Well, I have, and it would not be an exaggeration to anyone who owns a Roja and already knows about the wonderful fantasy that is a Roja scent. For its latest launch, Apex by Roja, the maxim ‘experience is the best teacher’ is the only fitting description.

On September 8, 2022, in Lagos, 31 specially-curated guests united by the love for great scents and comprising fragrance collectors, luxury aficionados and the media were hosted by Montaigne place at the Z kitchen to a multi-sensory experience involving fine dining, delightful scents, deep conversation and a budding camaraderie. Underpinning it all and at the centre of the evening was the ‘scent of the hour’, Apex by Roja Parfums.

On arrival at the dinner after pre-dinner drinks, one was immediately drawn in by a large, leafy wreath, with the words APEX at its centre providing a green shade for the perfume.

Dotting this wreath were all the fruits and fruity notes that make up the new fragrance. From the introductory flavours of lemon, bergamot, mandarin and orange, to the slightly stronger scent of pineapple in the middle and a definitely powerful base note of juniper berries.

The bottle itself is square-shaped, with a black into green ombre effect from top to bottom. Inside this dark and mysterious bottle is Roja Apex, a fragrance that begins with a citrus-based top consisting of zesty lemon, bergamot, mandarin and refreshing orange.

Connecting us to our primal energies, the animal-like effects of leather, ambergris and musk lay in the shadows, bringing their sensual impulse to this highly-addictive new fragrance. Roja Apex celebrates the natural wonders of the world, honing in on those who roam it.

The result is a fruity, floral and chypre fragrance that is at once fresh as it is strong, not in the least overbearing, but incredibly sexy and unapologetically bold.

The brand might have created this as a masculine scent, but all the ladies at the event including yours truly, unanimously agreed that we had no reservations whatsoever in getting our hands on a bottle for ourselves!

The launch event delicately and with the utmost attention to detail delivered on the Apex ethos. From the delicious green signature cocktails at the pre-dinner reception to the entire decor and menu. It was an evening that was most befitting of the powerful fragrance that is Apex by Roja.

Roja Dove, the perfumer behind this new fragrance, said Apex was inspired by ‘primal instincts.’

“I have always said that we must not forget that we are animals. We’ve been using scent for millions of years to catch food, escape danger, and to find a mate. it is these primal instincts that inspired me to create Apex. [It] connects man and nature. The citrus opening represents the beginning of reaching your Apex with a bright blend of bergamot, lemon, mandarin and pineapple. Base notes of patchouli and fir balsam evoke the feeling of being surrounded by nature, while notes of leather add warmth and sensuality. We have also used sandalwood and frankincense to give it a spiritual feel,” explains Dove.

If you’re on the lookout for a scent that is as smokey as it is woodsy, but one that is also fresh and invokes the feeling of the great outdoors while still somehow conferring upon its wearer a hint of prestige and success, then you should try Apex by Roja. As we’ve said, it is a fragrance that is better experienced than described.

Apex by Roja is available at The Montaigne Place, Nigeria’s largest luxury Skincare, Cosmetic, and Fragrance retail company. For more information and enquiries follow @montaigneplace on Instagram and Facebook.

The post Apex by Roja Parfums is Poetry in Motion, Speaking to the Heart first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post Apex by Roja Parfums is Poetry in Motion, Speaking to the Heart appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

May 2022 grant us all the best of life and its blessings!

You might be right to say that it’s too late in the year for new year greetings, but then again…just one more from a brand you love should not be too much, right?

2021 was definitely an interesting year! We all went into it with boundless expectations and tonnes of enthusiasm. Maybe it was because we were all grateful to be alive having escaped mortality from Covid 19, or was it because we all had a renewed awareness of what was truly important in life and therefore had more zeal for life and living?

Whatever it was for you, it was especially interesting for us at ASPIRE. We worked with great brands who were all committed to delivering the best customer experiences while the luxury industry in Africa and across the world began to pick up with amazing campaigns, and as always we featured some pretty cool people from all walks of life.

Opening up our top stories for 2021 was one of the brands that made our list of beautiful, thoughtful gifts for Valentine’s – The Orishiriri Cookbook by Tola Akerele, a rich compilation of Nigerian dishes and recipes that is a sure lifesaver on days when you are not sure of what to prepare.

We followed this special feature with the ASPIRE Ones to Watch for the year. We don’t believe you missed it, but in case you did, just click on the link to find out who made the cut.

PS: We are planning something extra special for Valentine’s this year, so make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter and are following our social media handles to be in the loop!

March

Next up was our compilation of 12 Dubai attractions that were slated to launch last year. Still undecided on where to vacation with the family this year? The article may provide useful recommendations.

April

Counterfeiting of luxury goods has always been a problem, which is why the news that LVMH, Cartier and Prada had joined forces on Blockchain to fight this practice was another top story for 2021.

