'

-SKIN ARE
C
NIPPOP
-MAKEUP
..your guide to current trends

-FASHION

-LIFESTYLE
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE...................... 3

SKINCARE...................... 5

THE GENIUS OF MAKEUP.............. 27

FASHION................................ 50

REFERENCES................................ 70
 PREFACE

This ebook covers the following topics:

skincare, makeup, fashion and lifestyle;
popular topics in our contemporary society
that has everyone talking. It seems like
every day new trends pop up in these
areas and through this book, we aim to
give an insight into the views and opinions
of youths. We also provide some tips and a
brief introduction into the world of
skincare, makeup, fashion and lifestyle.
 SKINCARE

MY SKINCARE JOURNEY
~ BY BIBI DERA

I started learning about skincare as early as

Junior Secondary, 2013. I was that kid that
had acne and pimples as part of my
puberty stage and I had to go through it
by myself because no one else in my family
had that during puberty.
I went from using aloe vera to steaming
and hot water baths to using masks and
serums and later on I went ahead to create
my own home-made products. In 2017, my
final year in high school, I made a scrub for
my skin and I took it to school for that
semester.
I had little to no knowledge of whether the
scrub would make an impact on my skin,
but I hoped it would because I read about
the benefits of the ingredients before
combining them. I took that product to
school and to my surprise, it worked for
me, my friends always borrowed it and my
matron had to ask me to help her make
hers, that was how much she loved it.

Since then, my love for skincare grew and I

had become so adventurous about it. In
March 2020, I had an acne breakout. I
couldn’t understand the origin but my skin
was out of place.
I tried everything possible, including the
famous, salicylic acid.
I tried aloe vera, honey, Thayers rose water
toner...nothing worked for me. It got so
bad, I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror
or take pictures because I was so
uncomfortable with my appearance and I
didn’t want anyone to see me that way. I
was no longer in love with myself.
My mother always said “you’re beautiful
with or without pimples” but it didn’t feel
like that. I believed that for me to be
beautiful I had to be comfortable in my
own skin. Everyone had something to say
about my acne, recommendations to
suggest, videos to watch. It was a little
embarrassing because I was the “skincare
guru” but my own skin wasn’t in
cooperation with me.
 I tried everyone else’s skincare routine,
engage in more research about skin care,
skin types, products till I found my hack.

My skin readjusted gradually in late 2020

and the entire experience pushed me to
launch my own skincare brand called
“BIDERA SKIN” because in some kind of
way I was able to understand the struggle
of not loving your appearance because of
acne as a young adult. I understood the
frustration it caused from overspending on
products that may or may not work for
you, doing research but all to no avail and
even hearing other individuals’ opinions on
your skin which could sometimes be good.
My brand emphasizes being comfortable
with your skin. Bidera meaning, just like
comfort. Whether it’s acne, discolouration,
reactions, your skin is important and she’s
meant to be loved regardless. The earlier I
was able to understand that the better it
would have been not only for my physical
appearance but also for my mental health
because they work together.
Bidera skin is about being comfortable in
your own skin because we believe that
then only can you realize your true beauty.
 Bidera Skin offers free consultation
services. If you need to talk about your skin
or related topics, you are free to send a
message on our social media page,
Instagram @[Link]. You could also
send an email to bideraskin@[Link]
and you’d get a response within 24 hours

TIPS

1. Know your Skin type: Before you can

start researching the types of skincare
products to use, you need to know what
skin you have. There are about 5 common
skin types:
 a. Normal skin:

This skin is neither too dry nor too oily. It

has regular texture, no imperfections and a
clean, soft appearance, and does not need
special care.

b. Oily skin:

Oily skin has a porous, humid and bright

appearance. It is caused by excessive fat
production by sebaceous glands and
usually determined by genetic and/or
hormonal causes. It is frequent in
adolescents and young people under 30
years old and usually related to the
occurrence of acne.
 c. Dry skin:

In many cases, dry skin is caused by

external factors such as the weather, low
air humidity and immersion in hot water,
and it is usually temporary. However, for
some people, it may occur more often and
even be a lifelong condition. Since dry skin
can crack leaving it more exposed to
bacteria, although in general, this is not
serious, it may cause other skin disorders,
such as eczema, or be more prone to
infections if not properly managed. It is
generally characterized by a feeling of
tightness and roughness.
 It may also acquire an ashy grey colour,
with itching, redness and small cracks.
Cracked skin is usually observed in very dry
skin and presents small cracks, which, in
more serious cases, may be deeper and
even bleed.

