Showcasing Young Fastest Talents in Fashion Design
By Ogheneyovwe Favour Edomi
How Oluwatimininu Ese Anthony, came by the creative initiative of the fastest fashion designer still remains a surprise but for those who know the initiator/Converner of Badagry Fastest Designer project, also known as BAFAD, Miss Oluwatimininu Ese Anthony, the three years success story of BAFAD started with how the Converner wanted to mend a clothe for her late mother, then a Local Government Counselor, late Hon Mrs Taiwo Demawu, but she hasn’t a sewing machine and it was late in the evening. She moved from street to street in the neighborhood until she saw a fashion design shop but the owner didn’t allow her to either use her sewing machine or agree to mend the dresss for her. It was much later in the night that she got a fashion designer who allowed her use her sewing machine.
That singular experience made her to set up an NGO to identify young fashion designers with talents and give them free sewing machines. The initiative is Miss Oluwatimininu Ese Anthony’s way of giving back to society in honor of her mother, Hon Mrs Taiwo Demawu, who was called to glory five years ago.
The event which is organised every July 1st by the Converner is a talent hunt in the fashion industry in Badagry local government area. Though participants come from other
local government areas within the Lagos metropolis. The first and second edition of BAFAD not only discovered new talents, the winners went home with new sewing machines. For the last two editions, apart from the male and female first prize winners, there were also prizes for those who took 2nd and 3rd positions in both male and female categories.
The third edition of the programme which took place at the Badagry local government headquarters on July 1st, had in attendance dignitaries including the representative of Babatunde Hunpe, Chairman,Badagry local government Area, who was represented by Hon Mrs Olukemi Thona, Co-Ordinator, Women Affairs. The Urhobo Progress Union, Badagry branch was equally represented by the President, Ovie Edomi, PhD, the Spokesman of UPU, Badagry branch, Omiragua Samuel Omoyibo and the father of the Convener, Dr Agbovinure Anthony who is an Urhobo man among others.
The chairman, Badagry local government’s epresentative, Hon Mrs Olukemi Thona, Co-Ordinator, Women Affairs, said the Council is committed to youth empowerment and declared the event a celebration of creativity.
However, unlike the last year’s event, sponsorship for this year came mainly from Hon Onilude Olusegun, the current APC House of Representatives aspirant and former Chairman of Badagry Local Government Area as well as the current Chairman badagry local government, Hon Hon Babatunde Hunpe hence only two winners went home with brand new sewing machines namely,Olusegun Omobolanle Viavoh( female winner) and Isiak Olamilekan Adisa of Easy threaded thrills( male winner) .
The event with the theme: Renewed Hope through pieces, showcased 10 contestants out of which were four males and six females. All the Contestants no doubt were able to make different dresses of various designs in about an hour. The beauty of the contest is that all the dresses that the contestants made were done with different piece of clothes.
Indeed, for the Converner, Oluwatimininu Ese Anthony, nothing can be more encouraging for a young lady of her age to not only discover talented young persons in the fashion industry but also begin to give back to society and contribute to nation building.No wonder one of the winners’ mother said in amazement, ” For such patriotic and generous act to be coming from someone from the younger generation shows that Nigeria of the future is going to be sweeter and pleasant”.