And days later, we published our first book review of the year. The book in question? Bringing up Race by Uju Asika.

June

Our top story for June was Bentley’s announcement that it had teamed up with Lifescore to introduce an adaptive music feature in its electric vehicles. The first Bentley EV is scheduled to come out in 2025, and if you’ve ever wanted to own one, now is a good time to start working towards it.

July

Nigerian-born Bunmi Agusto had her first solo exhibition in July, and we had a sit-down with her to discuss her journey into the world of art as well as the exhibition.

September

September’s top stories started with an expose on Winston leather, a Nigerian leather and fashion accessories brand that has its eyes on global domination.

It was followed by the findings of a luxury investment report from Knight Frank on the most valuable alternative luxury assets for the year (Hint: it isn’t what you think!) and ended with Veuve Cliquot’s Bold Conversations that held for the first time in Lagos. Although the discussions centred around the female gender, the lessons gleaned are useful for anyone navigating the corporate world today.

October

Another of our art exhibition spotlights, Framing Her exhibition by GAIA Africa in partnership with Aworanka made its debut.  We also reported on a new type of luxury vacation, one that combines education with adventure.

October was also the month that saw our Editor in Chief, Bella Ikeme, make the Most Influential People of Africa MIPAD Global Top 100 Under 40 class of 2021 list. The honour was in recognition of all her work with ASPIRE to promote African and African inspired brands within continent and around the world. We invite you to go back to the article to read all about it.

November

November’s first top story was our review on the Beauty West Africa exhibition, an event that unites beauty brands from all over the African continent and the world in one space.

Sadly, we lost legendary fashion designer and polymath, Virgil Abloh, this month. One of his last known collaborations, Project MAYBACH with Mercedes Benz, was our second top story for November.

December

Closing our top stories for 2021 rather nicely was the Patek Phillipe Nautilus Ref 5711 for Tiffany&Co. Wonder what is so special about this unique, ultra-limited-edition timepiece? For the last time, we invite you to click on the link in case you missed the story.

So you see, we had some really good times and brought you some really great content.

On behalf of ASPIRE, I would like to say a big THANK YOU! to our team, content creators and contributors, partners and collaborators, clients and YOU!

We appreciate your continued interest in all that we have to offer, and for finding our content valuable and relevant. We have so much more planned for you all in 2022…we are going to make some magic!

ASPIRE is fired up to feature even more amazing content, organise thought-provoking industry events, and bring you insights and stories from all the people and luxury brands that you know and those that you should!

Have a great 2022!

xoxo

Bella Ikeme

Editor in Chief

ASPIRE Luxury Magazine 

The post From the Editor: The Best of ASPIRE in 2021 first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post From the Editor: The Best of ASPIRE in 2021 appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

In a world filled with motivational phrases and examples of people who have literally changed the world, it is not out of place to see businesses and people breaking new boundaries. But it is not every day you hear a bold and assertive statement such as this; which is why when you do hear it, you can believe that whoever made it means business.

“I’ll say I’m a go-getter. I think I’m ambitious, very ambitious. And then… I’m curious. I’m inquisitive, I want to know, I want to learn, I like to explore. I want to see everything,” says Og Okonkwo, Founder and Creative Director of Style Temple.

You may not know Og, but you would have heard of Style Temple or at least seen an ST piece on some of the best-dressed female celebrities in Nigeria and even abroad. When we sat down to talk with Og, one of the things we wanted to find out was the idea behind her bold new vision.

“No, I never thought about it,” explains Og when we asked if she had always known that she had realised her first goal before she announced her newest vision for Style Temple. “You know, it’s what I keep saying about being present. I had a goal: I wanted my dresses everywhere, I wanted women to wear the dresses, and I was caught up in building a brand, that I didn’t realise that this goal had been realised, not until my strategy team said Ok, so what are your goals? What is your mission, vision and I am like shit, this is done already. So I think I was so busy, that I did not realise that what I wanted so badly years ago, had already been achieved. I was so busy, with life and work, that I didn’t realise what I hoped and prayed for all this time had happened.”

Fashion is my religion

“I have always made clothes growing up. I made clothes for my dolls, for my sister, so for me, Style Temple is like the actualisation of a dream. So yea, I think that is what I am happiest about, and what I am most grateful for, that I get to live my dream.”

“I started the business from my home towards the end of 2011, and in 2012, I registered my company. So officially, I started in 2012. Fashion is my religion. Fashion is something I have done all my life, so Style Temple is kind of like a play on religion, fashion and style,” says Og, explaining the reason behind her business name and how it all began.

