.:☪:. Apparently, G♥D had his own plan .:✝:.

TEXAS!!!, the city where everything is BIG, Including the heart of my now favorite graphic designer in the world, Osione Itegboje!!!...with generous time on my hand, and i mean GENEROUS, I decided to go visit a *ahem* darling family friend, Bisade Karunwi, all the way in texas - He actually told me about his friend Osione who was into all this artsy stuff that he showed and apparently had his resentments, RESENTMENTS?..I thought what a prick, I mean he was the only person who actually said he didn't like it, or it wasn't lovely, or at least the only person "man" enough to let me know.

...after a lovely meal at some random vietnamese restaurant {Bisade's food was goooood}, utterly relaxed, we sat down and somehow the magazine came into play {I don't know how this happens, EVERYTIME!...it just falls into play...it's taking over my life yo!....AHHH, who I'm kidding, heheh}, I showed him how far I had gone, and told him about my current state...then he goes I could do a way better job, and even for.....wait for it...FREE!...What did I have to lose?...I was forced on a break anyways, 3 months later and a week to deadline...Osione goes to Mexico!!...MEXICO....and gets freaking stuck for about a wk...I was furious!!!!!!!!, coz i had just bought a ticket to go meet him in texas to review the end product, and I lost it coz of his naughtiness, I. E it was not refundable :@...So, it was on with me and Osione....and yeah we, HE decided he did not want to work with me anymore :(, LoL {It's funny now, it wasn't then!! *SIGH*}

...while Osione was on his "vacation" I came across *ahem* was introduced to this beautiful lady with some major brains {I totally adore this side of her...Don'tTellHer. She slaps reality in my face, when I begin to imagine THE IMAGINABLE!!!}....Uche Eze {Who is going to kill me, and prolly resign for putting her picture on the internet *cringes*} - who i swear reminds me of myself, LoL...She's soo sweet and positive and best of all loves fashion and totally gets what HauTe is about and she also has the maddest connections!....So, Immediately I asked her to be the Editor - at - large, and she said yes!!!, then as her input and our relationship got stronger, I asked if she could be Assistant editor, and she said "i'm fine with anything"...and it's been a happy marriage ever since {untill prolly after she sees this picture}.

With all this sunshine, I was beginning to miss the "rain"...still in denial that Osione had stopped working with me, I kept sending him new materials with no replies, assuming he was working on everything, since he was now back from mey-he-co {Mexico} and we, well I added some extra weeks to the deadline after my "TANtrum"...until one darling summer morning. I got an email from Osione with so many BIG english words, {basically telling me I must not have understood when he said he quit! *rolls eyes*} I thought!!...WTHH...I decided to take a breather. then that same night I GOT THIS PHONECALL from this Lady {Hmmmm, was I expecting the rain, and BOY DID I GET IT!!!}

Don't worry people, I did not fight with the whole world, eventhough it seems like it. Really only 5, ppl...but I learned lessons from 3...I've discussed 2 now, LoL...1 more, and it gets better!!....

I guess to truly get somewhere, you have to go through a lot of experiences, and this unfortunately and fortunately means meeting all kinds of characters, that can either break you or make you :D

₦ MONEY, no PROBLEM $

...Now most of the work is put together {or so I thought}.....Tank & I already spoke, he already made it clear he didn't want to do shit for free....I was fine with that, to be honest there are things you can demand to get for free and somethings you can't just because you know it's a bit of work!....Ohh Bolaji wasn't having THAT!!....He already knew who would do it for free and had good skills {which I could testify to}....but HEY, this is Tank, MY FRIEND...I couldn't possibly go bitch on him just because he wants to get paid {not like it was a whole lot, considering people in the profession charge atleast $75 per page, and I was thinking 100+ pages}...here's Tanks datum...