d. Combination skin:

Based on its location, it presents

characteristics of both dry and oily skin
since the distribution of sebaceous and
sweat glands is not homogeneous. The
area with more oil is usually the T- zone
(forehead, nose, and chin), while the skin
on the cheeks is normal or dry.
 e. Sensitive skin:

Sensitive skin is more prone to react to

stimuli to which normal skin does not
react. It is fragile skin, usually accompanied
by feelings of discomfort, such as heat,
tightness, redness or itching. This type of
skin loses its barrier (or protective)
function, making it easy for
microorganisms and irritant substances to
enter it, and increasing the possibility of
having an infection and allergic reactions.
It is a delicate skin that needs more care to
fight dryness, roughness and its usual
appearance.

Knowing your skin type gives you an idea

of what routine you should have and how
frequently to apply products or take
precautions.
 2. Drink more than enough water:
I cannot emphasize this enough. Drinking
water helps to cleanse your body of toxic
fluid and it also helps to hydrate your skin. I
started drinking 3 litres of water every day
just to cleanse my body and I saw a
difference within a week. The only
disadvantage is that you might end up
visiting the restroom almost every hour
but at the end of the day “no pain, no
gain”. Drinking water works for all skin
types and it’s the cheapest routine for clear
skin.
 3. Have a skincare routine:
Having a routine is important for your skin.
Once you figure out your skin type, the
next thing to do is to find the products
that are best suitable for your skin texture
or problem, for example, for dry and oily
skin, hydrating products are best used.
They do not necessarily have to be the
most expensive products on the shelf. I
have personally tried some expensive and
well-known products and they did not
work for me, so find the product that
would work for you based on your skin
type and texture and make sure you test
them just in case.
 For oily skin, you would need to do more
cleansing, clay masks and hydrating masks
as well. A typical AM routine would be
cleansing, toner, serum, moisturizer and
SPF (sunscreen). A typical PM routine
would be similar to the AM routine without
the SPF. Exfoliating and using clay masks
can be done once a week or once every 2
weeks based on personal preference.

4. Cut the junk out:

A factor that contributed to my acne was
junk food. This doesn’t apply to everyone
but if you are a lover of junk food, dairy
products and the likes and you are
struggling with acne and pimples, try
cutting them out of the picture for a
month and note the difference.
I realized I was taking soymilk frequently
and I stopped drinking water around the
time that my acne advanced. Later on, I
decided to stop taking soymilk or rather, I
reduced my intake and increased my
water intake and I saw a difference. Soft
drinks or carbonated drinks, chocolate,
candy, pastries also contribute to acne
because they cause an increase in blood
sugar and insulin levels in the body which
leads to an increase in androgen secretion
(hormones) and oil production. Now, I’m
not saying you can’t take these things but
you might have to reduce them if you
really want to improve on your skin.
 5. Release the stress:
Sleep at least 8 hours each day. It is a
common fact that once you’re stressed or
your body starts overworking, it
contributes to your acne and pimples. If
sleeping does not help you release stress,
try yoga or exercising. Go for long walks,
listen to music. Do anything that makes
you feel comfortable and relaxes your
tensed muscles.

6. Don’t pick your pimples:

DO NOT PICK YOUR PIMPLES. I only pick
my face when I noticed blackheads or puss
developing under my skin and
immediately after, I would use an anti-
bacterial and anti-fungal serum to clean
for 2-3 days until the area is healed.
That is not healthy for your skin because it
damages the skin barrier and if you are not
careful, it is opening your pores to more
bacteria in the air and spreading germs to
other parts of your face. Picking your
pimples makes the area of your skin more
vulnerable to damage because as it is, it is
already sensitive. The best thing to do is to
leave it for a while and go heavy on your
water intake, vitamin c and your
consistency.

7. Use Sunscreen
A lot of people don’t know about this
particular tip. Sunscreen is important, use
it.
 Always use your sunscreen because it
protects your skin barrier from UV rays and
helps discolouration. You can either buy
sunscreen separately or moisturizers that
already have sunscreen in them.