Some years after Style Temple was birthed, critics accused Og of creating pieces that catered only to slim women. “Majority of my clients are from size 12 to 18, so no, I don’t think so. The styles are usually flexible, and can mostly work with anybody, most body types. I am so huge on the feeling as against the design. I want women to feel seen, I want women to feel powerful. And sexy, I want women to feel feminine, and powerful, and strong and sexy. And I want women to feel seen. In our funny society, guys don’t see women, especially like, you know, if a guy walks in to a setting, they shake all the guys and go past the women.

You can’t miss a woman in Style Temple. That’s the feeling that I want.”

On Style Temple’s signature style, Og says, “I think [it is sexy]. I am huge on that; I like feminity. My design style is statement piece, sexy, and structural. Yes structural, I’ll like to think structure and movement as well. So most of my designs have either a lot of movement or a lot of structure. And then underneath all of that, it has to be sexy.”

I don’t have a process.

“Every Style Temple piece – from maxi dresses to free-flowing shirt dresses – is so structured that it immediately takes on the personality of its wearer. We asked if there was any particular process in her designs.”

“Maybe because before our Ready to Wear business, I had started out doing a lot of bespoke for my clients, so I interacted with a lot of women who were already my clients. When I design, it is more or less what they want to wear. So I’ve taken all the feedback from what I’ve gotten doing their bespoke – they would have this wedding and they wouldn’t have what to wear and I’m thinking, I need to create stuff for people to wear to weddings, I need to create stuff for people to wear to parties. So that’s the theme. I think filling the need is, you know, that’s it. It just comes. I don’t have a process per se. I see a fabric, I like a fabric, and then I am thinking like how can I make this beautiful because you know, my clients want beautiful clothes. That’s it. There’s no process per se. I just create as the spirit leads. I do believe in energies, so yes, when it is time, it comes.”

My pieces are like my kids

Most designers do not have any favourite from their collections, and Og Okonkwo is no different.

“They are like all pieces of me. Like I put my soul into every design, so I can’t say this is my favourite. I love all of them. They are like my kids and I love them all equally.”

But definitely, there are some designs that have stood out above the rest. Og agrees, saying that the Bow Skirt is the most popular piece from all her collections. “ I think every Style Temple woman owns that.” Then there is White Kimono with the tribal belt which “everyone is still buying.” Also, the Sunshine Shirt Dress which was part of the Autumn/Winter 19 collection. It was so popular it found its way to Beyonce’s website.

In the end, if she were to choose one piece from all her collections to wear every day, it would definitely be the “White Pants with the buttons all the way up… It’s a white pair of pants with the buttons from the feet all the way up to the waist. I could wear it every day. I love the pants.”

There’s no fabric I particularly like

It is easy, as a designer, to fall in love with a certain type of fabric or textue for whatever reason. But Og does not seem to have a favourite when it comes to fabrics. “There’s no fabric that I particularly like, I mean, as long as it speaks to me, I’m using it. I’ve used organza, I’ve used crepe, I use chiffon. I use whatever. I would always use the fabric that works best for the style I’m trying to create.”

How then does she get all her fabrics? “From everywhere- locally, internationally. From Abuja, Lagos, Aba, Istanbul, Dubai, China – everywhere. I do a lot of research. So I physically go to the market cos I like markets and fabrics, and I get a lot of inspiration from there.”

What about accessories? Is there a favourite here at least? “Lately, I’ve been obsessed with buttons. They always look dainty, like wedding dresses always have these tiny buttons. I’ve been playing a lot with buttons lately so I’ve been using a lot of buttons.”

You have to believe impossible is nothing

As we talk, Og, dressed in white, is constantly active (my mind is constantly working and thinking, and the only way I unwind is by sleeping). And while she may not require this same energy from everyone that works with her, she does demand that they see impossible as nothing. “You basically have to believe that impossible is nothing, You have to not have the limiting belief that oh no, this is not possible. Everyone I’ve worked with is basically like me, they believe that nothing is impossible. If not, most of the things I’ve tried to create, people are like, oh no, that’s not possible. And I don’t like to hear that. So yea, I think for me, you have to believe that impossible is nothing. That, or I make you believe it.”

And has she been lucky enough to get such people to stay with her? “Yes, I currently have a team member from 2012. She was the first staff that was hired. She was like my first staff, she was hired as a cleaner basically, but now she’s in charge of procurement. I have another person who was hired in 2014. She left to go to school and then got married, but now she’s back. I also have tailors who have been with me like forever, since 2014, 2015.”

In addition to designing clothes, Og also runs trainings every three months. This is where she usually picks up her mentees. “I have to walk them through [even after the training].” She also has mentors which include Mai Atafo.

How did the pandemic affect Style Temple, and how was it able to bounce back? “There was this phase where everybody was confused, like what are we wearing now; we are not going out? So these really dressy dresses, where am I going to wear them? I had like a whole month trying to convince my clients to… I mean you can still all dress up. Trying to explain that you can still dress up. You’re going to have weddings and events, which is what most of my dresses are for.”

