About Me
- Funmi Iyanda
- Lagos, Nigeria
- Funmi Iyanda is a multi award-winning producer and broadcast journalist. She is the CEO of Ignite Media and Executive Director of Creation Television
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Rock On
Having ducked out of events for some six months, I began to slowly resurface since the ovation carol on Christmas and by last weekend I had done the rounds. The reason? Funmi's Favourites is coming ;-). For the City people awards, Bayo and I toyed with wearing flats on a short canary yellow evening gown in cheeky rebellion and nod to smart gal fashion but then we thought nah, too risky, people might not get it.Truly, beautifully, creatively mad fashion is so endangered in a safe conformist world. As a lover of British eccentricity, Asian kitsch, French insouciance and the 60s Yoruba fashion, I am often appalled at the colonization of the world by safe, glossy American inspired fashion.
This is why at this season, I terribly miss Emmy Collins who only spends a few months a year in Nigeria. I would have walked onto that carpet with that dress and those flats if I had the dandy meets rock star arms of Emmy to lean on. I once had lunch in Soho with Emmy and the entire street stood to attention, no one was looking at me.
A lot of people do not seem to get Emmy here, which is a shame because he is one of the bright lights in an otherwise bland male fashion landscape. The man who wears Emmy clothes is a born star whatever his profession. You need bags of confidence and panache to pull off those cuts, colours and textures, not to mention a nice tight butt. No long thing!
As it happens the stars get him, just look at Phil Collen of Deff Leppard performing in an Emmy shirt and then sporting his jacket on a promotional poster. Emmy my brother you rock, come home soon, it's lonely on the bloody red carpet without you.
That picture was taken at my last birthday party, as usual I am in admiration of Emmy's Style.
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8 comments:
Funmi: when was ur birthday, you don't mind my asking? Emmy Collins - is he Nigerian?
I mean, Yemi Kosibah is Nigerian, he's based in the United Kingdom, and he is quite popular.
Why not Emmy Collins, as well. I thought Nigerians have so much exposure in the fashion world, that is, they know so much and are in tune with most of the world's known designers - if you know what i mean.
How come Emmy Collins work is not been recognised? What's his persona like, when he is in Nigeria? Is he snobbish, warm, accomodating, rude, obnoxious, humble, know it all, class conscious, nice, calm, affable, amiable? These are just a list i can think of. What's he like?
Well, if you like and can vouch for his work; i guess he is fine.
Maybe, Nigerians are still trying to figure out his work, and with these African inspired music being the rave of the moment in the Nigerian music circles, it might be the reason, why.
As he has Bono or Phil Collins as one of his clients. They happen to be rock stars.
Well... good luck to Emmy Collins in all endeavours.
@chineze osayi, Emmy's name is Emeka and he is Nigerian. I find him funny, down to earth and a little mad in a creative way. He can be a bit much to take in initially as he is all tight dandy suits and jaunty hats but once you get beyond the drama he is really a cool Nigerian guy. l like his work, and l think his suits, shirts and tailored trousers would look great on D' banj, Psquare and Ebuka. To be African or Nigerian is not to necessarily to wear ankara and dreadlocks, people should not act Nigerian, they should just be Nigerian.Loads of Nigerian designers make clothes that will sell anywhere. Cue Deola Sagoe et al.
yeah my birthday? showing my age huh? 27th of July.
I hear the dude is a mega haute!
i will look him up on my next uk trip.
emmy collins,heard bout him but cant remember where.....from d pics i've seen i think he his alot into sharp cuts,tightly fitting wears(takes alot of precision)....by the way,auntie funmi that ur couture in that ur "byday picshur" is "mad"....i luv it! deola sagoe....9ja get talent,heard she once show with oprah n will smith present........n her designs are masterpieces-products of art n powerful colors that exude great confidence n grandeur!
On the "funmi's favorite" page, i found the listing of people you have interviewed somewhat telling. Just me being the silly, over-analying academic. But the movement from Albright to Soyinka to 2 face can be read as some sort of conscious or unintentional hierarchy. You get what I mean abi, the old white woman on top followed by the Nigerian literary icon, then the nigerian musician in the lower region and everybody else distributed within this structure: seems to follow a stock cultural script. Don't mind me. I'm just thinking aloud!
Not sure I fully understood the gist of Funmi's Favourites. Does this mean the highlights of New Dawn, and is your prog bowing out after 8 years? (Sorry, it's not 100% clear from the blurb.)
If you are moving on to new pastures, good for you. The talk show genre is getting rather overcrowded, with all those over-made-up amateurs...
@wellsbaba, Deola Sagoe is the picasso of Nigerian fashion period! she stands shoulder to shoulder with the best designers in the world.
@ainehi, The list is just a list and barely scratches the volume of interviews, it was recalled innocently from memory, your innuendo insults.
@anonymous, patience, all will be revealed, l never set out to do talk shows,New Dawn evolved into one due to censorship, challenges and opposition (story for someday) my background is journalism. Funmi's Favourites is a spin off show that will detail outstanding interviews, people and experiences of the 8 yrs of "the dawn" as honor and wrap up of NEW DAWN and a pointer to the next big thing in my media and journalistic career. It will all slowly become clear in the next six months;-)