8. Take pictures:
I recommend this because without taking
pictures, you wouldn’t know how much
you have changed. Seeing a change in
your skin is a form of motivation to keep
going and it gives you self-confidence. It
also helps with your consistency because
you’d want to keep doing whatever it is
that is making you glow. So take pictures
and share them with your friends and
family. Keep track of your progress so you
can also share your skincare journey!
 9. Be consistent:
Sleep at least 8 hours each day. It is a
common fact that once you’re stressed or
your body starts overworking, it
contributes to your acne and pimples. If
sleeping does not help you release stress,
try yoga or exercising. Go for long walks,
listen to music. Do anything that makes
you feel comfortable and relaxes your
tensed muscles.
 PRODUCTS RECOMMENDED FOR A
GOOD SKIN CARE ROUTINE

Face wash, serum and moisturizer with

sunscreen are easy products good for the
skin. A product that is easily accessible and
good for the skin is vitamin c.
Vitamin C, which also goes by ascorbic
acid and L-ascorbic acid, is a vitamin that
isn’t actually produced by the body.
Instead, the only way to get it is through
supplements or your diet — citrus fruits
like oranges are famously rich in vitamin C.
It also has vital functions throughout the
body.
 Not all forms of vitamin C can pass
through your skin. For your skin to use
vitamin C, it needs to be in a form called
ascorbic acid. However, ascorbic acid is
unstable and breaks down when exposed
to heat, oxygen, or light.
The ascorbic acid in powdered vitamin C is
a more trusted Source than other forms,
and it’s thought to retain more of its
benefits than vitamin C found in serums or
lotions.

Some of the benefits of applying vitamin C

to your face include:
 ~ Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant

Vitamin C is the most abundant

antioxidant in your skin. Your skin cells
store vitamin C to prevent damage from
environmental factors. UV rays, pollution,
and smoking can all damage your skin by
creating free radicals. Free radicals are
unstable molecules that pull electrons
from your cells and cause damage.

~Vitamin C promotes collagen production

Collagen makes up the majority of the dry

weight of your skin. Your body needs
vitamin C to synthesize this protein. Many
of the symptoms of vitamin C deficiency
(scurvy) are caused by impaired collagen
synthesis.
There are so many other benefits of
Vitamin C for the skin and it is highly
recommended by dermatologists.
 THE GENIUS OF MAKEUP

I once heard that makeup is a form of

‘CATFISH’ where people who are insecure
about their appearance use makeup to
feel ‘BEAUTIFUL’. In actuality, makeup is
more than that! Makeup is a form of art! A
means to which a person can express
themselves, A form of communication! Yes,
people use makeup as a means to
‘improve one’s appearance’ but that is a
shallow view of what makeup truly is. Not
only is it art but it’s also a means to project
one's beauty and to allow everyone to see
how beautiful a person is.
 NOW AGAINST POPULAR BELIEFS

In the world today, there is this belief that

makeup products damage the skin and
cause skin irritations such as acne and all
other reactions, which can happen in some
cases as a result of fake products or just
your skin reacting to the ingredients in the
makeup product. However, with the
awareness of good skin and the need for
good products to be used, makeup
products are now being made with
elements that not only does not react with
the skin but also helps the skin giving it
that internal glow!
 MAKEUP

There are so many makeup brands in the

market today, and the idea of makeup
itself is pretty dynamic. The trend of
makeup is constantly evolving each day
and getting started with makeup seems
like an arduous task because there are so
many brands to choose from. It seems like
there is some new makeup product
everywhere and it even seems like new
brands practically emerge every week.
Have you ever wondered where to even
start from when purchasing makeup?
Well, this beginner’s guide is definitely for
you!
 A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO MAKEUP

When you just start doing your makeup, it

will definitely not be as flawless as you
want it to be initially. Everyone started
from somewhere, and even the best
makeup artists today once had their
“Flashback Mary” days. With time your
makeup will definitely get better. If you are
a beginner who is just getting started with
makeup, you would probably choose
drugstore brands rather than high-end
brands. High-end brands are typically
known for their higher quality, but they are
definitely more expensive.
Keyword: Q-U-A-L-I-T-Y.
 High-end brands are typically known for
their higher quality, but they are definitely
more expensive. Keyword: Q-U-A-L-I-T-Y.

