Artist Health

Celebrities Behaving Badly: 360.com’s Noble Igwe v “Failed Designer” Emmy Collins Seeking “Relevance”?

I think this post warrants a disclaimer so let me put it out there before I get into the issue at hand. A few months ago, I was checking into my newsfeed for the day in my google reader, at the time, when I saw a republished article on Thenetng.net by Designer Emmy Collins.

I recall the name Emmy Collins. When I began Ladybrille six years ago, Emmy Collins was one of the hottest menswear designer names around. He showed in the fashion capitals of the world and when you heard Ghana’s Ozwald Boateng, you heard Nigeria’s Emmy Collins, right next to Boateng’s. Collins exuded a signature style that was fun, colorful, classy and you definitely had to be a bold man, unperturbed by what society thought of you, to rock Emmy Collins designs. His designs gave men permission to wear color and own it.

I later heard Collins opened a flagship store in Nigeria and also had a legal issue with ThisDay’s Nduka Obaigbena during the whole ThisDay fashion events in Lagos. By 2010, Collins had closed shop in Nigeria, returned to the UK and was going to open a flagship store in the UK. It all sounded great and needless to say, in the fashion world, I want to see an African, especially a Nigerian, rise to the highest level possible.

I don’t know what happened but I stopped hearing about Collins. So, when I saw the name on thenetng.net, I was excited since I view him as a pacesetter, in the design world, especially as a designer of African descent and independent of being African et al., one of the few menswear designer that is actually good at what he does.

However, what I saw on Thenetng.net was seriously disappointing. Collins, who had made some attempt at teaching fashion workshops in Nigeria, had launched a blog and on his new blog, Collins had become a “Omotola and Toolz you must lose weight Police.” The article was sexist, contradictory, socially and intellectually dishonest, offered no solutions, seemed to target a small percentage/minority issue and make it that of the average Nigerian woman (not celebrity) who is lucky if she can find surplus food to eat to the point of obesity being a problem (if you have the numbers to show otherwise, let me now), and focused on name calling and personal attacks.

If I was confused on the intentions of Collins, in a subsequent article that I found extremely offensive, he again attacked these two women.

I don’t understand why this man who should be focused on fulfilling his stated goals which he so eloquently shared on BellaNaija.com three years ago, is bent on attacking the essence and integrity of the Nigerian woman through personal attacks of women who have done him nothing?

They are not his fashion muse(s). Further, a designer by essence of his or her profession enhances and makes women/men feel good about their bodies. They encourage and their clothes inspire.

It is not for a designer, especially a male designer whose work is focused on the male form and male clientele, to take a hammer and hammer women in the heads about their body images in a way that makes them feel inferior. Who does that?

As an ex-model who served as a model for numerous designers; and an ex-certified personal trainer for five years (5) helping women and men lose weight, I’d like to think I can persuasively and authoritatively conclude that such method does nothing to truly address issues of obesity for the average Nigerian woman, if indeed this is a problem, or any woman for that matter.

I think there is a distinction with being direct versus being personal and launching hurtful attacks that have no bearing on the alleged issues you seem to want to “bring awareness” to.

Collins, what happened to this man below? Where is he? Could you find him and bring him back because the man in the Bellanaija.com interview full of hope and incredibly inspiring is the man that both the international and African fashion industries/communities need:

IJ: Where do you see Emmy Collins-The Fashion brand in 10 years?

EC: The long term plan is to get Emmy Collins into the big stores in all the fashion capitals of the world. In 10 I see a brand that every Nigerian will take pride in. I want a brand that will be motivational to the kids and aspiring designers. It feels amazing to be representing ones country in the international scene. In the process of inspiring others I inspire myself.

Basically I see Emmy Collins as a successful brand that will demonstrate that you can keep your designs edgy and still be successful just as Vivienne Westwood has demonstrated already.

An Emmy Collins in Sloane Street, London or the 55th in New York wouldn’t be a bad idea either. It’s all about the mindset. If you want it so badly deep in your heart and you strive towards it, it usually happens. . .” -BellaNaija 2010

The above is my disclaimer on how I feel about the few articles I read authored by Emmy Collins on Omotola and Toolz’s weight.

