- Title: NIGERIA: Through the wire - Nigerian women bling without expensive gold.
- Date: 4th June 2013
- Summary: LAGOS, NIGERIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) STREET IN LAGOS/ EXTERIOR OF "DESIRED CRAFTS JEWELLERY SHOP" SIGN-POST READING: "DESIRED CRAFTS" VARIOUS OF LOLA BANKS SPEAKING TO STAFF IN HER STORE VARIOUS OF WIRE-WORKS PIECES ON DISPLAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) LOLA BANKS, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, DESIRED CRAFT SAYING: "Well, the business has been really good, you know this business like I tell people is self sustaining, it is what you do and over a period of time you begin to... you see that you don't even pump in your personal capital into it again, that's over a period of time, it begins to finance itself." VARIOUS OF JEWELLERY ON DISPLAY STUDENTS LISTENING TO BANKS SHOWING THEM HOW TO WORK WITH WIRE HAIR-PIECE BEING WOVEN (SOUNDBITE) (English) ADEOLA AKINWALE, TRAINEE SAYING: "My own plan is to move ahead in the sense of having my own and establishing it and also to be training people." VARIOUS OF COPPER WIRE ON DISPLAY AT BEAUTY SHOP (SOUNDBITE) (English) LOLA PRATT, BEAUTY STORE OWNER SAYING: "The normal person wants to buy wireworks and use it for two, three years. Sometimes they wear it just once and it tarnishes." VARIOUS OF JEWELLERY STORE VARIOUS OF WOMEN LOOKING AT WHAT IS ON DISPLAY BANKS HELPING A WOMAN TRY SOMETHING ON (SOUNDBITE) (English) YETUNDE ADENIYI, BUSINESSWOMAN SAYING: "Wire-works is what is in vogue now, I've seen my friends wearing it so I decided to get one for myself since it's what is in vogue and it's very simple." (SOUNDBITE) (English) NGOZI NWONKOYE, LAGOS RESIDENT SAYING: "It gives us a lot of opportunity because we can copy ready-made costumes, imported ready-made costumes, we can copy what they do. We can use wire to make it in our own way and even to design it more better than those ready-made costumes that we do import into our country." VARIOUS OF WOMEN WEARING WIRE-WORK EARRINGS
- Embargoed: 19th June 2013 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Nigeria
- Country: Nigeria
- Topics: Arts
- Reuters ID: LVAB3LAZRX56OPI5H28A50A8ISID
- Story Text: Jewellery made from copper wire is a cheap new trend for women in Nigeria who want to add some 'bling' to their look without breaking the bank. The high demand for these fashion wire pieces is also creating much needed employment and a thriving industry for simple jewellers.
In the Ikeja suburb of Nigeria's commercial capital Lagos, Lola Banks, an arts and crafts designer trains her staff on the intricacies of copper wire and fashion.
The jewellery she makes is based on simple metal wires that are strong but easy to manipulate. It is either woven, threaded or coiled and bedazzled with all sorts of accessories - from beads to cheap stones.
Banks opened her business selling wire-works jewellery four years ago, when what started out as a hobby built up in orders from interested friends.
The 36-year-old invested 32 US dollars to start with; today she can take home up to 1000 US dollars in profits.
"Well, the business has been really good, you know this business like I tell people is self sustaining, it is what you do and over a period of time you begin to... you see that you don't even pump in your personal capital into it again, that's over a period of time, it begins to finance itself," said Banks.
Wire-works jewellery is the latest fashion craze in the neigbourhoods of Lagos. Women wear them to weddings and even to work or just as an every day style accessory.
Even with the reputation to always dazzle with their fashion, Nigerian women say wire is an acceptable alternative to more expensive metals like gold.
Banks can makes an earring worth 10 US dollars in 15 minutes. Bigger, more intricate pieces can sell for as much as 200 US dollars and take about two weeks to complete.
She has trained over 30 men and women, some who have started their own businesses in the same field.
"My own plan is to move ahead in the sense of having my own and establishing it and also to be training people," said Adeola Akinwale, one of Bank's a trainees.
But while the price and aesthetic quality is practical, the durability of copper wire - used mostly in electric wiring is no where near as resilient in comparison to more elegant metals.
Unlike other unique pieces that can be passed down generations, wire-works do not last long.
"The normal person wants to buy wire-works and use it for two, three years. Sometimes they wear it just once and it tarnishes," said Lola Pratt, a beauty store owner.
On the streets, the shortfalls of copper wire do not seem to deter customers who want to keep up with trends. Some even use it to embellish their outfits.
"Wire-works is what is in vogue now, I've seen my friends wearing it so I decided to get one for myself since it's what is in vogue and it's very simple," said Yetunde Adeniyi.
"It gives us a lot of opportunity because we can copy ready-made costumes, imported ready-made costumes, we can copy what they do. We can use wire to make it in our own way and even to design it more better than those ready-made costumes that we do import into our country," said Ngozi Nwonkoye.
Lagos is emerging as one of the most vibrant fashion capitals of the world. Some critics have even put it in the same mention as New York, Paris and Milan, as African fashion pushes to be design's latest inspiration. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