FOUNDATION

The “holy grail” of makeup itself. In fact,

this is the base upon which you build the
rest of your makeup. It is definitely a staple
product in your makeup collection.
Foundation covers up blemishes and gives
an even complexion colour to the skin on
your face. You can apply it using a beauty
blender or any suitable brush.
 HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR PERFECT
FOUNDATION SHADE

Finding your perfect foundation shade is

key if you want your makeup to be
flawless. No one wants to buy foundation
at the store, only to get home and find out
that it is not your actual shade. Choosing
the right shade also saves you a lot of
money (and products) in the long run.
Besides, when you find a brand and shade
you like, you can very well decide to stick
to it.
Many makeup stores I have gone to have
some makeup products set aside as
“testers” for customers to try out. If you
have no idea of what your foundation
shade is, it may be better to test options
first.
Different stores have different policies for
how customers apply testers, so please
ask, and follow all the rules. You must go to
reputable stores where hygiene is a
priority to avoid germs spread via these
testers. Remember, we are in the middle of
a pandemic.

You should definitely test shade options in

an environment where there are mirrors
and good lighting. A dark environment
may not allow you to choose your proper
shade.
 A common mistake that people make is
testing foundations on their arm to figure
out their shade. However, the skin on your
arm may very well be lighter or darker
than the skin on your face, so this probably
is not the best option for most. It is much
better to apply potential shades on your
face to see exactly how it looks.

Some people also have necks that are

lighter or darker than their face. If you have
hyperpigmentation in some parts of your
face, then this may also apply to you. If this
is you, you should also try and match your
shade to the colour of your neck to avoid a
contrast between your face and your neck.
When testing foundations, it is important
to consider the undertones of your skin.
 There are three prominent skin
undertones: cool, warm, and neutral. In
some cases, you may have to colour
correct when you do your makeup.
Foundation also has different levels of
coverage. Full coverage foundation
completely covers up your skin as well as
any blemishes. Medium and light coverage
foundations may not conceal all
imperfections. However, many foundations
are buildable, which means that you can
apply more or less of it to get the coverage
you want.

Foundations can also be matte or dewy. If

you have oily skin, it is better to go for
foundations with a matte finish so that
your face does not look oily throughout
the day. Dewy foundations are better for
dry or normal skin types.
When you apply foundation to your face, it
can go through a chemical process known
as oxidation. Oxidation is basically the gain
of oxygen or the loss of electrons. All these
chemistry terms are for what exactly? Well,
when your foundation oxidises, you will
notice that as you wear it throughout the
day, the shade may change tone, to a
slightly more orange shade a darker brown
shade due to its exposure to oxygen. This is
definitely something you do not want.

After applying foundation, it is essential to

set your makeup by applying loose powder
or a compact face powder all over your
face. This prevents oiliness. Always make
sure you wipe off any excess powder to
avoid a “cakey” look too.
 CONCEALER

Concealers have many uses. Its most

common use is for covering up blemishes
and imperfections (hence the name). It
can also be used to highlight your face, as
a colour corrector, as a contour and to
define your brows. For a beginner, I
recommended the L.A. girl pro concealer.
You can buy one shade lighter for
highlighting and one shade darker for
contouring.
 POWDER

Powder sets your makeup which means

that it makes it last longer, and it reduces
oiliness on your face. Powders are also
used in highlighting and contouring. Some
powders can even double as foundations.
For a beginner, I would recommend the
Maybelline fit me or Zaron cosmetics
translucent setting powder. If you are
willing to splurge, please go for the Laura
Mercier Translucent setting powder, which
gives excellent results.
 EYEBROW PENCIL AND SPOOLIE

A spoolie is used to brush and tame

eyebrow hairs. An eyebrow pencil is used
to fill in your brows, and if you have sparse
brow hairs, you may have one or two of
this already. I recommend the Davis
eyebrow pencil because it is easy to use
and readily available in different stores and
markets. Other pencil brands like Hegai
and Esther are excellent as well. With time
you can progress to using eyebrow gels.
 EYELINER

Eyeliners emphasise your eyes and your

eye shape, which gives you a livelier look. I
recommend the Maybelline colossal kajal
for your undereye area, and the Zaron
cosmetics felt tip eyeliner is a basic
eyeliner. Felt tip eyeliners tend to be easier
to apply and get used to for beginners.
 MASCARA