“Things are picking back up. I introduced a new range of kimonos which is easier to wear and less stuffy than all my other designs. Now I am creating more transitional pieces, cos life isn’t what it used to be. People are staying at home more as against going out a lot, so you have to design bearing that in mind.” In addition, she is working hard to ensure her dream of building a fashion brand worth USD 1 billion comes to pass soon. “I have been told this is too ambitious, and with Africa’s lack of structure and low productivity, there are a lot of reasons why that can’t happen. But I think I am going to try to prove that it can absolutely happen. I hope in the next 5 years I would have achieved that”

Does she have any brand she looks up to for inspiration? “Locally I’d say Deola Segoe, Lisa Folawiyo. [In fact] all the brands that have been there for decades, for over 10 years, I am inspired by them. Fashion is not known for longevity especially in Africa, and Nigeria to be precise. So I think with all the older brands, I am inspired by them. Despite everything, and all the bottlenecks running the fashion business in Nigeria, they are still at it, years later. So yea, I think they inspire me.”

“Internationally, I do like Elie Saab, I like the play of fabrics, it is always very detailed. I love that. House of CB is another one that I like but not so much the clothes, as the business model. Her business model is different for fashion, but it is working. And then, I like Dior. I am obsessed with Dior.” However, if she were to ever collaborate with another designer on a collection, it would be with LVMH, “so they fund the collection!” she laughs..

As we round up the interview, we wanted to know what’s next for Style Temple and Og. “Well, we have a new vision now. So the future is trying to achieve the vision, trying to get listed in Nigeria’s Stock Exchange. I want to prove that fashion is serious business, and it can be serious business in Nigeria. [For me], I’ll design till I’m ready to retire. I’ll probably still be designing even when I’m retired. And have fun while at it. Just that.”

Interesting facts about Og

The most expensive thing she has ever bought herself is a Rolex.

She cannot work without food. “I can’t function when I’m hungry.”

Her favourite piece of clothing is lingerie. If Style Temple were to have a spinoff, it would  be“probably lingerie. Most likely.”

She never leaves home without her phone. “Cos my phone is an extension of me. I mean, emails, everything is on my phone.”

If she did not have Style Temple, she would be a professional makeup artist, or a painter, or some professional in the arts.

She used to do makeup professionally.

If she could end one fashion trend, it would be “Peplums and tutu skirts. I’ll end them.”

She studied Medical Laboratory Science in University.

Her three absolute favourite cities to travel to: Zanzibar, Ghana, Cape Town. Out of Africa, it would be Istanbul, Mykonos (I plan to maybe retire there) and Bali.

If she were to dress two people for free, it would be Melania Trump and Michelle Obama. Locally, “I think I have dressed everyone I want to dress.”

A typical day for Og: “Get up, meditate, go to work. So work could be production with my tailors, it could be consultation with my clients, it could be shooting, like photoshoot and product shoots. I don’t design till I get back home. My home… is really a blank canvas cos I bring work home… My home is an extension of my work. I think my home says, workaholic.”

You can shop Style Temple pieces on www.styletemple.ng or via their Instagram page @styletemple. You can also follow Og Okonkwo at @og_styletemple for new and exclusive styles.

The post I Want Women to Feel Powerful and Sexy, When They Wear Style Temple – Og Okonkwo first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post I Want Women to Feel Powerful and Sexy, When They Wear Style Temple – Og Okonkwo appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

Aiming to shake up the traditional safari model, hospitality group Habitas has launched its second hotel in Namibia, Africa. Opened in February, Habitas Namibia was crafted by the company’s in-house design team, Habitas Design Labs. The multi-million-dollar project is constructed on land owned by Comsar Properties, a company wholly-owned by Russian tycoon Rashid Sardarov.

The hotel was built using the latest sustainable technology and using renewable energy.
The guest rooms – each a custom-built private lodge constructed with minimal impact to the surrounding environment – has outdoor and indoor showers, and private viewing decks with their own telescopes for star gazing. The main lobby overlooks the property and has communal gathering areas, a restaurant, fire pits, and a variety of areas to relax and lounge.

According to CEO Habitas Oliver Ripley, he said the Habitas experience for guests and members will be focused on adventure, education and learning, including viewing and studying the surrounding wildlife, learning about local tribes, customs and history, local and international food experiences, music concerts (local and international artists) and working with on-site wellness practitioners.

“We are very happy to have chosen Namibia as our first home in Africa. We thank Comsar for its vision and support to transform a historic hunting lodge into a world-class wildlife reserve for the conservation of species. This is our first step in a long-term partnership to bring a new generation of conscious tourism to Namibia,” Ripley noted.

