Recently, Tozali Fashion Magazine, which is owned by Hajiya Mamuna Yaya Abubakar, held its maiden African Fashion and Cultural Week which was dedicated enƟ rely to men wears, as the models show-cased the contnent’s rich cultural heritage. HAWWAH GAMBO witnessed the event.
Fashion shows are few and far between in Northern Nigeria. Similarly, northerners are almost absent from the runway but Hajiya Maimuna Yaya Abubakar, has shattered that myth last September, when Tozali, a northern fashion magazine held its African Fashion and Cultural Week.
From September 14 to 16, the capital city of Abuja was agog with the event which held at the exhibition hall of the International Conference Centre. The three day event ran concurrently, showcasing fashion designers from Northern Nigeria, upcoming music artists, makeup artists, hair stylists, accessory makers and elegant runway models. Tozali, is a Northern Fashion Magazine that had been in existence for over a decade. And for the past eight years, it has been holding the Tozali Henna Ball award and the event promises to be a biennial show.
Last month, the magazine held the maiden fashion show, where Nollywood stars like Ramsey Noah and Abdul Bulama aka MC Turgeon from Maiduguri Born State held forte as comperes. The show, which was well attended by dignitaries from all over the country, including Zamfara and Kogi state First Ladies, had fashion designers from Kaduna, Kano, Abuja and Ghana showcasing their creations amidst cheers and ovations. Signifi cantly, the fashion show is the fi rst and sole event in Africa that dedicated an entire day to Men’s wear.
This, according to the organizers, is a huge boost and development in the Men’s wear segment of the Fashion Industry in Africa. Ms Yaya Abubakar, the publisher of Tozali Magazine disclosed that the objective of the event is to promote African culture, fashion and arts. In addition, the show is aimed at empowering the youth and young entrepreneurs. His ultimate is for fashion Magazine to help is promoting and exporting African designs and talents globally. “The purpose of this event is to persuade and remind the general public, promoters and investors in the rich and diverse African continent that it is endowed with so much talents, arts and culture.
It is also to promote new talents as well as students of Arts’. Ms Yaya Abubakar further disclosed that the program has got many partners from both home and abroad, and she is glad that the event was a success. She expressed her appreciation to all who contributed in ensuring the success of the event, and vowed to improve on the vent in the coming years based on all aspects. Interestingly, the publisher neither studied Mass Communication nor Fashion Design or Fine Arts in the university.
The law graduate of Bayero University Kano, is an indigene of Gombe State, who was a staff of the Corporate Affairs Commission. She also has an Masters Degree in Commercial Law. According to Maimuna, she started Tozali Magazine in 2007, and the publication has continued to grow since then. She debunked the rumors of the former FCT Minister Dr. Aliyu Modibbo is the financier of Tozali but added that the ex Minister has been a supportive Friend of the magazine. Already, people are looking forward to the second edition of the African Fashion and Cultural Week, which promises to be an annual event.