Mascara is used in lengthening and

thickening the appearance of your lashes.
Mascara can even be put on by itself to
give you a different look for the day. There
are other mascara brands out there, but
when choosing a mascara, you have to be
careful because some particular brands
dry out fast, which can cause your mascara
to be chunkier than usual. This can be
fixed with a makeup seal, but it is better to
avoid this. I recommend any Maybelline
brand of mascara because it is affordable,
which makes it great for beginners.
 EYESHADOW PALETTES

This can be used to create different

eyeshadow looks, and the colour of your
eyeshadow can make a world of difference
in your makeup. It can turn a simple nude
look into a whole glam/party look. For a
beginner, I would recommend choosing a
nude or neutral eyeshadow palette. This is
an eyeshadow palette with colours close to
skin colour like browns, cream, white, pink
etc.
 PRIMERS AND MOISTURISERS

The skin prep you do before your makeup

is essential. Primers and moisturizers also
help your makeup last longer, and some
have other uses, such as reducing shine in
those with oily skin (a good example of this
is Ponds Vanishing cream). Moisturizers
hydrate your skin which inevitably makes
your makeup look smoother on your face,
and some primers may double as
moisturizers as well. I also recommend the
L.A. girl cosmetics H.D. smoothing face
primer.
 LIPSTICK/LIP GLOSS/LIP STAINS

The colour you choose is entirely up to you,

so for brands, I would recommend Classic
for a beginner because it is affordable, and
their lip glosses are of good quality.

SETTING SPRAY

Setting sprays hold your makeup in place.

It also helps to reduce the ‘powdery’ look
of your makeup products and give you a
more natural and dewier look. Setting
sprays save you a lot of stress because no
one wants to go to the bathroom every
hour to touch up their makeup.
The colour you choose is entirely up to you,
so for brands, I would recommend Classic
for a beginner because it is affordable, and
their lip glosses are of good quality.
I recommend the L.A. Girl cosmetics pro
setting spray for affordability and good
quality. Still, if you are willing to splurge,
you can very well go for the powerful
urban decay setting spray, which is an
excellent buy.
WHAT IS THE BEST BRAND OF MAKEUP
TO GET?

There are so many makeup brands in the

market today, and people might have a
hard time choosing which one best fits
their needs. Your choice between the
drugstore and high-end brands may
depend on several factors. One of the most
critical factors is your budget. Setting a
budget enables one to narrow down their
choices as well as save a lot of money. It
may not be necessary to buy the most
expensive makeup products from a store,
but one should keep in mind that the
cheapest makeup products could be that
cheap because of a reduction in quality.
Another factor that one should consider in
choosing a brand is customer reviews
about their products. If the reviews for
most of the products of a particular brand
are primarily negative, then the quality of
that brand is questionable. The reputation
of a brand also matters.
A vital factor to consider again is the
ingredients used in their products. Some
people’s allergies are triggered by certain
ingredients in makeup. In addition to this,
some makeup products can contain
harmful ingredients like lead, so you would
want to avoid excessive exposure to such
ingredients. Some of these ingredients can
cause acne or other issues.
You would also want to consider the ease
of application of the brand’s products. For
example, the beauty blender became
popular because of its versatility. It can be
used to blend just about any makeup
product, and anyone (even beginners) can
use it with ease. The more user-friendly a
brand’s products are, the better for you.
Another thing you need to take into
consideration is your skin type. The
makeup products that are good for a
particular skin type may not suit another
person’s skin type at all.
At the end of the day, you do not have to
stick to just one brand and use all their
products.
You can simply pick the products you like
from one brand and complement them
with products you like from another brand.
 FASHION
-AFRICAN STYLE

