, your look can go one of two ways: sloppy or effortlessly stylish. Interestingly, there might be something to dressing down.

Fit. 

Keep your clothes fitted. Pick a smart native casual, top or shirt that fit properly. Even if you’re running out of the house in Dunlop slippers, make sure that whatever you’re wearing is fitted. 

Anything that swallows you up will not only make you look like a mess but it gives the appearance that you walked out of a different decade.

Just say no to wrinkles. 

Don’t ever wear shabby clothes.  Dressing down doesn't mean you should throw on forgotten aged rag, shabby clothes that have seen better days. Dilapidated clothes are never a good look.

Spice it up with an expensive piece. 

You can’t go wrong with a nice watch or an expensive ring to upgrade your outfit. Just find a way to show your audience that you are dressing down on purpose. This is also a way to exude confidence and show a sense of belonging, enough to say that you’re confident and you know what you’re doing.

Tiny Tricks To Change Your Look

It happens to all of us. We wake up one morning and everything seems odd and boring. We are sick of our hair, our wardrobe, and our all-around appearance. It is time for a change, but we aren't sure where to begin or how to start changing or reinventing ourselves without taking obvious measures.

Try These!

Imitate a Famous Person’s Style

Your first step to changing your looks is to decide on whose style you like and choose to imitate it.

Shake up your wardrobe. You're probably going to need to go shopping in order to give your appearance a makeover. But don't fret. Think about versatility when shopping.

Let your shirts do their magic. Shirts and tops are, of course, essential to any look. Tailor your tops to the kind of style that you're looking for. Even if you've got a really low budget, you can make some great changes with only a few new pieces.

Find a good tailor.

Your clothing should attractively fit your body shape, whatever shape that may be. Your clothing should look like they've been hand-made for you and this can only be achieved with a good tailor and a great fashion designer in your life.

A nip here and a tuck there make a world of difference. Something as simple as tucking your shirt, or wearing your smart native wear in a certain way, can have a huge impact on your style. Not everything is about making giant overhauls to your closet; the cuff of a shirt sleeve or the roll of a pant hem can totally transform you in an instant.

FIVE STYLISH RULES FOR MEN

APPROACH DRESSING WITH SOME FORM OF INTENTION

Clothing can communicate some of your ideas to those around you. Your outfit is not simply a thing with a certain aesthetic appeal; it’s a form of self-expression. Your clothing says something to those around you, whether you intend for it to or not, so it’s best to approach dressing with some form of intention. 

KNOW YOUR SOCIAL SITUATION

There’s a reason you want to dress a certain way for the office, and a certain way when you’re going to a dinner party, and rarely are they the same. Clothes serve as responses to social situations. Every clothes should be able to say; “I’m present and ready for whatever is coming my way.”

KNOW YOUR SIZE AND STICK TO IT

You could have on the trendiest, most expensive outfit by the best fashion designer  in the world but if it doesn't fit you properly, you’re not going to look stylish, and all your effort and money would have been wasted.  

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

Even though it’s true that dressing should be an expression of yourself, it’s bad to completely ignore the setting you’re dressing for.  It’s healthy and wise to consider both your own desires and the situation you’re getting dressed for.

KNOW WHEN TO TRY NEW TRENDS

While we would certainly never discourage you from trying out as many trends as your heart desires, there are right and wrong places to do so. 

This is Why Clothing Fits Celebrities; Tailoring

For the last few decades, we have been trying to make our bodies fit the clothes when, in reality, we should be making the clothes fit our bodies.

The gentleman who is careful about clothing and style should also be in control of what looks good on him and his body’s proportions. However, nowadays a well-dressed man with a self-assured confidence is often rare. What is in store today for men’s clothing can only fit a small percentage of average sizes which means not a lot to choose from.

Tailored clothing is the way to go if you wish to obtain a perfectly fitted suit, nativewear or anything clothing. Tailoring is a simple way to make clothes way more flattering. 

Getting your go-to pieces tailored can make a world of difference. A great tailor knows exactly how to fit everything from suit, shirts to nativewears exactly to your frame.

Most men typicality wear over-sized clothes, not understanding the essential elements of a good fit or compromising fit for style. 

