Entrepreneur Partners The Macallan To Mentor Young Designers

A Nigerian creative director and fashion entrepreneur, Mai Atafo, has collaborated with the world’s most prestigious whisky, The Macallan, to mentor young Nigerian fashion designers in the country. 

The initiative, tagged, ‘Fashion Conversations’ held in Lekki, Lagos, at the weekend, is offering 40 young creative, the opportunity to engage the designer in conversations about commercialisation in Africa’s $31 billion fashion industry.

In line with The Macallan’s investment in Africa’s fashion industry, the ultra-premium 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,’ ‘Branding,’ among others. 

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 advised on how to navigate the fashion sector and shared pointers from his over two-decade 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 that, “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.

This year’s second edition will take place in April at Maitama, Abuja.