ASO-EBI FOR YORUBA OWAMBES

It is no news that Yoruba brides definitely

take centre stage at any traditional
wedding. Yoruba is one of the three major
ethnic groups mainly located in the South-
Western portion of Nigeria. Yoruba
weddings or any Yoruba ceremony are
aptly called "Owambe", meaning "it is
there." The lavish and elaborate parties
thrown by the Yorubas are a staple of their
culture. It is practically impossible to see a
Yoruba wedding today without the
trademark "aso-ebi" (cloth of the family).
 You might have heard of colours such as
light onion, lemon green, carton brown or
elegant white and wondered what on
earth do these colours refer to? Such is the
level of preparation and planning that is
attached to Yoruba Owambes. However,
after all the stress, the beautiful results at
the end of the day make it all worth it!
Many couples go to the best fashion
designers available to make their outfits
and ensure that they look their best on
their big day. Aso-ebi originates from "aso-
oke" (prestigious cloth or top-cloth).
Yoruba fashion culture is overflowing with
designs such as the notable female "iro
and buba" (i.e., wrapper and blouse)
 and "iborun or ipele" (shawl) with the
striking gele (headgear/head tie) as well as
the male agbada, buba and, dashiki,
sokoto (trouser) and fila (cap) – all of which
have been associated with aso-Oke for
over a couple of decades. Despite
contemporary fashion trends, aso-oke still
remains relevant and has even adopted
some of the modern styles.
Aso-oke was originally made of cotton, but
modern-day styles also incorporate lace,
beads, stones etc. Cloth weaving is said to
have been introduced into Yorubaland in
the 15th century, and it subsequently
spread to several Yoruba towns and cities.
The Yorubas are famous cloth weavers, a
craft they practise to satisfy their taste for
fashion and different requirements.
Yoruba women once saw dressing their
household as their duty. Therefore, they
engaged in manufacturing cloth like aso-
oke for their home needs. It also allowed
them to teach their daughters how to
weave cloth. Those who sell and deal in
aso-oke today are known as "Alaso-oke"
(literal translation: "we have aso-oke").
The stages in aso-oke production are
cotton planting, spinning, sorting,
patterning, and weaving. There are also
different types of aso-oke:
 1. Alaagba
2. Alari: crimson in colour woven with
cotton and shining threads.
3. Big & Small Loom
4. Big Loom
5. Check
6. Cotton
7. Damask
8. Double Weaving
9. Etu: means guinea fowl. It is dark blue
or indigo in colour with white stripes like
the feathers of a guinea fowl.
10. Eya: lace
11. Kente-Oke
12. Lace
13. Metallic
14. Monogramming
 15. Net
16. Net Design
17 Net Lace
18. Ordinary Lace
19. Painting
20. Plain & Pattern
21. Popo
22. Prints
23. Sanyan: brown with white stripes
woven from wild silk and cotton. Generally
used for funerals and weddings.
24. Silk
25. Super Net
26. Takunsi
27. Takunsi
28. Wire to Wire
When deciding on your aso-ebi, colour is
one of the most important factors to
consider. You might need to consider the
bride's or groom's complexion, as well as
which colours will blend or go well
together. When selecting aso-oke, you can
go for a complementary or contrasting
hue.
You can even have related tones, such as
green and yellow, adjacent on the colour
wheel. Cost is also an essential factor, and
the couple (or whomever the event is
planned for) would have to consider their
financial status and the level of grandeur
they would like for the event.
 The higher the quality of the fabric, the
greater the cost. The uniqueness of the
fabric may affect the rate of purchase by
invitees. A beautiful fabric would capture
their attention and may compel them to
buy; however, a fabric that is too expensive
may detract them from purchasing it.
These are some factors you may have to
consider when deciding on your choice of
aso-ebi.
 AFRICAN PRINT (ANKARA)

Ankara is commonly known as ‘African

print’, ‘Holland wax’, ‘Dutch wax’ and
‘Kitenge’ or ‘Chitenge’ in east Africa. The
100% cotton fabrics are famous for their
bold and vibrant designs and are
associated with Africa due to their tribal
symbols and motifs. There are similar
African prints particular to other African
countries such as:

Shweshwe – South Africa

(Southern Africa).
it is a printed dyed cotton fabric widely
used for traditional South African clothing.
It was traditionally used for weddings and
the likes and was originally produced in
three colours (brown, red, blue); but now, it
is manufactured in a variety of colours and
printing designs characterized by
sophisticated geometric patterns.

Baoule – Cote d’Ivoire (West Africa).

Baoule is woven in five strips of fabric. The
strips are then sewn together to make the
fabric. The cloth is very thick and heavy.
This hand-woven cloth is used to design
bags, shoes, dresses and shirts for men.

Chitenge – Zambia (East Africa).