He said Habitas will attract new international tourists to Namibia, leading the way as pioneers of authentic responsible tourism and travel, adding that their holistic high value – low environmental – and high social impact approach, makes Habitas Namibia a unique destination with the future traveller.

Source: New Era Live

The post When Outside Reopens: Visit Habitas Namibia first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

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The camp said in a press release: “The Okavango Delta is a remote, pristine area teeming with African wildlife and birdlife, and is often referred to as one of the last true wilderness areas in the world.” 

The special will be determined according to the number of weeks you stay at the camp. Those who stay for one week will receive a 10 percent discount, those staying two weeks will receive 20 percent and those staying three weeks will receive a 30 percent discount. Four and five week stays will receive a 40 and 50 percent discount respectively.

The camp sits on the edge of an expansive lagoon. This permanent water source allows for year-round water activities and exceptional game viewing.

The design of Camp Maru is a deliberate return to the authentic safari camps of days gone by and, with just six luxurious tents, it offers one of the most intimate and exclusive safari experiences available in the Delta.

The Camp is shaded by a grove of giant Leadwood trees on the edge of an expansive lagoon, filled with grunting hippos and fringed with waving papyrus. This permanent water source attracts many animals and birds, both great and small.

Spending time in the “Okavango Delta with its winding papyrus-fringed waterways and incredible game viewing is like watching a National Geographic documentary play out in real time,” the statement added.

Stays at Camp Maru are fully inclusive of accommodation, all meals, all game activities and all drinks.

Source: IOL

The post Camp Maru is Hoping to Attract More Travellers with Their Long-Stay Offers first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

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The firm’s Lead Advisor, Tosin Ajose noted that “The Roundtable will be consistent in the firm’s calendar and is intended to entrench knowledge management through stakeholder engagements and active conversations that birth solutions, influence business practices, drive policy changes and ultimately deepen the performance of enterprises within our Firm’s demography.”

The First edition brokered conversations around the theme: “Building Sustainable Enterprises Through Adaptive Corporate Governance Practices”. The  CEO of the Financial Reporting Council, represented by Prof. Musa Inuwa Fodio, set the tone for the event with a keynote address on Institutionalizing Corporate Governance Best Practices in Private Enterprises. He emphasized the intention of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria to make good governance practices a culture within Corporate Nigeria; where without the need for sanctions, accountability, sustainability and ethics become the pillars of their management.

The other speakers at the event include: Mrs. Adebisi Adeyemi, MD, DCSL who spoke on “Entrenching Effective Board Practices for Optimal Corporate Performance”. She emphasized the need to embed accountability, foresight, strategy and supervision in board activities.

Mr Banji Fehintola, the President of the CFA Society Nigeria and Senior Director/Head of Treasury & Financial Institutions, Africa Finance Corporation, spoke on “the Role of Responsible Financial Reporting in Enterprise Growth”. He reiterated the need for transparency, comprehensiveness and consistency in the financial reporting practices of companies in Nigeria. The Lead Advisor of the Firm, Mrs. Tosin Ajose also spoke on “Navigating the National Corporate Governance Code for Effective Compliance”; giving meaningful insights on how companies can effectively embrace compliance with the Code and other governance Best Practices.

The panel session was moderated by Mr. Femi Awofala, CEO, Brickstone Africa, who led conversations with  Mr. Moshood Olajide, Executive Director, Finance and Risk Management, Forte Oil; Mr. Charles Ojo, Company Secretary, CSCS Plc; and Prof. Musa Inuwa Fodio, Member Governing Council, Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria. The session focused on the cost of compliance to private companies, proffering ideas on how to ensure that the implementation of the code enhances rather than impedes the operational and financial performance of Private Companies who are expected from January 2020 to comply with the new Governance Code.

The event ended on a very high note with the unveiling of the demo of the DealHQ Corporate Governance Compliance Report Generator for Private Companies; an automated system of reporting and measuring compliance with governance and other legal and regulatory obligations of private Companies.

About Deal HQ 

DealHQ is a boutique, commercial law firm that is focused on supporting businesses and positioning them to operate efficiently within their market sphere. Service offering includes corporate commercial, finance, capital markets derivatives, mergers acquisitions, private equity, real estate construction, infrastructure, technovation, agriculture  and commodities,business formations  & start up support amongst others.

The post DealHQ Partners Hosts Inaugural Enterprise Roundtable first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

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First of the series was the Fashion Week Experience from October 23^rd – 26^th. Lagos Fashion Week is a leading fashion event on the African fashion calendar and held between October 23-26, 2019.

4 days of fashion, creative culture, entertainment, networking and premium events. Unique activities were created in packages to suit social preferences, interests and spend.

From runways shows and presentations featuring new season collections, private trunk shows, workshops and masterclasses to exclusive private brunches and after-parties, Lujo Experiences offered the best of Fashion Week creating unforgettable memories through our experiences.

