Cycles of Fashion Opens In Terra Kulture

AMULTI- MEDIA fashion show aimed at exploring how the nation’s socio- cultural milieu has influenced the forging of a national identity opened in Lagos last weekend. The show is part of activities celebrating Nigeria’s Diamond Jubilee.

Declaring open the Exhibition, tagged, Cycles of Fashion, at Terra Kulture, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said it differs from the typical exhibitions because of the deployment of 3D mapping technology that animates the costumes on the mannequins.

He said the colourful exhibition, which is being jointly organised by the Ministry and Terra Kulture, ‘’ will take us on a historic, educative and informative journey of the people and tribes that make up Nigeria and their unique dress styles.”

Alhaji Mohammed, who described fashion as a valuable part of the nation’s culture, whose importance in the nation’s history cannot be ignored, said the ‘ show would capture the rich contribution of fashion and dress code to the Nigerian national identity all through the years.

He said the fashion industry has been underrated, especially in its capacity and ability to help advance the government’s economic diversification policy, as well as wealth and job creation — a situation which this administration aims to reverse.

“While we continue to focus on music and film, we tend to ignore or underrate the fashion industry. I guess this is because of the lack of adequate information about the industry,’’ the minister said, disclosing that the yearly revenue of the country’s fashion industry is around N2 trillion while the industry comprises about 1,000 businesses that employ over 30,000 practitioners.

‘’ Compare this with the Film Industry, with a yearly revenue of N140 billion for the music industry, with a yearly revenue of N300 billion, and you will understand how huge the fashion ndustry is,” he said.

In her remarks, the founder of Terra Kulture, Mrs. Bolanle Austen- Peters, said the historic fashion exhibition is a sixpart series to showcase Nigeria’s fashion, festivals and religions, among others, from pre- independence to present day Nigeria.

Among the dignitaries who witnessed the exhibition’s opening ceremony were the Directors- General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments as well as the National Gallery of Art, Prof. Abba Isa Tijjani and Mr. Ebeten Ivara respectively, the Director, National Archives, Mr. Danjuma Fer, and the Managing Director of Ecobank, Mr. Patrick Akinwuntan.