Kitenge or Chitenge is an East African,
West African and Central African fabric
similar to a Sarong.
 It is often worn by women and wrapped
around their chest or waist, over the head
as a headscarf, or as a baby sling. An
extension of the former called the ‘Kikoy
Kitenge’ is a thick cloth that has an edging
on only the long side with bold and bright
colours.

Kente – Ghana (West Africa).

Kente cloth is a type of silk and cotton
fabric made of interwoven cloth strips. It
has also been adopted by Cote d’Ivoire.
The kente was originally manufactured in
yellow and green but now we see kente in
different coloured designs without losing
the Kente pattern.
These different fabrics play an important
role in promoting African culture.
However, Ankara which is particular to
Nigeria gained its popularity globally in
2010 but it has been in existence for many
years. Ankara was originally manufactured
by the Dutch for the Indonesian textile
market, more so, the prints gained
significantly more interest in West African
countries because of the tribal-like
patterns and motifs.
Ankara is formerly known as ‘Dutch wax’
print by African print Dutch company
‘VLISCO’.
 This wax print is originally influenced by
Batik, an Indonesian method of dyeing
cloth by using wax-resist techniques. The
wax fabrics can be sorted into categories
of quality due to the process of
manufacturing.
Consequently, the costly produced wax
fabrics were increasingly imitated by
alternative ways of manufacturing. The so-
called "African fancy-fabrics" are produced
in a printing procedure while costly
designs are printed digitally.
These "fancy-fabrics" are generally cheap
and the industrially produced imitations of
the wax prints and are based on industry
print. This goes to say that African print
(Ankara) evolved from actual wax print to
industrially produced pattern and prints.
Fancy fabrics are more intense and richer
in colour than wax print and are only
printed on one side. The production of
these imitation wax prints fabrics allows
those who cannot afford the European
imported wax prints to be able to purchase
them. The fancy print design often mimics
or copies the designs of existing wax print
designs but are cheaper to make. This is
what the majority of us wear today.
More interestingly, Ankara is a very
versatile fabric and it can be used to make
almost anything; it is not just limited to
clothing (dresses, shirts, blouses and the
likes) but other items can be made from it
such as hats, earrings, bags, shoes,
headbands, to mention a few.
 Over time, its range of use has spanned
from regular clothing items to spandex for
clothing such as ‘iro and buba’, kaftans,
bathing suits, sports bras, leggings, it even
used to customize the cover of note pads.

Ankara fashion of today

Some years ago, in the early times of our
parents, if one paired an Ankara dress with
sneakers, it was considered absurd (wrong
dressing). As expected, some ‘all-knowing’
fashion police, bloggers and the likes were
always quick to point an accusing finger
saying ‘she had broken a rule in fashion’ or
‘no way, that’s a huge fashion blunder’. But
then I asked, Which rule? What blunder?
and I was told it wasn’t just right to pair
Ankara with sneakers, it’s a bad way of
dressing.
 I remember when I was much younger,
the elder ones around, told me that Ankara
fabrics are for dresses or skirt and blouse
and are meant for church or traditional
functions and they repeated it over and
over again until I believed it. but
somewhere in my little mind I still
wondered, ‘Who set these rules?’.
Fast forward to the present, I realized that
those rules were far from being right.
There’s nothing wrong in sewing your
Ankara into shorts, blazers, suits, crop tops
and pairing it with jeans or sneakers to the
office, parties and even to church. The
combo is no longer absurd as our
generation has embraced change and
normalized this new trend of rocking
Ankara.
As its popularity increases, so have its style
possibilities. It does not matter if a lot of
other people are wearing the same print,
what makes the difference is the styles.
Wearing Ankara prints allows you to
express your creativity in styles and if
you’re reluctant or confused on how to
spice up your Ankara styles, you might
want to set aside your uncertainties and
get some tips on the internet.

