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By Merit Ibe
Nigerian creative director and fashion entrepreneur, Mai Atafo, has collaborated with popular whisky, The Macallan, for his mentorship initiative: Fashion Conversations — held in Lagos, recently . The initiative is offering 40 young creatives the opportunity to engage the designer in conversations about commercialisation in Africa’s over $31 billion fashion industry, and navigating one of the world’s most promising industries.
In line with The Macallan’s investment in Africa’s fashion industry, the whisky brand sponsored Mai Atafo to facilitate an exchange of critical information that can empower young people to identify their roles in the industry and succeed. The fashion mentorship initiative, geared at inspiring and enabling the next generation of fashion creatives, involved sessions that focused on topics such as the “Guide to running a successful fashion business in Nigeria”, “Fashion commercialisation” and “Branding”, etc.
At the event, Mai Atafo passionately addressed the young creative designers about the importance of having a well-thought-out business strategy and how to leverage it in the industry. He provided actionable tips and advice on how to navigate the fashion sector and shared pointers from his over two decades experience.
This initiative further indicates The Macallan’s interest in Africa’s fashion industry and Atafo’s goal of inspiring creatives within the industry. Founded in 2018, the ‘Fashion Conversations’ has become an immense success.
Mai Atafo said: “This is an opportunity for young creatives and entrepreneurs to gain insight and knowledge about the fashion industry. My goal is to create access for the next generation of masters in fashion to the right resources to make more informed decisions. The Macallan bringing these sessions to life enables us to reach more enterprising young people looking to harness their craft.”
The Macallan’s brand manager, Nigeria, Edrington, Hammed Adebiyi, stated: “The Macallan has been the hallmark of quality and distinctive character for nearly 200 years. Our unique taste and style, methods and craftsmanship are some of the particular qualities that have made our whisky remarkable for years. This is also one of the reasons for our collaborations in the fashion industries across the world. It is important for us to invest in ensuring that for years to come, unique craftsmanship remains an important aspect of the industry. And there is no better way to do that than to invest in the future through forward-thinking initiatives such as this.”
This year’s second edition will take place in April at Maitama, Abuja.
In November 2022, The Macallan collaborated with Atafo on his most recent collection — ‘The Atelier‘, after a three-year hiatus off the runway.
