Why does Cranberry even exist at all?
Do we believe that we are some Messiahs sent to save the the dying world of fashion?? Hardly. I dont think that I am at the pinnacle of all that is fashion. I dont know the right fashion "words" or terminology and my knowlege of other designers is limited to most of the popular ones and a few of the unknowns. I have some friends that can dictate the world of fashion inside out..they really know their stuff. Isnt that what ure meant to do when ure tryin to hone a craft? like any good lawyer or banker or doctor...know ur craft inside out?? I don't know how to do that cool fashion 'talk' that so many have mastered. But is it about who talks the talk or who walks the walk? hm.
Why now? when it is suddenly like the newest thing since gettin a college degree for Nigerians. It suddenly follows that every Nigerian guy has some kind of musical talent, and every Nigerian girl is the dictator of everything fashionable. Are we too just following what has become a trend? Will i wake up one day and lose interest in Cranberry and move on with my life while it just fades quietly into the background? 2005/2006 brought the rise of a lot of new talent..some undeniable...some VERY skeptical...some are obviously passionate about it..some are obviously "sheep"...so which am i? which are WE? I have walked in fashion shows of clothing lines that dont seem to exist anymore. Truly its annoying when u do something cos you love it..and yet u seem discredited cos hey...everyones doing it!!
I find it tiring everytime i hear someone else has a clothing line. Yet im a hypocrite cos im sure out there someone was tired when they heard about Cranberry. What makes it stand out..what makes it DIFFERENT?? What makes us more passionate than the next person?? What gives us our edge over him/her?? Sometimes i see others lines..and im not very impressed by it, i see others...and im blown away and a lil jealous... but its only natural..one mans meat aye? Truthfully... I dont see myself as a "Nigerian" designer (not to say there is anything wrong with being so)...i just want to be a designer! I'm not competing with other Nigerian designers....my clothes are for everyone. Ive never been attracted to any kind of ankara or woodin fabric in my life. Maybe i just havent seen what has wow-ed me yet!!!
But then i think to myself... do we have what it takes to become designers? Its one thing to have fresh and brilliant ideas...its another to be able to reproduce them...but theres so much more involved than that! There is the business side to it.. getting sponsors, funding, marketting, public relations!! Making the "right" contacts in the fashion world..truly a lot of ass kissing involved in climbing up the ladder. Now...what ure lookin at is 3 very lazy girls, who are wayy to rude and bitchy to kiss anyones ass..and probably too lazy to hussle like thats where our next meal is coming from. But then i think to myself..when it comes to Cranberry we've been alarmingly on point and proffessional. But howw? how do we do all these things? How do 3 Nigerian non american citizen girls achieve this glamorous dream that we have set for ourselves? DId i forget to metion DC and philadelphia based? Arent Newyork, London, Paris, Italy the meccas of fashion?
Designers dont become successful overnight. It takes a longgggggggggg time to make your mark on the fashion world... It is a long and disheartening journey and if its something u dont have a strong passion for, its very easy to let go. I watched the documentary on the award that Vogue gives to already working and aspiring designers. It really took you into a whole world of all these newyork based designers, who had been designin for YEARS and who even have some celebrity clients...yet...were barely making ends meet and still were not even known. It was so DAUNTING...do we have that kind of passion and spirit?? to be doing this 10 years from now with still no miraculous results??? All the greats are over the age of 60 and that in itself shud tell u something. Marc Jacobs is always respected for being such a "young" successful desginer. Dude is clockin 40. sigh.
Sometimes i hate Cranberry. I hate that i love it so much and i hate that its somethin that is within my reach yet seems so difficult to grasp. I hate that ive teased myself with my dream, and the realization that it may never be fulfilled. Sometimes its not better to have loved and lost. Maybe i would be satisfied if i didnt have the knowledge that i could DO this. WE can DO this!
I guess I'll see where this journey takes us....maybe sometime in the future ull see us in a magazine and see us on style.com... or maybe ull try to come to this blogspot and get an ERROR code..lol...Maybe ill give u ur medicine at CVS, or maybe ill put ur kids in braces..maybe ill replace ur face...maybe ill become some back door designer to a popular clothing line..maybe ill become a stylist. WHO KNOWS? Unblur my future!!!!! i know there are a lot of people waiting for us to fail so they can roll their eyes and think...yeah..just another one of those attention seekers who started a clothing line...(BELIEVE ME...we dont leave negative comments on the blogs..but we do get the occasional 1 or 2...or 7!!!!!) and a lot of people who think this isnt goin anywhere...to be very cliche...yeah they are somewhat 60% of my motivation. But at the end of the day... "we'll see!!"
19 comments:
Oh yea, it seems like everyone is something these days but I do believe if you have faith in what you do, you'll make it big somehow. I was listening to the story of the chic who started SPANX over the radio and was amazed at how things went for her. There's always a point where you ask, why bother? but once that stage passes, everything falls in place.
I hope you guys do make something out of Cranberry because from what I've been seeing- am LOVING! Goodluck girls.
keep at it. "failing" while doing is a lot more dignified than failing to do simply because one is afraid to fail.
my two cents.
i hope you do great things.
at least you've put yourselves out there. that's the first and most difficult step. people will like or dislike you whether you win or lose...so they/we shouldn't be your concern so early in the game.
love what you do like no one else can.
i agree that fashion has a little too much in the way of overexposure these days and everyone is a little too desperate to flaunt their aesthetic. we won't all be the next versaces or oscar de la rentas but we can all water our little flowerpots of potential.
go cranberry!
oh come on ladies stick to it rome was not built in a day.
wateva it is in dis world u wanna do, i believe if u'v gt passion 4 it,dt wld b ur main motivation, just kip ur passion burnin n m sure u'll make it big cos mane, frm wat i'v seen u guys do hav talent!!! WORD!!
