Meet Nigeria’s New Fashionista….Ayo Van Elmar…

Nigerians all around the world have always been renowned for their creativity and multi-talented nature but lately it has been a thing of joy to note that in the entertainment and fashion world, more accolades have kept pouring in for the most populous black nation on earth with population of well over 150million people. From artistes, fashion icons, super models, film makers, artists to even writers, remarkable feats had been recorded over the past few years as a they shone like million stars in their various fields.

Apparently, we at BroadstreetNG have deemed it fit to bring to you Nigerians that have excelled or are still excelling worldwide with a vision aimed at re-painting a positive image for a country with a lot glory. We aim to let the world know that Nigerians are the best set of people you will ever come across on the surface of the earthThis week, our radar fell on a very fast rising fashionista based in far away Europe…Meet Ayo Van Elmar, the fashion queen that is taking Austria by storm..She speaks with one of our correspondents, Oyewoga Korede

Ayo Van Elmar

Born in Nigeria but relocated to Austria in 2001, just after her high school education, Ayo Van Elmar whose full name is Motunrayo Elizabeth Olaogun, who had always had a flair for designing and arts as far back as when she was 8yrs of age, began her real journey into the fashion world in 2010. She tells us how it all began.“It’s quite hard to tell how it all started. Creativity and arts have always been my strongest interests and i started drawing as well as designing things from a tender age of 8yrs. My craftiness have been right there, from the onset and i had always known that i was going to end up in the arts but was not so sure of what genre of arts it was going to be. It was not until 2010 that i recognised it and embraced it. I completed my degree and decided to embark on a fashion journey which had been running in the family for ages. My father had always designed and exported men’s suit to as far as Germany back then. My sister is a fashion designer, so was my uncle.”

The 28yrs old graduate of Nutritional Sciences who is also pursuing her second degree at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna, Austria…which happens to be one of the biggest fashion school in the world, talks about how her label name, Ayo Van Elmar, originated and what it means. “The name ‘Ayo Van Elmar’ is rooted in my concept of internationalityof a liberal mind and cosmopolitanism. ‘Ayo Van Elmar’ is the combination of 3 major continents where i see myself expanding within the next decade. ‘Ayo’ is my first name which is actually Motunrayo in full. ‘Ayo’ in Africa means joy or at times happiness. The ‘Van’ represents my own perception of the most liberal part of Europe while ‘ElMar’ which means ‘sea’ in Spanish represents South America”

For every thriving business, there is always the challenging part of it and she speaks on her major challenge and how she yet, manages to run her clothing label. “Of Course, the major challenge is raising capital. If there is something i can do better today, it would be strategizing, spending more time on research and getting professional experts to collaborate with so i can arrive at the road i am dreaming of. As a matter of fact, this is exactly what i am doing today. For now I get skilled labour to help with the tailoring. Some of them have completed their apprenticeship and most of them studied tailoring at Polytechnics.I strongly detest child labour, hence my team is made up of adults that have a strong passion for what they do.”

Ayo relates with us on how she gets her inspiration for her outstanding outfits and where she gets her fabrics. “At this moment of writing, i am sitting in a cafe opposite Duomo in Florence. Florence is a very inspiring city…Seeing the works of Michelangelo and Donatello is a very inspiring experience for me. My inspiration comes from various situations and experiences. My autumn and winter collections in 2011 are based on simplicity of life even from a complex standpoint. My designs are closely tied to Africa. They are filled with happiness and the spirit of Africa which is filled with life and rhythm. I collect my fabrics from different sources, all from the heart of Africa.”


Currently, Ayo runs a clothing line which has a strong feminine presence. She tells us why she does female fabrics and her future plans. “My design are chic, contemporary, afrocentric, vougish and stylish in a gentle manner. My clientele are women who enjoy having something different, an extra touch of class, women who are liberal, free thinkers and cosmopolitan. Women who believe that style goes beyond one specific continent. In the future, i intend to have a collection for men and even children. I guess being a woman draws you closer to designing for women at first (giggles). Within the next decade precisely 2011-2021, I pray to have already started my flagship in other European cities aside Vienna. My dream cities are Berlin, Zurich, or Geneva and at least on Scandinavian city. Then i see myself later expanding across Europe, Africa and South America.”

About Ayo Van Elmar’s newly opened Pop-Up Store
Succeeding an awesome impression and strong image that was cast over the audience at the Nigeria Fashion Week, Ayo van Elmar pop-up store opened on the 1st of December in Vienna. The location, which is beyond the average and regular, is downtown off Viennaʼs most famous shopping street, Kärntnerstrasse and finds itself in the beautifully lit Krugerstrasse, in house number 8. Sensing the spirit of design, liberty and beauty is inevitable as one steps into the store with its high ceiling and spacious interior. Since a pop-up store is a venue that is temporary and the trend involves “popping-up” one day and then disappearing anywhere from one day to several weeks later, Ayo van Elmar has raised a lot of interest with excited
customers, who are eagerly waiting to see the spring summer collection. However, the pop-up store will be available till the 14th of January, to all those who would like to come around for a little chat and a boost of pleasure.

Ayo Van Elmar's pop-up store situated in the heart of Vienna

PICTURES OFF THE RUNWAY AT THE NIGERIA FASHION WEEK 2011

Ayo taking a bow during the Nigerian Fashion Week

“Ayo Van Elmar imports eurocentric style with an indigenous blend to create a cosmopolitan fashion. this will definitly enliven whoever adorns it with a robust air of confidence. what with the levity, elegance and grace in which the models stride on the runway, they threw caution to the wind as their swags went off the meters, diving sky high. She rocks.”……..Ola Sarumoh