Meet Nigeria's top 5 fashion stylists

By Olamide Jasanya

The business of fashion styling in Nigeria has, in recent times, grown to become one of the most patronised in the fashion industry, a development that could only have been achieved by the hard work and creativity put to work by players in the industry.

In no particular order, here are five of the major players in the industry

Popularly called Tiannah, 31-years old Toyin Lawani prides herself as a serial entrepreneur with interests in designing, fashion consultancy, celebrity photo shoot and music video styling.

Awarded Stylist of the year in 2013 by ELOY awards, Lawani has styled numerous celebrities for magazines like Wow, Allure, This Day and Complete Fashion and showcased at different Fashion Shows including Africa fashion Week in Los Angeles, Music Meets Runway and New York Fashion Show, all in 2012.

In her late twenties, Yolanda Okereke, though a graduate of Chemical Engineering has turned out to become one of the country’s most sought after stylists. Since she began in 2009 with Monalisa Chinda and Djinee, her clientele has increased sufficiently, including Kate Henshaw, Rita Dominic, Nse Ikpe-Etim, DJ Jimmy Jatt, Desmond Elliot and others on her list.

Rani, as she is fondly called, is arguably the only stylist with the biggest impact in Nollywood, having designed for and costumed movies including Rita Dominic’s The Meeting, Ashionye Raccah’s Journey to Self, Emem Isong’s Weekend Getaway, Monalisa Chinda’s 2010 series, Catwalk among others.

Soft spoken Dimeji Alara started his career as a journalist with Genevieve Magazine and in few years, became its Fashion Editor before leaving in 2011, to become the first Editor-in-Chief cum In-House Stylist for Mania Magazine.

Before he left Mania in 2013, Alara had produced over 15 editions of the magazine and styled celebrities including Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, Asa, Funmi Iyanda, Eku Edewor, Kemi Adetiba and Agbani Darego. He is presently the editor-in-Chief of Genevieve Magazine.

If you saw and liked Omowunmi Akinnifesi on the cover of June 2013 issue of Y! Naija magazine, then Ebun Aboderin deserves a prop. The easy-going graduate of the London College of Style has also worked on different covers of Complete Fashion magazine and styled celebrities like Rita Dominic, Davido, Chidinma and others.

Model-turned stylist, Veronica Ebie Odeka started as an intern with stylist, Cassandra Walker and now displays strength in the areas of personal and luxury shopping, celebrity styling and wardrobe consultations.

With over ten years experience, Odeka now has the likes of Tiwa Savage, Waje, Eku Edewor, Gbenro Ajibade, Dolapo Oni as clients and has worked on projects like Nigerian Idols seasons 1 &2, Elite Model Look, Martini Martini Male Model Search and a few others. She also runs a show room, Vane Style, which caters for the needs of editors, models and stylists.