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Female architect Tosin Oshinowo has revealed in an interview with BBC, how challenging it is to be a female architect in the male-dominated field.

Female architects in the country “need a thick skin,” she said, sharing an instance when she cried out of a site because she was being disrespected.

She also discussed her style: afro-minimalism, revealing her love for clean lines and minimal but functional designs.

Watch her speak below:

Makoko, a slum in Lagos, Nigeria, is known as the world’s largest “floating slum”. Rickety shanty houses stand on stilts in the polluted water. The men of Makoko are typically fishermen, while the women of Makoko are usually traders, selling the fish caught by the men.

Sharon (Photo: CNN)

That’s where 17-year-old Sharon grew up, the 11th child in her family. For girls like Sharon from underprivileged communities, their future usually entails getting married, having kids and carrying on the same business that their mothers did.

But Girls Coding, a six-year-old initiative of Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin’s Pearl Africa Foundation, is trying to teach them more, and level the playing field. The program is free and it seeks to educate girls about computer programming.

(Photo: Girls Coding)

Sharon attended Abisoye’s classes and on completion, recognizing that her family was underpaid and at a disadvantage with the middle-men who retailed their fish, created a website named Makoko Fresh to bridge the gap between her family’s products and willing consumers.

Speaking with CNN Heroes about how it all began, Sharon said:
“It was around 2015 when Ms. Abisoye came to Makoko community to train girls about computer. I said okay, I would go… I learned how to use computer very well, to build websites. That’s why I’m creating an app with my team.”

Sharon hopes to attend Harvard one day, and eventually become a software engineer.

Credit: konbini.com

On Monday 24th of September 2018, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made her debut speech at the United Nations General Assembly.

She was accompanied by her 3-month old daughter Neve Te Aroha and her partner Clarke Gayford. The Prime Minister’s recent appearance makes her the first world leader to bring an infant to the UNGA.

During the six-day stay in New York, Ardern’s partner who put his job on hold to be a stay-at-home dad, will be Neve’s primary carer.

Watch video:

 

 

Credit: Bella Naija

17-year-old Mikayla Lowry’s family was having financial difficulties, and the chance of her going to the university was quite slim.

However, all that changed after she attended Beyonce and Jay Z’s On the Run II concert. The young girl was to be the recipient of a scholarship worth over N36million courtesy of the power couple.

The good news was announced by rapper, DJ Khaled, and Mikayla and her friends got to know she was the receiver of the award after the rapper took to describing her.

Khaled described the winner of the scholarship as a future marine biologist and keystone vice president among other things.

The young girl could not contain her excitement and on camera, she said:

“I’m shaking! Thank you so much.’”

Beyonce and Jay Z hope to award up to N362.5 million worth of scholarships in 11 cities through the Shawn Carter Foundation and the BeyGOOD Initiative.

 

 

 

Credit: Naij.com

It plans to grow Versace to $2 billion in revenue globally and increase its retail footprint from roughly 200 to 300 stores. It also expects to expand accessories and footwear from 35% to 60% of revenue.

The deal marks one of the first times an American company has cracked the code of super high-end luxury fashion, typically controlled by LVMH, the owner of Guerlain and Givenchy, and Kering, the owner of Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent. Michael Kors had already dipped its toes in European fashion, last year buying shoe brand Jimmy Choo for $1.2 billion.

As part of the deal, Donatella Versace, who has helped run the company since her brother Gianni was murdered in 1997, will stay on to oversee the label. Donatella, her brother Santo and daughterAllegra will also stay on as shareholders in the company. Versace’s management team will continue to be led by its CEO, Jonathan Akeroyd.

In a statement, Donatella said:

We are all very excited to join a group led by [Michael Kors CEO] John Idol, whom I have always admired as a visionary as well as a strong and passionate leader. We believe that being part of this group is essential to Versace’s long-term success.

Michael Kors said Tuesday that following the deal, the company hopes to reduce its proportion of business in the Americas from 66 percent to 57 percent, while increasing its European business from 23 percent to 24 percent and Asian business from 11 percent to 19 percent.

According to CNBC:

The global market for personal luxury goods was estimated to be worth $307 billion in 2017, according to recently filed registration documents for luxury marketplace Farfetch, which went public last week. The luxury market is expected to reach $446 billion by 2025, according to the data.

The push further into luxury serves also as a defense for the next economic downturn, more than a decade after the last one in the U.S. Those that can afford a Versace dress are among the most likely to continue to spend during a recession than those who shop more affordably, industry experts say.

Michael Kors has been eyeing the luxury space for quite some time. Both it and competitor Tapestry suffered the repercussions of expanding their affordable luxury brands too widely, thereby diluting their stature in the process. Meantime, the malls in which shoppers often pick up their affordable luxury brands have become increasingly desolate as shoppers head online.

Donatella Versace, sister of the fashion house’s late founder Gianni Versace, will“continue to lead the company’s creative vision.” She continued by assuring Versace fans that, “My passion has never been stronger. This is the perfect time for our company, which puts creativity and innovation at the core of all of its actions, to grow.”

 

Culled from Pulse

In a report by Wall Street Journal, Njideka‘s highest selling artwork at the moment is a 2017 botanical piece named ‘Bush Babies.’

According to the report, New York based art company dealer, Sotheby’s estimated that the ‘Bush Babies,’ would sell for up to $800,000 but ended up selling for $3.4 million.

The ‘Bush Babies’ artwork was sold during an auction at the Christie’s in London, United Kingdom.

The artist, who once sold artworks for  $3,000 apiece has joined the leagues of top-flight artists in United States of America and United Kingdom.

It was also reported that least 20 public museums are on a waiting list for works which Njideka hasn’t painted yet.

At 35 years old, Crosby from Eastern Nigeria, has since been awarded the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship.

The MacArthur Fellowship, also referred to as the Genius Grant, awards $625,000 to artists, writers, teachers, scientists, entrepreneurs, and people from all works of life who have shown exceptional creativity.

The grant is doled out in instalments, made over a period of five years.

Aside the grant, Njideka has also been decorated with honours for her artworks by the New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art and London’s Tate Modernhave come calling.

Credit: Pulse

Tennis superstar Serena Williams on Sunday, 23rd of September was honored for her charitable work at the 2018 Imagine Ball in West Hollywood.

Serena wore a form-fitting animal print mini dress as she arrived at the event which had Kelly Rowland and Nicole Scherzinger in attendance.

The event, honoring the 23-time Grand Slam champion, was hosted by Good Day LA‘s Rita Garcia.

See photos below:

Serena Williams

Kelly Rowland

Nicole Scherzinger

Photo Credit: Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images

 

Credit: Bella Naija

Singer and actress Selena Gomez has announced that she will be taking a break from social media for a while.

She made the announcement on her Instagram page, after posting a selfie to her Instagram account.

The 26-year old star had first captioned it with “Mood lol (I was looking at myself in the mirror -like an idiot!)”

Later, Selena updated the post with the caption:

“Update: taking a social media break. Again. As much as I am grateful for the voice that social media gives each of us, I am equally grateful to be able to step back and live my life present to the moment I have been given. Kindness and encouragement only for a bit! Just remember- negative comments can hurt anybody’s feelings. Obvi.”

 

Fashion designer, Toyin Lawani of Tiannah Place Empire has won the Best Female Fashion Designer of the year at the IARA Awards in London.

The International Achievement Recognition Award (IARA) is a platform that celebrates outstanding talents, laudable initiatives and recognize the hard work of those in Theatre, Music, Film/TV and the Fashion industry.