Learn to shop less, invest in pieces you really love, and cough up the extra cash to get them tailored specifically for you by a great tailor and get yourself a good fashion designer.

Fashion Forward Facts

Shiny suits or shirts can look loud and somehow cheap for men, quality men’s garments in lush fabrics, cashmere, linen or fine wool make much more ostentatious statement than a lot of glitter.

Ironing your clothes is key.  When you take a few minutes to iron your clothes, you will always be eager to step out and hit the town in style. Looking like you slept in your clothes isn't fashion forward. Your tailor will regret his effort, your fashion designer as well won’t be impressed, and neither will your date fall for it.

Go for quality over quantity. A well-made jacket or suit in a quality fabric may cost you quite a bit more than one that is cheaply made, but it will look better, fit better, and last longer than the inexpensive version.

It may seem superficial, but clothing makes a statement about who you are and where you want to go. Since people tend to judge us (consciously or not) at least in part based on how we look, why not look as if you’re ready for a promotion?

Dressing well, sometimes, doesn't necessarily mean wearing a suit and tie every day. Sometimes subtle details can make a distinct impression, especially on fashion-conscious folks.

When in doubt of what to wear, imitate your boss or leader not a runway model of magazine model.

Irioning is Primitive

You think Ironing is primitive, that’s why you waste the good efforts of great fashion designers and tailors. If you are fashion challenged, you probably know that by now, the least you should do, is try to look presentable in your outfit. A boss says "if you don’t care enough to wear something presentably to work, you also don’t care about your job or care enough to retain your job. 

Don’t be lazy to keep yourself buyable. Get an iron, a professional fashion designer, a good tailor, do your laundry by hand or make use of your washing machine. You will only be doing yourself a favor. 

Some say’ good taste in clothes isn't just a guy’s strength. I boldly dismiss that notion because I have seen lots of guys who are emotionally attached to anything fashion, personal style, fashion trends,  and sense of good fabrics and outfits. These type of guys, I bet will do better in relationships. They will take care of babes in a more detailing way, because they care enough to look good. 

Wrinkles that come from sitting at your desk all day can be excused, you could start your day off with a perfectly ironed white shirt or smart native wear and by the time it hits lunch hour, it’s as if you grabbed it straight out of the dryer and made no effort to iron it. We can understand that, even your conscience will ease you some stress, but wrinkles that come from your clothes being in a pile at the bottom of your closet all night are certainly not ACCEPTABLE.

Fashion Sense and Style Sense

Many mistake fashion sense for style sense. They’re not the same thing!

Don’t get it twisted, the two are intertwined. But simply being fashionable, doesn't necessarily mean you have a great style sense.

If you want to be a better dresser you should understand both the difference AND the relationship between the two.

Today you will learn both.

Style vs. Fashion: What’s the Difference?

You may not know it, but there’s actually a huge difference between being stylish and being fashionable.

Having a great style sense by definition implies that you show elegance, taste and refinement.

While fashion sense simply means that you’re following the latest trends and fashions.

See how they are totally different things?

Being stylish is about having enough taste that you can put a good outfit together. It is knowing what looks great on you.

Being fashionable is only about being up-to-date with the latest fashion trends.

But it won’t make you look good unless you understand style first.

How Do They Relate to Each Other?

While being stylish and being fashionable shouldn't be confused as the same thing, you can certainly be both at the same time.

You can be BOTH stylish and fashionable, and you’ll look great.

You can also be stylish without being fashionable. You don’t need to follow fashion to create killer outfits. You can just stick to the classics and look great.

And you can also be fashionable without being stylish… BUT YOU SHOULDN'T!

FASHION BOSS!

Don't forget who the boss is!

When people are constantly chasing the next trend, they can easily forget who the boss is. You are the boss, I mean “you” with the wallet, ‘you’ with the money. Without you, there will be no fashion. You keep fashion designers in business, you keep tailors in business, and you keep fashion entrepreneurs in business. You set the trend. You decide on fashion. You pick a trend, flex it and customize it as well as fashion. You own the style. It’s yours.  It has been yours from the beginning.

Fashion designers, tailors or fashion entrepreneurs are here to serve you and not you them. Treat yourself like the boss. You are the boss. You have been the boss and they understand that.