Humility,passion, realism, fear,assurance,faith,..ugh I could go on. Dont know which of you cuties wrote this but its brilliant. Did any one leave any snide remarks or did you just feel like you had to get stuff off your chest? Whatever it is dear I commend your bravery and humility on the matter. I think you 3 have passion you'll just have to ask yourselves how much?
I would so love to see all of you do well. And you will :)
Okay so which one of you wrote this? Is it the older one who takes the photos or the beautiful Oseyi or the one slim model like one with the bangs to die for? People are paying attention oh! Dont think we arent paying attention cause we are
Doreen, Joan & Oseyi u will make it in life and in whatever u put ur hands on.Amen. Life is a journey but with God's strength and help u all will suceed. Do not worry.At least u are trying, do u know how many people have dreams but have NEVER attempted to start it. You guys have the courage and have tried to make something out of your dreams. Take it one step at atime.I am proud that u all are so young yet u have acheived so much at your young ages. STAY POSITIVE.
fashion is arduous. Hone your skills make sure you finishing is perfect..Clientele is the way..build you clientele list and you will spread like wild fire..Good luck
Dont be depressed..I know you will not wallow for long. I feel it. You are probably caressing a piece pf fabric and wondering whether it'll be an empire waste or not..lol. Starting something new is always hard especially when it isnt being a doctor a lawyer or a wall street type.. but you are up to it!
First of all i have to say - I love Cranberry and like everyone else has said on this blog - have faith in what you are working on! i just discovered your blog recently and i'm totally addicted to the enegry you guys have....so no more depressive phases!!!
Babes! You guys are an inspiration ..at least to me! I tell myself..why are u effing around when you should be studying?! Look at Cranberry...If I don't work hard, I will not make it(at least not like you guys)
Believe me, its not easy and as Naijagal said, Rome was not built in a day. So ladies, just have faith, oky and from wat I've seen so far, you clothes are FAB!
So rock on!!
I believe that you girls have a lot of passion for what you do. All you need to do is focus on your goals. When you have the passion and determination for something, it does take you a long way. Don't bother about the 'haters' waiting for you to fail. That should serve as fuel for your success. Granted there is an element of doubt in the equation of whether you will make it big or not but the point is if you put your heart into what you do you'll get there (someday). And when that day comes all your sacrifices will be worth it.
I do love your clothes by the way. So fresh and edgy. So persevere darlings. Persevere.
you know, I feel like one of you or three of you were in my head and stole this entry....so I'm going into speech mode
I dont know how it is in the states, but EVERY Nigerian girl in England is the fashion saviour of her uni and therefore a designer, it does get to you but I just feel if you do it for true passion and you're good at what you do, you'll get where you're going EVENTUALLY....
I look at it this way, its a nigerian thing....there's always a "new" thing, fashion, photography, there's always something people will latch on to and sometimes it makes you almost want to throw the towel like whats the point??
But you guys are young,(I mean I am a whole 22 and a half years old), fresh and talented, with dedication you can only go up!!
Here's the thing...if you truly believe in yourselves then you should press on.
Some of your concerns are valid but a few are really a waste of energy. Why? For one, you should not be concerned about the multitude of other people out there who have the same ideas as you, that's just commerce, that's what drives competition.
You are not at the pinnacle of all that is fashion, true but there are ways to get there; from what I have read about you kids, you are still in school, maybe one of you should try to get into a Fashion Designing course or intern with a fashion house or magazine.
Have you had your name and logo trade marked? Do you have legal representation? There are a lot of people who are lucky and just have things happen for them at the snap of their fingers but for others it takes hard work and perseverance.
You have done some research and you see that it does take a while to break into the Fashion world so just persevere.
You talk about NY, London, Paris and Milan but before you can even become a name in those markets, you probably already need to have made a name for yourselves or at least be indigenes. You should not sell Nigeria short, you definitely can go back there and make your name there and labour would definitely be cheaper there.
I can go on and on but I am sure a lot of the things I am saying, you ladies have already or are currently considering so I will end by saying that you are three pretty, young, vivacious ladies, the world is your oyster, things look a little blurry now but I know that in time it will be crystal clear.
Kudos!
the fashion thing is definetely a trend but if you guys really sew your clothes then YOU HAVE TALENT. I no some girls that sketch some mediocre stuff and send it to firms to sew.
ps you sound a little like a prissy spoilt rich girl in the post about xmas in naija.
I come to find that YOU need those people who THINK that you wont go anywhere...
I will tell you why you need them, you need them because its human nature for us humans to prove people wrong. It brings us a feeling of self worth.
So i say my pretty DIVA's, let the haters hate...it will only bring you closer to your destiny.
Besides people hate because they want something they cant have or want to be something that they will never be.
Cheers
BGT
bukkyt@hotmail.com
I ask myself the same question everytime a hiphop artist puts their name on shit and call it fashion--Do I have a chance?
Answer: Hell yeah! Hard work paves soooo many paths.
Are you all showing in DC Fashion Week? Are you all in DC?
jaja we are based in DC and philly...and No we arent showing in DC fashion week....
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