How I Got Started

TGIF!!!!! It’s another Last Friday and we are thrilled to bring a really exciting edition of ‘How I got started’ with a power pair of creatives that enjoy Happily Ever Afters! 

Tope Okodugha and Omowunmi Pillot will host this edition and they’ll be in ‘Fashversation’ about their creative journeys, major milestones, pain points, opportunities and the inside scoop on designing Bridalwear.

 

The Event

The purpose of the event is to inspire and empower African startups in the creative industry with insights into the process of exceptional brand owners in starting up and running successful brands. 

 

Meet the Co-Hosts

OMOWUNMI PILLOT, FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR,  MOFARI COUTURE

Omowunmi Pillot is the Founder and Creative  Director of the Nigerian Regal Fashion Brand Mofari Couture. Mofari is a contemporary womenswear brand known for its creativity and uniqueness in designing for a modern woman.

With almost a decade in the Nigerian fashion industry, Mofari has thrived through the industry’s many transitions by ignoring the trends and the whims of the market and focusing on creating a timeless design in line with the brand codes of structure, flattering silhouettes, versatility with design, easy-to-maintain fabric choices and intricate craftsmanship. These codes all culminate to create art pieces that offer an impeccable fit with svelte Tailoring.

A maximalism brand, embroidery, beading, applique, dyeing, are all techniques employed in the brand storytelling.  With a focus on contemporary women who like to make a statement, and Mofari employs structural construction and contemporary modification on elegant, timeless silhouettes to tell this story.

This direction has led Mofari to focus on bridal and occasional wear. Bridal Wear allows the Mofari brand to involve the client in the process of creating a bespoke unit, and allows the brand to position as a co-conspirator, helping each bride bring to life their unique point of view.

TOPE OKODUGHA LEAD DESIGNER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR  MAIBECCA

Tope Okodugha is the Lead Designer and Creative Director of MaiBecca; a bridal brand that focuses on designing wedding dresses and other bridal outfits. A graduate of Accounting from the prestigious Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Tope started her fashion journey through fashion design training in 2016 and an internship with the popular fashion brand, Toju Foyeh. In 2016, after identifying the need for building a positive and healthy self-image especially in African women, Tope started her own company – MaiBecca, through which she designs and makes outfits perfectly tailored to a woman’s body shape and size to empower her to be more confident in her own skin.

An adept believer in Education, Tope is an alumnus of the Growth Enterprise Program from the EDC, Lagos Business School and more recently, a 2019 recipient of the LCF and The Assembly scholarship to study Bridal Design at the London College of Fashion. As her way of paying forward to her community, she helps aspiring young fashion designers through Maibecca, gain hands-on experience in the business of fashion, while earning an income at the same time.

When Tope is not making dresses or helping to develop other fashion designers, she enjoys travelling. She also enjoys watching movies and she is happily married to the love of her life, Olushola Okodugha.

 

Who is this event for?

  • Emerging bridal designers looking to translate their unique perspective into creatively designed, bridal pieces. 
  • Aspiring and existing bridal designers
  • Existing designers interested in bridal fashion.

 

What to Expect
Gist and ideas that can transform your business.


Platform: INSTAGRAM LIVE 

Date: Friday 26th February, 2021

Time: 7pm WAT | 6pm GMT | 8pm CAT