Stop trying so hard.

Fashion is here to work to fit you, not to make you work to fit fashion! Dress simply and have great accent pieces." 

What You Should Take Away From This

Ignore the fashion world.

Ignore trends. Don’t allow your mind to be occupied with it.

Start building a style that is based on timeless classics.

Add little trendy stuff to your style, do this because you genuinely like the trending item, not because it’s trendy.

Don’t follow fashion; fashion should follow your style

Invent your own trend; no one says it’s only fashion designers that invent trends

Don’t  follow the crowd. Follow your own senses.

Focus on becoming stylishly you.

Cultivate A Capsule Wardrob

Decision fatigue is the result of making too many decisions during the course of the day, I guess, not many are familiar with the term but we all experience it all the time.  

Don’t  waste your brainpower in the morning trying to get dressed. Instead get rid of things you can’t or don’t wear regularly and simplify your wardrobe to pieces you like.

Keep your clothing simple, so you will have the energy to tackle life’s tougher problems." 

Spending too much time choosing your outfit can ruin the rest of your day, let me help you with this few dosage. 

Not all hot clothings are wearable. Don’t go about buying the hottest clothing, the ‘in’ thing. The hottest clothing item isn't clothing.

We have a lot of media showing trendy pieces; magazines, articles, celebrities, social media etc. burbling about what is the ‘in’ thing and what is not. Don’t be deceived again! True personal style is that which looks great to the outside world but makes the wearer feel even greater inside.

If you are confident in your style, it will project beauty no matter what you're wearing

Regardless of what's trending at the moment, try to stay true to yourself. Know what you look good in and what you like and stick to that.

Buy high-end styles and treasure your wardrobe

Many people think they can't afford high-end style. But you'll get more value if you spend your money on one good investment piece that you'll use for years, like a classy native senator wear,a well fitted native wear  instead of wasting money on multiple pieces that aren't classic

Fashion rules exist for a reason

Your personal style should suit your lifestyle, mood, and resources but don’t feel like you have to break the rules to create a unique personal style. The classics are called 'classic' for good reason.

How To Become A Full-fledged Fashion Entrepreneur.

There may not be a secret formula for success, but there are common traits that successful entrepreneurs share. And when it comes to the unique business of fashion, some of these traits are downright necessities.

One Step At A Time. No success happens overnight. A business takes time to start and grow. And even more time to be successful.

There will be difficult times: Things will look impossible. You will want to give up and throw in the towel. But you can’t. You need to fight off those urges and press forward. Persevere!

Determination is the difference between those who quit on their dream and those who turn their dream into a great success.

Passion: This is your “why?” This is the reason behind why you do what you do. The work will be hard, the hours will be long, and the pay will be low. And to top it all off, there is no guarantee of success!

Your passion will motivate you through the tough times and it needs to come from inside of you.  Don’t count on money to be your motivating factor.  Your passion comes from a deeper, more meaningful place.

Resilience: Successful fashion entrepreneurs are not afraid of failure. Things don’t always go as planned. And sometimes things completely fail. Get comfortable with the idea of failure. But do not accept defeat. Try to see failure as an opportunity.

Confidence: Confidence is part of any entrepreneur’s success and fashion is one of it. You must be confident in yourself.

Vision: As the creator of a brand, you must possess a clear vision of what you want your brand to be. Your vision defines who you are, what you want to do and where you want to go.

Flexibility: Fashion is a fast-paced industry, constantly changing. As an entrepreneur you need to be flexible – able to adapt to the changing demands of your business.

Effective Communication: Your ability to communicate will affect your ability to influence others, your ability to develop relationships, and ultimately, your ability to produce results.

ATTRIBUTES OF SUCCESSFUL FASHION DESIGNERS IN NIGERIA

Designers have certain traits that those who choose a different profession don’t have, or aren't motivated to acquire or learn. I’d like to share with you characteristics that I've repeatedly seen in fashion designers from all over the world.