PACKAGES include;

• Hotel Accomodation (discounts apply at participating 4-5 star hotels)
• Pamper sessions (discounts apply at participating luxury spas)
• Front Row Access to preferred runway shows, presentations and private trunk shows
• Access to Private viewings, private designer appointments or meet and greet
• Complimentary invitations to welcome brunch, cocktail evening and private after party.
• Chauffeur rides
• Wardrobe Styling and Personal Shopping Services
• Exclusive Tours

HOW IT WORKS

• CHOOSE YOUR EXPERIENCE: Treat yourself or spoil someone special and make payment
• WE ARRANGE EVERYTHING: Your Lifestyle Manager will make arrangements, so you don’t have to.
• RELAX AND ENJOY: Simply show up, and enjoy the experience!

About Lujo Experiences

Lujo Experiences is powered by J’ennique Consulting & Fucaire Lifestyle

J’ennique Consulting – J’ennique Consulting is a niche Affluent Marketing consultancy offering strategic advisory to corporations on the HNI Consumer Segment of the Financial service, Real Estate, Automobile, Private Aviation, Hospitality and Lifestyle sectors.

Fucaire Lifestyle – Fucaire Lifestyle (Publisher of ASPIRE Luxury Magazine) is a luxury lifestyle marketing company in Nigeria, providing African and global premium & luxury brands as well as their consumers with creative communications solutions, events, experiential campaigns and partnerships to drive real results and make an impact by increased leads, sales and market share.

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The post Lujo Experiences Launches with the Fashion Week Experience first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post Lujo Experiences Launches with the Fashion Week Experience appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The exhibition took place at LASWA Yard Falomo Jetty, the new headquarters of maritime Lagos. It featured stunning work from  product designers Studio Lani, Tosin Oshinowo, Alaga collections, Ethinik by Tunde Owolabi, Funferekoroye, Kelechi Odu and Ugoma Adegoke alongside renowned artists Polly Alakija, Ghariokwu Lemi, Olumide Onadipe, stockists such as Laura Bentley Lifestyle as well as work from the hosts NU MI and a curated selection from the Nike Art Gallery.

The exhibition was well attended on both days by interior design, product and furniture enthusiasts, who were treated to delicately presented and delicious food by Spoon Catering as well as wine tasting sessions by La Connaisseur: the exclusive concept store for wine lovers.

Speaking about the exhibition, Creative Director and Founder of NU MI, Tanwa Newbold said: “Whether you are looking for the luxury of a world renowned furniture producer, the highest quality local design and production or African inspired unique homeware, the NU MI Design Exhibition has something for you. We are privileged to be able to bring together so many talented designers, and I am hugely encouraged by the innovation and creativity that is coming out of Nigeria at the moment.”

ASPIRE Luxury Magazine is proud to be a Media Partner for the NU MI Design Exhibition.

Photo Credit: Dami Taiwo Photography

The post ASPIRE Pick of the Week: NU MI Design Hosts Successful Second Edition of Annual Exhibition first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post ASPIRE Pick of the Week: NU MI Design Hosts Successful Second Edition of Annual Exhibition appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

With the Esteem program, Esteem Members gain access to an exclusive bouquet of privileges specially crafted from select premium lifestyle brands. The Esteem by ARM loyalty program has 3 different tiers to reward clients for their continued patronage.

The Program was designed around personal touch-points, which make up the client-focused service; working with partners locally and internationally to enhance the lifestyle experience of the program. These include Luxury Hotels & Spas, Gyms, Upscale Restaurants, Lakowe Golf Club, Private Business Clubs, Airlines & Private Jets, Healthcare, Recreational Centers and Retail.

In addition, the Program features a Concierge Desk and Dedicated Lifestyle Manager to provide complementary travel assistance and itinerary management as well as tickets to sporting and cultural events including exclusive fashion and arts previews.

Specially curated for their high value clients, Esteem has been developed working with Affluent Marketing experts, J’ennique Consulting and offers tailored, client-focused lifestyle privileges unlike other financial advisory firms.

To learn more, send an email to esteem@arm.com.ng. 

The post ‘Esteem’: Newly Launched Privilege Program by ARM first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post ‘Esteem’: Newly Launched Privilege Program by ARM appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

That Felipe Pantone achieved star status without ever publicly revealing his face makes him an exception on the contemporary art scene. Moreover, letting his art speak for itself grants him the ultimate freedom: the entire world has become his canvas.

The artist flows through time zones and mediums with the greatest of ease, leaving his mark on top art destinations and seemingly arbitrary, unexpected places alike. One might see Felipe Pantone’s signature blend of vibrant color and dynamic lines in museum exhibitions and on buildings from New York, Madrid and Paris to Bangkok, Shanghai or Tokyo, glimpse them in forgotten corners of urban cityscapes, or spy them as embellishments on a subway station or a racecar.