Tanks datum:

Sex: Male
Age: 18 - 19
Field: Graphic design
Done a magazine before: NO
Charge: $1300




Intial agreement between Tank & I

Tank: $1300

Me: Kewl, will pay 1/3 AFTER magazine has been layed out in PDF...and printer O.Ks, 2wks later I pay the remaining balance. YaY?

SO excited!!!....Couldn't believe I was in the beginning stages of what the magazine will look like. All my ideas imaginations will finally be visual!!....BLOODY ECSTACY!!....the plan was to come over to his crib and we'll start there!!.....RED FLAG #1!

Okay darlings, when you decide to make a magazine {LoL}....you don't even have to SEE the graphic designer, I didn't know better anyways. Got to his shaq, scrambled ideas together.....It was fun, we were both meddling in things we had no clue about..drawing inspiration from everywhere...preeettty awesome! Later in the week, our differences started to show. He wanted something this way, I wanted something that way....I MEAN....LoL, whose mag is it?!>...Yeap, that's where the problem started, he was having complaints here, there!!!......we finally made it to the COVER!....and all hell broke loose, yeap he had his own total idea for the cover and I HAD MINE!.....It got so heated, we immediately stopped working on it!!........

Graphic designerless, I took a break from Fashion Nigeria {2 months}, coz it takes A LOT for me to blow up and once I get there....I just try as much as possible to get away from whatever caused such a reaction.......Okay, after a wk it wasn't really a break anymore.....Idle with the mission on my mind, I kept looking for graphic designers, came across a few that were WAYYYY OUT OF MY BUDGET, Suddenly I could see some light at the end of the tunnel...Introduced to some young professionals, Moyo Aluko and Sherrif Taiwo, who run the website www.viadat.com {you should actually check it out!!...they are pretty good with websites, just not the kind of magazine I wanted}, so that light went OFF!

Totally stressed, I called it semi - quits...took another month or so off...did a bit of traveling....found some calmness and peace that I desperately needed {Meanwhile, Bolaji's person was still there...free and prolly ready to help out.....LoL, but u know there's this thing called CONTROL...yeah, I needed/wanted {HAD} to have that.....BITE ME!}...

THIS MISSION still on my DAMN mind, and my new found serenity, one sunday morning out of happiness or desperation {However you, my dear, choose to see it} I called TANK....Yeap...I'm not a proud girll okay?!>...and there's nothing better than a beautiful ending....right?...So I thought it would be. Tank, still on his "hustler nigga period" was cool with another chance to make this happen....only that this time...I HAD to pay a deposit...incase i "ran" away again {hehehe, U'd think we were not friends before or there was no way on earth he could ever find me if he wanted too}...I tried to fight that shaa...I failed, LoL....Well Kinda, he asked for a deposit of $150....and I dropped $500....I mean I still had to pay all his money in the end....and hoping this will soften him. Basically, trying to bribe my way through a smooth experience. We finally made it to the end {so I thought}....sent to printer....printer sent back with allll these errors and complains *sigh*.....Tank "fixed" the problems....sent to printer again, and PRINTER SENT BACK TO ME AGAIN......that was when I decided SCREW THIS!!!.....I never sent back to Tank to refix any darn error....put my energy in talking on the phone and making different trips to SoHo.....Then God sent me to Texas!!!!!

✍ Down to business...✍

So pumped that I could possibly be making history, being that this was the 1st magazine of it's kind out of Nigeria....strictly focusing on fashion, not lifestyle, womens blah blah blah....but the clothes and the designers who are of Nigerian descent and VERY talented!!...I rushed & made the longest word document I have ever written in my life, and plan to keep it that way......A 7 page business plan in 30mins!...Then, I knew I WAS DEFINATELY serious about this, features in mind, how I want it to look already tatoo'd in my must be pretty brain...I thought I knew the exact people I wanted on my team...SHEESH was I wrong!! {some of the people anyways}...

