WHEN MOTHER OF AFRICAN MODELS VISITED GHANA – JOAN OKORODUDU OF ISIS MODELS

I received message last Thursday that the organizer of upcoming ECOWAS Fashion Week in Nigeria will be in Ghana by weekend to book models for the show. Good news for Ghana models right? Yes. Though, few Ghanaian models has find their way through tin and thick processes to get themselves to walk on international platform but this particular one is a rare occasion as the organizer is coming to the country to cast for models.

The brain behind the event which promises to be one of the biggest in the calendar of fashion event in Africa, Joan Isioma Elumelu Okorodudu, CEO of ISIS models Africa has been called mother of African models by Vogue Italian editor. The fashion entrepreneur has been a blessing to many Nigerian models through her agency and annual modeling contest, Nigeria’s Next Super Model.

The casting was organized at Ghallywood film and academy village by Sparkzuta agency and advertising, fast growing modeling agency based in Ghana. The judges for the casting were Scholastica Heyford of Ghallywood academy, Simone Grince, Ghana based Netherlands model and yours truly ‘Me’ (Bashiru Olu-fashion promoter & blogger).

Though, it was a tough decision in selecting the models as most of them were fall short of one thing or the other based on the requirements, but we finally picked six models; comprises of five female and one male.

Some models that couldn’t make it to Ghallywood village for the casting on Sunday due to distance and other reasons were also casted in her hotel on Monday where more models were selected.

I finally met her on Monday (as we couldn’t make it for the casting) at Ovation restaurant around airport residential area after our longtime phone conversation. While she was enjoying her Nigerian delicacy meal, we chit chat about Ghana and Nigeria fashion industry and preparation towards the ECOWAS Fashion Week in April and her vision to break barriers in the industry.

She visited Chief Dele Momodu in his residence in Ghana before living to the airport back to Nigeria.

I want to believe that she enjoy the cool and calm environment with uninterrupted electricity as she tweeted from her hotel room watching Nelson Mandela’s farewell ceremony without using generator..Lool