MODELS, DESIGNERS SET TO STRUT MUSIC AND FASHION RUNWAY 9TH EDITION 2ND DECEMBER • To honor trailblazers with Game Changer Africa Acknowledgement Award
By Oki Samson, Trek Africa Newspaper
Founders/CEO NMO Management Limited Group/Music Fashion Runway (MFR), Dr. Ngozi Omambala speaking during the unveiling of the campaign visual for the 9th annual Pan African Music Fashion Runway #MFR
All is set for the 9th edition of Music and Fashion Runway, MFR which will hold on Saturday 2nd December at the Naval Dockyard, Victoria Island, Lagos. Named Nigeria’s most influential fashion brand, Music and Fashion Runway is a cultural showcase platform blending contemporary Pan African designers, international runway models, cutting edge fashion with live music excellence. It is a celebration our rich African cultural heritage, Trek Africa Newspaper can report.
This year’s edition themed ‘Empowering the Creative/Corporate mix to align infrastructural development and growth in Creative and Entertainment sector’ will feature the Game Changer Africa Acknowledgement Award which recognizes trailblazers and pioneers for their significant contribution in the creative industry. Trek Africa Newspaper gathered that past recipients of the GCAA include Omotola Jalade Ekeinde, Best Actress AMVCA, global icon and movie legend (2017); Kunle Afolayan Legendary film director; Lanre Da Silva, iconic fashion designer and late Wale Aborderin Philanthropist – Former Chairman Punch Newpapers (2018); Maki OH: Amaka Osakwe, worldwide Brand fashion designer (Michelle Obama, Kerry Washington, Lupita Nyong’o, Beyonce, Lady GaGa) (2019); Guy Murray-Bruce, President, Silverbird Group; Helen Prest Ajayi, Miss Nigeria of 1971,
Ade Bakare Couture – celebrating 30 years of fashion and style (2020); Ejiro Amos Tafiri, award-winning international designer, Kelechi Amadi Obi, world renown photographer, Linda Ikeji Billionaire, Blogger, and
Brenda Emmanus OBE, veteran international broadcaster (2021) and
Stanley Enow, Pride of Cameroon – Unicef Ambassador (2022).
In her address at the press briefing which held on 21st November in Lagos, the Founders/CEO of & NMO Management Limited Group, Dr. Ngozi Omambala shared: ‘We are proud to present Pan-African 9th annual Music Fashion Runway #MFR Hybrid (physical and online) Edition and Game Changer Africa Acknowledgement Award. The Pan African 9th annual Music and Fashion Runway will parade most influential fashion brand producers will hold on Sat 2nd December 2023 at the Naval Dockyard.’
‘The Creative and Entertainment sector has gone through seismic changes to become a absolute force of nature. Growth has been unprecedented yet its infrastructure development lags behind exposing weaknesses and vulnerabilites of youth creatives seeking to carve out careers without support or protection. Call to action to empower with knowledge protect and upscale. As Chairperson of this group at LCCI, I am filled with pride and joy to represent such a vibrant and dynamic industry create structures that serve long term interests of empowering creatives against a very harsh economic climate. Our priority as always is to produce a first class event of live music excellence, whilst showcasing the most cutting edge Pan African fashion, established designers and international runway models’, Omambala said.
Founders/CEO NMO Management Limited Group/Music Fashion Runway (MFR), Dr. Ngozi Omambala (3rd right); Deputy President, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, Mr. Gabriel Idahosa (3rd left); Creative Director, XA Model Management, Mr. Ovo Ogufere (2nd left); Communication and Advancement Manager, Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art, Madonna Iloba (2nd right); Fashion & Runway Model, Nelson Oghenekevwe (left) and the Master of Ceremony (right) during the Press briefing for the 9th edition of Music Fashion Runway 2023 held at the Naval Dockyard, Victoria Island, Lagos.
MFR 2023 promises to retain its signature contemporary / cultural showpiece experience. Pan African 9th annual Music Fashion Runway will be streamed Live via our social media Platforms – as was last year’s successful event – which again opened the pioneering fashion and music platform to a global virtual international audience of exceeding 10,000 watching live. This year’s 2023 hybrid edition (fully physical and Virtual) will still embrace the international online fanbase as well as physical guests at the Naval Dockyard, Victoria Island, Trek Africa Newspaper can report.
Omambala added: ‘Music Fashion Runway for the third year in succession selects exceptional model Ambassadors to shine light and inspire : Victoria Eze has risen to walk international runways with her unique and ‘Runway Ready’ striking features. Winner #MFR Model of year Award 2022 she features in campaign visual 9th annual Pan African Music Fashion Runway #MFR and Game Changer Africa Acknowledgement Award #GCAA alongside MFR favourites past award recipients Mayowa Adedugbe, Oyindamola Okufuye and super star runway model Nelson Oghenekewe. Golden Break Through (GBT) Auditions #MFR Model Search 2022 – Youth Empowerment initiative:
The NMO Management Golden Break Through (GBT) Audition platform, is a youth empowerment and social responsibility talent hunt initiative which supports upcoming creative talent. The GBT Music Fashion Runway online Model Search 2023 as with last year, will select two upcoming models – who will be given a once in a lifetime opportunity- to kick start their modeling careers by walking the MFR 2023 catwalk.’
Also speaking at the press briefing, the Deputy President of Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Gabriel Idahosa FCA said: ‘We realize that if we bring together our energy on this industry, we will do great things. The future of Nigeria is her youths which one of the critical industries is the creative industry and ICT.’
‘These industries require financial support and access to opportunities. We are here to support industries that provide opportunities for our young people’, noted the former Chairman of Ecobank.
Also, the Creative Director of XA Model Management, Mr. Ovo Ogufere noted: ‘we are super blessed in terms of our diversity and youth population. This is a great platform. It will especially help our youths. We cannot afford to do less in terms of excellence and quality. Every edition we have to raise the bar.’
‘We are pulling together our strength in arts and tourism. It is something huge. I want to commend the Founder for the hard work she has been doing.’
The Communication and Advancement Manager for Yemisi Shyllon Museum of Art, Madonna Iloba remarked: ‘This is a very important aspect of showing our culture to the world. For us, we want to showcase visual arts, fashion, music, and the rest to the world. Partnership and collaboration such as this are very good. We are very happy to be here today.’
On his part, Fashion & Runway Model, Nelson Oghenekevwe praised the MFR platform, ‘because of this platform, I have been recognized on so many other platforms and I can say that for every young person who is ready to give their best, this platform is for you. You must be ready to give the best to what you do’.