One of my now many favorite quotes "friends and business don't mix" came into major play, people I've supported in their artisitic field and encouraged and given my very valuable advice to, were the ones I called upon to support me in this cause...Oh, of course they loved the idea, of course they were DOWN...but did they really understand what I was on about?...or how huge this dream I had just cooked up in the middle of boredom is/was...Keep dancing with me, the beat will stop and you'll just be as stunned as I was.....but for now the music is stillllll playing ♪

There is Bolaji Kekere - Ekun who saw and most importantly understood my vision, stood as my london clone, he hooked up everything he could {So sweet}, photoshoots, finding designers...e.t.c

Chiedu Iwuchukwu - known for his website building at the time {I think he has retired now, LoL BOY, did I bug the hell out of him!!}...Thankss!!, still full with energy and my calling I immediately told him about what I wanted to do, and I wanted a website just talking yadiyadiyadha...So generous, asked what I wanted the domain to be, already in my head www.fashionnigeria.com, BAM!! he was like DONE...u got it!!...he hosted it everything...for FREE!! {Bite me, Y should I pay, when I can get it for free...EHN?...besides I had no sponsors...and HELLO?!, Printing cost a wholee lot!}

Mola Kalejaiye of MODIVAH fashion, most reachable designer at the moment & darling set out to help me the way she could {Oh she was actually the one that told me about Bplan.com}...Allowed me futher my call as an editor as I planned and Organized the 1st photoshoot for then, Fashion Nigeria Magazine.



Stylist extra ordinaire & now 1/3 of chic label Cranberry - Doreen Caven, totally had my creative back and helped style Joan Caven {her sister, 2/3 of Cranberry} & Dammy Araoye who modelled the shoot *smooch*
...and the moment photographed by the lovely Wale Akingbade of Ariztos Magazine.










Everything seemed to be coming on well, came across some nice people like Chichi and Chichi E, my darling Dezhare, Ejay Maori of, www.facebymaori.com, Hadassah *ahem* {Ohhh sorry, I'm choked}, I-Delicious, Idia, Jareh Das, Motara Thomas...I thought oh I have enough designers, features and all that...now, time to layout the magazine!!...the music started skipping. The graphic designer...who I could have sworn we had a cool relationship....earlier, before my dream, he'd show me his work of all kinds...and we'd discuss, I thought we had a good rapport going, and we'd make a good team together....you know, young people coming together for a good cause for their country! {Just as JFK wanted it} *music STOPPED*.....he had money on his mind......Lets call him, TANK!

♪.....Dance with me ♪

I've been approached on several occasions to start a blog........never thought it was anything I'd fancy until I got hooked on my facebook notes, and I thought Hmmmm, blogging wouldn't be so bad.....Shouldn't hurt to share a good story, while possibly brightening someone's day.

<------------So here goes, who I have come to be, and how it all started------------->

One lovely or boring night {However you choose to see it} in september 2005, a bug bit me. A shopping bug that craved Nigerian designers so bad it got me to walk about 20 steps to what I call today my personal window to the universe - My maccie! {iBook G4}I began.....furiously abusing my keyboard googling "Nigerian designers" using every internet extension known to man {.co.uk, .co.kr, .co.jp, .ca} to no avail. I found no website where I could even purchase a bobby pin to at least satisfy this craving..........THEN it hit me!....that I just may have to satisfy my craving...even if I had to go out of my way to do research and find any designer on the surface of this earth!!.....HauTe was born, HauTe - Fashion Nigeria Magazine, now Nigeria's foremost fashion magazine: It's a 100+ page fashion magazine. It features the works of Nigerian designers all around the world. Exhibiting a taste for the cultural tempered with an appreciation of the varied degrees of influence by the west in today's fashion. HauTe has a commitment to be the platform profile for Nigerian designers as an exposure in the fashion world, Indeed my journey has began, it has exposed me to alot of wonderful opportunities, people and I'm inviting you to share with me the joy, happiness, anxiety, depression that comes with the life of being an editor :)