•   Designers know that they’re surrounded by design, and they just can’t stop their minds from unearthing lessons, ideas, and solutions through the things they see and experience.
• Fashion designers will see design outside of their own interests. They understand that design is everywhere and in everything, and fashion designers have the tendency to look at it instinctively.
• A fashion designer cares about the details. He goes beyond being detail- oriented to identifying the details matter and carefully giving them the care and attention they deserve.
• Designing means to make it better than it original state, so every good fashion designer is committed to solving fashion problems. 
  
  
  
  
  

·         Great fashion designers constantly search for new ways to innovate and make things better than they are.

·         Fashion designers don’t work alone, they work with a team, and hence they have team spirit.

·         A good fashion designer knows how to communicate his concept to his team.

·         Fashion designers are flexible and very passionate people

·         What makes a fashion designer good is his creative ability. Quite obviously, you’ll need to be creative to be a good designer. You have to be resourceful, you have to be able to look at and see things in ways that may not be as readily apparent to your peers. Creativity also means developing new designs from old trends

·         Fashion designers also must be able to put their ideas on paper.

·         Fashion designers have a flair for the artistic. A sense of how colors work together and an eye for complementary fabrics are musts.

• Fashion designers need an aptitude for graphic art and design.
• Fashion designers should be able to visualize an outfit before sketching a single stitch, possess a sense of style and have the ability to constantly dream up fashion ideas.

Standards for Fashion Designers

We have a lot of persons who go by the name fashion designers in Nigeria, but very few names stand out in the industry. Such names as mudi Africa, Yomi Casual, Dr.Legend Clothing, Vanskere, Vicky Legend clothing, Climax, Victor Okoros.

Here are some of the qualities you'll need to succeed as a fashion designer

1. A good fashion designer understands how fabrics move, drape, breathe, react even when worn.
2.  Any good fashion designer knows where to source materials from.
3. Good fashion designers know every  current fashion trends.
4. Have a good eye for anticipating what your audience will respond to next.
5. Build your sewing skill to enable you to construct the garments you design.
6. You understand what materials work best in the designs you are developing.
7. Develop your drawing skills, so that you can easily sketch your ideas onto paper to start the production process.
8.  A great fashion designer has a great sense of style and is constantly coming up with new ideas for fashions.
9. He has a healthy sense of competition. He strives to do better than his peers in the industry by creating quality innovative designs just in time.
10.  A good fashion designer has a strong visual ability. He sees the finished product  well before the production begins and can put his ideas in words and paper for others to grasp 

Signs You're Meant To Be A Fashion Designer 101

Skill can be acquired by anyone but there are people born to lead in different spheres of life. When you discover your place, you will not struggle to excel or to stand out from the crowd.

You know you're destined to be a fashion designer if you find yourself always doing most of the following;

If you see design in everything and you just can’t stop your mind from unearthing lessons, ideas, and solutions through the things you see and experience.

If you spent most of your childhood making clothes for your Barbie dolls instead of playing with your friends.

If you always catch yourself studying design in things other people don’t think is possible.

If you are a good student of fashion magazines instead of your school books.

If you probably ran a boutique out of your basement at age twelve. 

In other words: if you want to be the next Dr. LegendClothing, it helps to be completely and utterly obsessed with fashion. 

This Is Exactly What Makes A Successful fashion Designer In Nigeria

The fashion industry is exploding and becoming more intense than it has ever been in the history of fashion. However, there is no rule that says if you don’t have a formal education or certification, you can’t become a successful fashion designer in Nigeria, but that doesn't make the feat any easier. 

To become a good fashion designer in Nigeria, you will need to have a combination of drawing, sewing, and design skills, knowledge of the fashion industry, and unparalleled perseverance. You'll also need to create a strong fashion portfolio and strengthen your knowledge of business and finance in general.

Learn more. If you can, it makes good sense to get a diploma or degree in fashion design or a related program. 

Another way you can learn is by giving yourself to be trained by a fashion designer who has conquered the industry, either as a formal apprenticeship or internship program. 

Enhance your skills. Successful fashion designers have a wide array of skills, including drawing, an eye for color and texture, an ability to visualize concepts in three dimensions, and the mechanical skills involved in sewing and cutting all types of fabrics.

Decide which designing field is your principal interest. You may need to start at the bottom but you do need to have some goals in mind as to the type of designing you want to undertake lifelong.