Nevertheless, having said the above, what’s really good with Noble Igwe? Ladun Liadi’s blog captured the recent twitter spat between the two. Collins was overall unresponsive to Noble.

Noble, did you really have to go there by calling the guy a “failed designer?” Haba! Really? Nigerians have a very bad habit of doing this. If a man fights with a single woman, he will abuse her about not being “married” as if. If a woman or man fights with a poor person, beyond the personal attacks, they will just curse the living daylights out of you, your “fada” and your entire village/clan.

Noble. Come o. Have you opened a fashion store, traveled around the globe, shown your collection to raving reviews? Outside of Nigeria, are people as familiar with your name (black, white, red, green, orange) as they are Collins? Fall back homie, really.

Folks, let me know your thoughts.

By the way, can I just throw Eva’s ‘Your Fada track’ as a backdrop to this drama? It is a great track from 2011 published here on AML to see how mean we can get sometimes. It is comical the way Eva does it. Lol!

If you are a Nigerian, you have either been on the receiving or giving end of these insults at some point; so don’t even front like you are too cool to understand the matter (problematic cultural issue) at hand. Lol! (Abeg while I laugh, the issue is serious, please.)

[audio:https://africamusiclaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Eva-Your-Fada-Prod.-by-Tintin.mp3]

Cheers,
Uduak
Photocredit: Ladun Liadi’s Blog

(A Day in the Life of Emmy Collins)

CBB - Noble Igwe v Emmy Collins 1

CBB - Noble Igwe v Emmy Collins 2

CBB - Noble Igwe v Emmy Collins 5

CBB - Noble Igwe v Emmy Collins 6

CBB - Noble Igwe v Emmy Collins 7

CBB- Noble Igwe v Emmy Collins

CBB- Noble Igwe v Emmy Collins 7

Africa Music Law™

AFRICA MUSIC LAW™ (AML) is a pioneering music business and entertainment law website, livestream and podcast show empowering the African artist and Africa's rapidly evolving entertainment industry through its brilliant music business and entertainment law commentary and analysis, industry news, and exclusive interviews.

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ABOUT THE FOUNDER

Credited for several firsts in the fashion and entertainment industry, Uduak Oduok (Ms. Uduak) is a fashion and entertainment lawyer, speaker, visionary, gamechanger, trailblazer, and recognized thought leader, for her work on Africa’s emerging global fashion and entertainment markets, and the niche practice of fashion law in the United States. She is also the founder of ‘Africa Music Law,’ an industry go-to music business and law blog and podcast show empowering African artists. Her work in the creative and legal industries has earned her numerous awards and recognitions, including an award from the American University Washington College of Law for her “legal impact in the field of intellectual property in Africa." She has also taught as an Adjunct Professor at several institutions in the United States. For more information, visit her at https://msuduak.com.

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1 Comment

  1. Odine says:

    Let me first point out the very bad use of English Language on both parties; to get your points across, please do spell checks. It's ok to have the Oxford dictionary while you 'twitter rant'. To the issue, do I think Noble has grounds for taking Emmy on? Absolutely! In this era of social media, everyone and anyone is fair game. Noble has been a blogger for about 5years now with good following so that makes him a certified blogger, well, without other requirements I'm not aware of (Noble has had his fair share of going in on the celebrities, though his quick to claim "it wasn't me, it was my staf" Man, grow some balls and own your work! To Emmy, I guess throwing stones finally does hurt, right? Quit saying hurtful things and just damn well cut and sew! Why in God's name are you seeking relevance where it's not going to do anything for you, your image and your brand? Your a male designer, I would think your bone of contention would be to teach Nigerian men to dress their body types, be adventurous with colours and cuts and above all else, quit having their genitals packed on their heads like knots, invading our visuals with such nonsense all the name of fashion! that look stinks and hurts my eyes! But all you do is go on and on about Toolz and Omotola and whoever else you have a personal dislike for. Here you are yakking away on your laptop or iPad, the likes of Mai Atafo are creating designs and living their dreams and all you do is bask in the euphoria of your lost glory! Please dude! Get your mind out of your own behind, it's clouding your judgment and reasoning to be a fair, thorough and of all, it's damn we'll clouding your ability as a designer!

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