Rolling Stone Africa storms Lagos with Olandria, partners House of SOTA
By Efe Onodjae
In a celebration of fashion, culture and global creative exchange, Rolling Stone Africa, in partnership with House of SOTA and the Black History and Lifestyle Awards, BHLA, hosted American model and television personality, Olandria Lashae Carthen, popularly known as Olandria, in Lagos.
The event, tagged “The SOTA Decade & The Future of Global Exchange”, held at Heliconia Park, Eko Atlantic, commemorated 10 years of House of SOTA and decades of international commercial and cultural synergy, while also honouring Olandria with a special BHLA Award presented in collaboration with Rolling Stone Africa.
Speaking during a press conference, Chief Executive Officer of Rolling Stone Africa and founder of Moncomplus, David Romuald Belgaus-Meralda, said the media platform’s expansion into Nigeria and Africa was driven by the need to amplify African voices globally.
According to him, Rolling Stone, which has existed in the United States for over five decades, officially launched its African operations in 2024 with a mission to spotlight talents across music, sports, film and fashion.
“Rolling Stone is a media platform that has been in existence for over 55 years in the US. We started in Africa in 2024 and the goal is really to represent the voices of the continent,” he said.
“So whether it is in music, sports, film or fashion, Rolling Stone’s aim is to amplify the stories of our talents globally.”
Belgaus-Meralda explained that the decision to expand into Nigeria was strategic, describing the country as one of the biggest creative markets on the continent.
“Nigeria is one of our biggest markets, if not the biggest. There are so many creatives here, whether in music, sport, fashion or film. We definitely want to do more in Nigeria,” he added.
He further disclosed that Rolling Stone Africa has established a presence in Nigeria with a local office and team to strengthen collaborations within the entertainment and creative industries.
Rather than focusing on challenges in the media industry, he stressed the importance of embracing opportunities.
“If we focus on the challenges, we do nothing. I like to look at the upside. Nigeria is the most populated country on the continent and a strong representation of Africa’s culture and diaspora. That makes it easier to export African music, fashion and film globally,” he said.
Also speaking, founder of House of SOTA and BHLA, Mrs. Folashade Balogun, expressed excitement over the brand’s 10-year milestone, noting that promoting Nigerian culture through fashion has remained her lifelong passion.
“I feel excited and fulfilled because for the last 10 years, I have been putting our culture out there. I believe Adire can be worn to corporate places, offices and parties. This is my contribution to promoting Nigerian culture,” she said.
Balogun, however, identified challenges facing the local fashion industry, especially in exportation, customs processes and production logistics.
“There are a lot of challenges, tailors, customs and export-related issues. We have many people in the diaspora who want to proudly wear Made-in-Nigeria brands, and I think the government needs to look into supporting the industry better,” she stated.
She urged Nigerians to embrace indigenous fashion brands more intentionally.
“We have to invest in wearing our own brands. International brands became successful because their people invested in them. This is the right time for Nigerians to proudly showcase Made-in-Nigeria fashion to the world,” she added.
On the collaboration with Rolling Stone Africa, Balogun described it as the beginning of bigger cultural opportunities for African creatives and youth.
“A lot should be expected from this collaboration. This is only the beginning. Olandria is visiting an African country for the first time, and she is already embracing Nigerian brands and culture. She is excited to wear Nigerian fashion and experience our food and traditions,” she said.
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المصدر: Vanguard (NG)