How to rock Ankara

Ankara is beautiful and can be worn
anyhow you choose too. Here are a few;
Ankara Jumpsuits: this is like a sewn
together pants and blouse, can be paired
with sneakers, sandals or heels. It gives this
casual but yet formal look.
 ~ Playsuits: is the ‘shorts’ form of
jumpsuits. As the name implies, it gives
this playful look but chic at the same time.
This is my personal go-to look for a date,
party, any Turn Up basically. It can go with
sneakers or heels.
~ Blazers: of course, you can sew your
regular blazers but with Ankara this time.
It fits perfectly with a pair of jeans, a pencil
skirt, shorts, as you like it.
Ankara sweatshirts and joggers
These are just a few out of many ways to
add Ankara to your style.
 The possibilities are endless in today’s
fashion and style.
Ankara and other African prints across all
other African countries are unique and
beautiful, it defines our culture and tells
our stories in different ways as Africans.
The bright, vast and intricate patterns of
African prints shows that our culture
cannot be hidden; we Africans are bold,
beautiful and definitely can’t be lost in the
fashion world.
 LIFESTYLE
~BY EMMANUEL AKPAN

I believe there’s a point when you wanted

to try out something new. A new skill,
meeting a new friend, taking that first bite
of garlic, it could be anything. As humans,
we are designed to always try to do things
just a little bit different. I still remember
the first time I tried taking rice with stew
when I was 7. Prior to then, U had never
taken stew before, but for some reason, I
just wanted to ‘try it out.’ We all have that
spirit in our skins. But as we begin to grow
older, we begin to observe patterns of
others and specific ways of doing things.
 Of course, we all learn from one other, or
better still, those older than us. I mean, I’m
pretty sure I would have never tried out
stew until I saw an adult do it. But then,
observing patterns and particular ways of
doing things, slowly takes away your inner
child who loved to take risks. That 16-year-
old, who used to draw for fun in kinder
garden, is now being forced to study
Medicine in a University, on the grounds
that he must be a Doctor to be ‘successful.’
As we grow older, our style of thinking
begins to change, and the level of risk we
take drastically increases.
The lifestyle we may have preferred to live
has now been influenced by different
personalities, ranging from a weird name
like “robin_2279” on Instagram, or even
people close to us, like our parents. We
now begin to hold back some of our
honest desires maybe because of what
people will say or the lack of support from
making a big change such as a career
switch. But then, what I want you to
understand right now, even as you are
reading this, is that you are actually in
control of your life, more than you think.
You have the ability to take daring risks, to
make that mindset change, only if you try.
 Sure, you might be asking, but how do I
learn to build myself to make more
decisions, to do more things that I am truly
interested in, without caring what others
think. Well, here’s an answer I got from
Gary Vaynerchuk, Patience and Practice.
You could start with the little things. Wear
that shirt tomorrow because you
genuinely like it. Start trying to do things
that you want to do, not because Akpan
told you to do it, but because you have a
genuine passion for it.
I always like to share my story once in a
while because I believe some people will
gain a lot from it. In 2016, I came into the
University with no skills whatsoever. I could
easily have been in the top 1% of useless
people around.

.
 But then, I found myself usually around
creatives – majorly people who were into
Graphic Design, Photography, Video
Editing and things of that nature. For
some reason, I was attracted to such
things so I decided to spend more time in
learning about PHOTOSHOP, Illustrator
and Graphic Design in general. Fast-
forward to now (March 2021), I can say I
have made significant improvement since
then. But let me not end this without
saying that it took a lot of hard work,
practice and patience. I have great passion
for design so I decided to put in the work
and practice in order to become a good
designer. Right now, I am being patient in
order for me to have a great design career.
I just want you to know one key thing
today, you’re in control, far more than you
think.
.
 What I believe you should do in order to
live a great lifestyle is
1. Do things that you genuinely want to do,
which are positive as well
2. Work Hard – Everyday
3. Practice and
4. Be Patient
I’m pretty sure everything will go great for
you if you do these consistently. Do them
and live that lifestyle you have always
wanted.

.
 References:
[1] "A close-up on Aso-Oke of the Yoruba -
The Centenary Project — Google Arts &
Culture."
[Link]
a-close-up-on-aso-oke-of-the-yoruba-pan-
atlantic-university/KgKC6Y0ZViQKJw?
hl=en (accessed Mar. 21, 2021).

[2] "Aso-Oke | Heritage Aso Oke."

[Link]
(accessed Mar. 21, 2021).

[3] [Link], webmd

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About the Authors
Anjolaoluwa Olutomilayo
Ogechukwu Elekwa
Iderawumi Oluwabuyikunmi
Favour Adenuga
Naomi Onyema
Chidera Onwurah
Kari David Ibomo
Peter Kayode
Emmanuel Akpan

Joseph Nduka