Though he stands at the forefront of the contemporary art scene, Felipe Pantone cultivates a deep appreciation for the past. That understanding and respect form the baseline for the two original artworks he created for the Maison Hennessy.

In Conversation with Felipe Pantone begins now…

ALM: What do the different people you meet find the most surprising about you when they meet You?

FP: I really don’t know I guess you have to ask them, I never ask that question to anybody I’m sorry I don’t have an answer for that.

ALM: Regardless of the medium what are the 3 things that inspire your art?

FP: The medium doesn’t necessarily affect the art too much I guess as the word says it’s a medium to represent ideas. So the main things I always try to reflect in my work to convey is transformation, dynamism. In general I would say an idea of present times I mean what I gather from living the times I’m living those are the main things. I think art always could be a good representation from whatever the artist is living in other to be honest and speak about that and the medium is just whatever you use so you select the best medium to represent the ideas in the best way possible.

ALM: What medium are you itching to get your hands on?

FP: I use a variety of mediums and I started doing graffiti on the streets so spray paint is very important to me like I think it’s a really really cool tool. It’s very versatile tool I actually use it nowadays to paint my paintings which is obviously small sizes and you use the same tool on really massive buildings so its very versatile and nowadays i try to keep an eye open and try to find new technologies whatever is coming out I try it now I experiment alot with printers and laser cutter and cnc cutters and instead of painting on canvass I’m painting on aluminium. And stuff like that. I’m always trying to keep an open mind in other to break new grounds and one of the things I’m exploring nowadays is a lot of digital art things.

In fact here in Nigeria with us is Russendo Merrel whose a collaborator of my studio and with him he’s like a next level geek, he’s always going to every sort of conventions and trying to find new things that are coming out infact we are presenting here in Nigeria an interactive wall which is something! It’s a new sensor that came out that you can basically turn whatever wall up to 10 metres in a touch screen and that’s something that he developed he just got his hand on the sensor and he developed the whole software for us to create something interactive with it so that’s mediums that I’m really interested in.

ALM: How do you like people to feel when they see your art?

FP: I try my best to get them a feeling of the way I perceive the present times from my personal perspective which i don’t know if its i hope it’s interesting for people but you never know but anyways it’s my own perspective. It’s the perspective from someone that’s constantly traveling the world. I’m talking to different cultures. I’m in touch with different countries and I think I’m also a part of the generation that belongs to ‘I was born in the local world and I made a transition to the digital world’ and I think I kind of like manage to do the transition in a smooth way and I’m very comfortable with what’s happening nowadays. I try my work to represent that you know to represent new technologies, new digital revolutions. The fact that i believe the people that share this with me are connected I think nowadays there are no barriers in terms of location or geography . I think there are barrier in the terms of generation, generational barriers but the thing is we are all connected. Nowadays maybe I have more to do with a gal, a street artist in LAGOS and i might have more to do with a man that is fisherman in Valencia like now we can be connected and work together in pursuit of the same things we want to achieve.

And I try my best to represent that with my work although you never know what your going to get it just makes me really happy when a young person looks at My work and there like it doesn’t say too much, it doesn’t overwhelm me but when my grandma looks at my stuff and says she can’t really look at it and says it’s too much information and she really can’t look at that and that to me makes a lot of sense. That’s exactly what i want to achieve.

ALM: If you weren’t doing this what would you be doing?

FP: I would probably be an uber driver *laughs*, but I couldn’t do anything else. No, I have never tried anything else as I started doing graffiti when I was 12 and I never stopped ever since and then I went to art school and then very smoothly I transitioned into art but I mean in fact I think I could make music but I just literally don’t have time. Maybe in a different lifetime I’m too focused in what I’m doing…. I’m too invested in what I do right now.

Art has taken this lifetime.

ALM: What are the 3 misconceptions about what you do?

FP: I wouldn’t say there’s any. I would say my work since its abstract the meaning is not really clear it can be blurry and I’m happy with that. I’m not trying to impose like a direct order or convey a direct message, it’s very indirect, it’s very loose, its very blurry, it’s just that whatever you perceive from my work and I’m very happy for you to feel that. Abstract art I obviously select my elements and the composition also have a meaning or like I say I try to put meaning in my work it’s always very loose but like I said again I’m happy for you to feel whatever you feel like. No misconceptions whatsoever, everything works.

ALM: Describe a typical day in your life?

FP: I’m usually on a plane but when I’m at home or in the studio.. when I’m in the studio
I wake up in the morning we have a very organised studio setup it’s basically we do like office hours. 
Because I have a team. So you have to be organised for them to do their hours. So I wake up in the morning and I go to the studio and we work 9-6 and then I go to the gym in the evening or do something to stay healthy or maybe go to the beach but I’m always thinking about art that’s for sure but the rest of the studio they can go and rest I on the other hand I’m always thinking about my work. 

