Babajide Okeowo
Few weeks after Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, Founder of La Campagne Tropicana River, Beach and Forest Resort unfolded plans to make Ondo State the hub of carnival costume design and making in Africa, the first set of carefully selected hundreds of Nigerian youths trained in costume making have completed two weeks of intensive training session.
It was an enthralling experience for the youths who had the privilege of being tutored and taken through the rudiments of fashion design and carnival costumes making.
The training session witnessed creativity at its best with the use of common placed and discarded materials such as local sponge, groundnuts, leaves, plastic spoons, straws, plastic and bottles, utilised by the team to create and design unique, beautiful and enchanting carnival costumes with colourful and fascinating ambience.
Renowned multi-talented and awards winning Nigerian international fashion design icon, model, modeling instructor and fashion entrepreneur, Adebayo Adegbe, fondly known as Modella was contracted for the training session with his team.
A colourful graduation ceremony was held at the close of the training session, with exhibition of the products of the students while 15 of them were selected to model their creations to the admiration of the guests.
The formal ceremony, which was held recently in Ondo town, was declared open by the Sasere of Ondo Kingdom, High Chief Olu Adeduro, who stood in for the Kabiyesi. It had in attendance Akinboboye, alongside other guests.
Three of the participants were adjudged winners of the modelling event, with Akintola Funmilayo, emerging the winner with her sponge laden regalia while Olasanmi Esther came second with her colourful costume and Awosika Ireti came third with her plastic spoon design.
The costumes are already in the market and available at designated stores while online sales are soon to be activated. Besides carnivals and festivals, the team also designs for other events and makes bespoke dresses for casual and corporate as well as festive occasions.
Recall that Otunba Akinboboye’s Destination Ondo project recently unveiled the plans to make Ondo State the Carnival Costume hub of Africa to cater for carnival costume needs.
“The initiative will cater for the costume needs of festivals and carnivals’ organisers in Nigeria, Africa and across the world. It will be the only place to get the best costumes and accessories for carnivals and festivals in Africa” Otunba Akinboboye had said.
