Tuesday, 21 April 2009

Where is my blog lover

I have a blog lover...

I have been busy, my life in a clover...

but i'm not so swamped by fabrics or designs

that i dont notice that on blogville alone i dine....

where has my blog lover gone....

i miss his mysterious calls of days long gone...

his syrupy voice and cynical cackling....

when i refuse to do his bidding....

blog lover come out of hiding

Tyger misses your yakking....

back to feeling fabric! - i feel like a pervert!

Of Fabrics and Surface Design

Okay, so i'm trying to get ready a collection for the spring/summer 2010 season - yes the fashion season is one year ahead (you get a season's collection ready a year before the season).

So I am checking out fabrics - some days i wake up and think - 100% silk georgette 12m/m thick would work, and then some days i shift to 100% silk satin - its so shiny and attractive and luxurious; but today i woke up thinking - maybe i should use 100% silk habutai - 8m/m thick, or maybe 11m/m thick.... stomped.

Some of my designs for the collection are centred round lace - so i have been touching and caressing and feeling lace up... nylon lace, silk lace, cotton lace, beaded lace, crinkled lace! cant make up my mind either - one thing is i think i'll avoid nylon lace - cotton or silk would be better - almost twice as expensive though.. i found this beautiful black lace - my agent found it for me... but it wont take dye - so its in just two colours... on the other hand, there is this other lace that will take dye but is just not as gorgeous.. on the other hand, there is one lace that is totally pretty with little black beads at the centre of each flower but its nylon!... stomped again....

i found a penny pleated silk at the Berwick silk shop, its totally strange but pretty - imagine the underside of an octopus - with all those eggs attached? that's exactly how it looks - silk with raised penny sized bits! ugly in a pretty way... i want to make gowns out of it... but we cant find it in bulk! and the Berwick guys totally wont tell!

This fabric business is driving me crazy... totally crazy!

and i am ranting!

Friday, 17 April 2009

Fashionista - thinking out loud

A friend gave me a beautiful blue and black java wax fabric.... she wants me to make her a mono-strap gown with a waist band (one of my designs) for her "intro".

I was surprised when she chose that design from the bulk of designs i had to show her... although its pretty, its also rather simple and most people if they get the opportunity to look through original designs will pick the most complicated thing they see there! .... truth be told, i was relieved cos it meant just a few hours work....

I spent half of today making that gown.... when she gets it (cos i have to post it to her)... i will ask her to take a picture in it so i can show my blog family.

Preparations for the London Fashion Week as started again and I would love to show my designs there... but the cost! is out of this world... nevertheless i have registered to be considered for a very small stall... :-).. pray along guys!

I dont think i will ever pay for photography work again....lol

There are so many new and upcoming photographers out there looking to build portfolios that they are willing to work for free in exchange for having your pictures in their portfolio! so if you are having a party - the kind that needs a professional photographer job - visit "starnow.com"

Anyway, enough said.

There is this agency in London - London Development Agency that provides help to start up businesses. I called to book an appointment to see them some weeks ago and I was booked to see the " supposed" guru of fashion.

So i got to see this rather effeminate guy in the hope that he would tell me something i dont already know....

He did tell me a few things but... I must say i have never seen a more patronising and belligerent fellow... although he was smiling; he spewed so much negativity... at first i said to myself - calm down, listen and learn... he might have a point... but after two weeks of dealing with his constant negative opinions and his "i-dont-think-you'll-make-it-you-are-black-african-and-too-young" I told him off!

Somebody needs to let that guy know that "Nigerians no dey carry last, worst case na draw! pshew.... leave me and my gowns alone!

If you want to know what's going in the fashion world.... who's doing what, who's going bankrupt and who's making money, the new designers in town and what's hot (and not in the high street, glamour magazine sense)in the haute couture, designer world sense - visit "drapersonline" that's the designers newspaper and bible....

Thats about it for today....

Thursday, 16 April 2009

Tyger the Fashionista

I have been gone for about two months now.... abandoned blogging like it was a torn blouse and stuck to starting my fashion business like a new lover.

I have agonised over whether i should blog about it or not.

Over whether i will make sense to those who are not in the fashion industry and whether i wont end up doing other people's home works for them - i hate doing that.

I have decided to blog about the travails of starting a fashion business in the UK.

Dear Blog family,

You will all endure my whinings when i feel down... you will celebrate my successes when they come, you will offer advice when i ask, criticism when its requested and even when its not.

I'll be right back with my first post from behind the curtain of fashion designing

Monday, 23 February 2009

Good news!

Today,my passport and all the other documents were found!!!!

I'm ecstatic!

Okay the stupid part

The package containing my passport and documents have been IN THE HOUSE FOR THE LAST 5 WEEKS!!!

Yes you read right!

It was received and signed for by Mr. Nobody and while going through the many sheets of paper on a chair hidden behind a table, i see this envelope - seal unbroken!

When did this come?

I asked my uncle?

Dont know! where did you find it? my uncle said shrugging
Here! i replied... right here i said pointing at the chair.

I opened it and voila my passport and documents are there!

I am ecstatic although a bit irritaed at the sudden appearance of this dodgy package!

where were you naa? i asked the brown envelope.

Please rejoice with me my dear blog family

and thanks for the many advice and words of support
love y'all!

Monday, 9 February 2009

What do you do?

What do you do when you send your passport to the Home Office and they casually tell you 6 weeks later your passport is lost and they dont care?

what do you do when someone loves you hard, you know its a good thing... but your feelings cant just seem to catch up?

What do you do when your blog lover wont come out of hiding but chooses to torment you with sweet telephone calls?

What do you do when your friend calls you and casually mentions that she is having an extramarital affair 3 months into her marriage and its so much fun?

What do you do when you need to raise money to run your business but the credit crunch is crunching all your investors?

What do you do?

I'll be right back!

p.s. For those who were following Anansewa's story (Older woman younger man part 1,2 and 3)please check Baroque's blog, He's done a version from the younger man's point of view and its superb!

p.s. Baroque I am flattered but frightened of your plagiarising skills!

Saturday, 24 January 2009

Thankful

I am in a not so wonderful state of mind right now.... which i guess is why i havent been bothered to blog....

However, I have decided to be thankful by doing a thankful post.... i'm hoping that will elevate my frame of mind .... come with me

I am thankful

1. For the gift of life, for good health, peace, joy, hope and the grace to know God and his saving grace.

2. For my mother - she underwent an operation "which i wasnt told about till it was done" and it was successful - I am so grateful to God.

3.For my brother who was in Jos during the Jos killing crisis and came home unscathed... and fine

4. For the gift of friends - who have stood by me in the last 6 months, holding me up... loving me.. listening... encouraging.... providing....

4. For the inspiration to turn out my sketches for my 2009 collection and to work on finalising them

5. For the many job interviews I have done in this credit crunch time, I know one of them will come through

thats all I can think of for now.... things are kinda tough around here

See you guys!