ALM: What artists inspire you?

FP: I started doing graffiti like I told you at age 12 so yes the modern New York graffiti scene has always been a big inspiration to me. I think graffiti is the ultimate representation of what’s happening nowadays, it’s very direct very immediate, anyone can do it. 
I always say graffiti to art is like Twitter to newspapers. Everyone can do it it’s like disposable, ephemeral very immediate anyone can write it. So thats been a big inspiration i feel its very CONTEMPORARY graffiti could only belong to this very century.
But as I grew older I started looking at kinetic art and optical art and I would say Carlos Cruz Diaz who sadly passed away literally like 3 days ago he’s been a massive inspiration to me and other than him minimal art, kinetic, optical art and nowadays digital art and all these are always very inspiring.

ALM: What do you do when you get into an ‘Artist Drought’?

FP: There’s is this Japanese novelist Haruki Wurakami who only writes novels except for one essay and he has only one essay and it’s titled “what i talk about when i talk about running” he basically tells a story about him been a novelist and also a long distance runner. He says for me as a runner I’m not a long legged Jamaican runner, I’m a short Japanese long distànce runner.
So meaning I have short legs but they run every day and I can run a lot. As he says as an artist I’m the same – I’m a short legged Japanese runner, meaning I work everyday so I’m never uninspired I don’t need to have long legs and wait for the muses to come visit. I just train hard everyday so I’m always inspired and I feel very much connected to that thing. I work a lot so I always know how to start a new novel.

ALM: Have you been to Africa before now?

FP: This is my second time in AFRICA but I’ve only been to North Africa, Morocco so it’s my first time up in here so I will say this is my favourite city now.

ALM: What do you think about Nigeria?

FP: Honestly I can’t give an opinion. I don’t have an informed opinion I have just been here for 24 hours and the past 12 hours it was dark and I’ve been sleeping but I’m loving it so far 

ALM: What will be difficult to forget about Nigeria?

FP: People are being really friendly right now I have been here for such a short time.
I’m looking forward to meeting new people and getting inspired. As an artist or for anybody I think it’s good to be inspired, it’s good to get things thrown in your face that you were not expecting.

ALM: What are you looking forward to on this trip?

FP: To be out of the comfort zone is always interesting. To see how other people do things is always inspiring. I’m looking forward to that

ALM: How do you think this new bottle design speaks to both young and old?

FP: Like i said earlier my work speaks a lot to my generation but I feel this is the whole thing about our whole motto which is to remix the present. In order to do that you have to look back and basically when I went to archives in Cognac I looked at the old graphic design and the whole thing and I came up with this design that takes a lot from tradition you know how Hennessy very special was called Hennessy three stars I got the 3 stars, I made use of the quilted pattern which is every where on the old work is in the current design. There’s a lot of the past in this work/orthodox even though its very modern work. I think in order for you to create the New, you must look at the past. I think in order to thrive in the arts is to look at the past and then remix the whole thing which is what I think Hennessy is always doing cause they are always making new cocktails so I believe to create new art you must look at the old traditions and customs. In other to be modern and unusual you have to look at what’s been done before. 

ALM: What would you tell your 25 yer old self?

FP: Like Hennessy says ‘Never stop Never settle’ always keep an open mind and always take risks, get out of your comfort zone. Success to me is to remain unsuccessful. Always keep looking, if you get comfortable its over. I think that it’s the same thing with every work of life.
To be successful you have to keep learning 

ALM: What do you say to young artists?

FP: Well pretty much what i just said also to look at what’s been done before. I think its very important to look at what’s been done before. For me I went to arts school and i wasted my TIME which is just horrible they would make Me like paint the same patterns over and over again and paint like style life’s and models and stuff like that. To me the only good thing I learnt from art school is to look at arts history, art history was actually the only thing like wow I got to learn about the past.
Arts is like science you know so if pennicillin had been discovered you would want to move on and find a cure for cancer to create something new you need to know that pennicillin had been created. So you look at arts history. I think it’s very important to respect the past and tradition 

ALM: Complete the sentence,  I never leave home without…….

FP: Oh wow! I’m going to go very basic here cause I’m thinking about of a lot of things. I can’t leave home without my internet, I think it’s very important I’m not even talking about phone and computer. If I don’t have the internet I get really shaky.

‘In Conversation with’ by ASPIRE Luxury Magazine celebrates stars, influencers, celebrities and public figures, shining a spotlight on their lives and the incredible stories they have to share.

The post In Conversation with Globally Renowned Artist, Felipe Pantone first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post In Conversation with Globally Renowned Artist, Felipe Pantone appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.