A Curvy Girl’s Guide to Fashion Week is a 4 part limited series on Fashion Week from a curvy girl’s perspective.  A fashion diary of sorts written by Eki Ogunbor, exclusive to BellaNaijaStyle for Heineken Lagos Fashion Week 2018

I’m a little tired of hearing how hard it is to find stylish looks for plus size/curvy girls, but the fact is, that’s the reality of it.

Yes there are plus size designers available to us now but I’ll be honest, not all of them cater to me and my personal style, or maybe I just haven’t found the right brand. Some brands make it obvious that I’m not “plus size” enough, others are determined to make me look like a Christmas tree that OD’d on the ornaments this year while some are just plain old-fashioned and out-dated.

When it comes to picking looks for parties and events, I’ve recently started working with Loveth Ikwu (@ikwu.loveth for @closetdeamore), my dear stylist. I always thought I’d never need a stylist but sometimes when I’m busy with so many things, it’s great not to have to think of outfits for my next event. It’s also quite awesome to have an extra pair of capable eyes to ask for a second opinion. Even with the outfit taken care of, I still need to think about makeup and hair because Lord knows it takes a village!

Special shoutout to Loveth though! Our Lagos Fashion Week Press Cocktail look was a total hit for me and I loved it! In case you missed it, here I am rocking an orange dress from Grey (@greyprojects), my bag from Kisara (@shopkisara) and shoes from Asos (@asos). My hair is by SavvyChicHair/Beauty (@savvychichairbeautyhub) and makeup by yours truly. I’m really feeling this graphic eyeliner look so I tried this one out with green and black eyeliner.

@ekiogunbor
@ekiogunbor
The Kisara Toddy bag @ekiogunbor

Now that it’s time for fashion week, you know we have to slay! I’m not looking for just any outfit for the next cocktail party, I need looks that’ll make a person scream “fashuuuuun” when they see a curvy girl doing it for the “FW culture” and actually killing it! It won’t be easy but it is a challenge I willingly accept. Life without challenges and “comfort zone shakers” would be way too boring after all… So what exactly does one wear for fashion week that screams “fashuuuuun”? This is where the search begins!

Being the kinda girl I am, when such a challenge presents itself you need to commit it into the hands of the Lord (cue in “Jesus Take The Wheel” meme). Yes, I was hoping for a miracle but I also had to be realistic and think of a Plan B.

You see, I need a miracle because getting curvy girl looks off the rack from some of our Nigerian designers (the ones I actually like) can be a little difficult as stated earlier. It is so heartbreaking seeing an awesome look on a hanger, asking for it in your size, only to try it on and it’ can’t even pass my knee… SO WHY DOES THE TAG SAY LARGE??? IS 18 NOW A 6???

However, I still need a Plan B in case that miracle doesn’t come and just so you know, this Plan B is divided into 2 parts and I’ve listed them below:

Plan B(i); The Low Budget Project: Look for 4 “FW worthy” looks that already exist in my closet or
Plan B(ii); The Bank Breaker: Go shopping for 4 brand new “FW worthy” looks.

But the Lord did it and a miracle came!

I was out at Backyard with bae for a chill night with Ruby Gyang and Nonso Bassey performing… feeling all the vibes and what do I see? The most statement bag of all statement bags, a black and white clutch in the shape of a piano!!! Thing is, I played the piano a lot when I was younger so I definitely have a soft spot for the instrument. Shortly after, I got talking with the carrier of this fantastic clutch and found out she’s a designer who was actually looking to collaborate with me for a limited edition collection for girls of all shapes and sizes. Like, how perfect is that?

Not only did Amy Chilaka and I exchange details with plans to work together for fashion week, but I also got the scoop on where her clutch was from (unfortunately they were sold out).

After a few creative meetings at Amy’s studio, we were able to come up with a few designs for the collection but we picked these 4 for the Lagos Fashion Week capsule collection.

3 dresses because I love dresses and a pineapple reference because why not? Think of the pineapple as a metaphor for sweet on the inside and spikey on the outside, wearing a crown or a full head of natural hair (we both have natural hair). We’re quite quirky in a way so our creative juices blend perfectly.

I’ll let you know how the fitting goes, wish me luck!

For more fashion week content, check out our Lagos Fashion Week Hub for all #BNSHLFW18 content!