ARIETA MUJAY FAH-SCHYONYSTA EXTRAORDINAIRE!

Ms fashionista herself speaks to Fah-schyon about her very fashionable life!
Her style is unique to her and in fashion, you either have IT or you don't...

Here below is her interview...

Name: Arieta Mujay
Age: 29
Occupation: Fashion PR Manager and stylist

FS: Fashion is...
AM: Fashion is a form of art, a way of life.

FS: How did you get into fashion styling?
AM: By interning with fashion publications like Smash Hits, Sneak and Just 17 Magazine. I also became a stylist assistant and worked as a window dresser, and studied fashion bibles and blagged my way to fashion shows. all of these helped feed my interest in all the aspects of fashion(i'm still learning) which in turn led me to fashion styling.. Putting clothes together in an aspirational way isn't that easy..

FS: What are your two favourite colours?
AM: Purple and Fuscia Pink

FS: To clash or to co-ordinate?
AM: Definately to clash being a non conformist, to co-ordinate is playing it too safe..

FS: What is your top fashion trend for this summer 2009?
AM: Teddy boy / retro 80's look. As most people know, i am an eternal tomboy so the re-emergence of 80's fashion is right up my alley. The acid/ stoned washed denim, lace gloves, over sized tee shirts and bows, bleached denim, teddy boy jackets and the explosion of colours and shoulder pads revisted is all i will be sporting in S/S09.

FS: And your faux-pas?
AM: Anything too revealing is just not my bag.

FS: If you were to choose a celebrity (one you have not worked with) to update / improve their style who would it be and why?
AM: I would love to be involved with coming up for a new look for the long awaited return and comeback of AMY WINO... I think she is absolutely brilliant and as everyone knows, she desperately needs to ditch that beehive in 09..

FS: How would you describe yourself?
AM: Creative, happy go lucky, loyal and understanding...

FS: Who are your favourite fashion designers and why?
AM: Marc Jacobs for his mixing and matching of print and fabric... he always brings the freshness.... Martin Margiela, love his use of structure, volume and shapes which give his designs a 3 dimensional feel. Giles deacon for his attention to detail, commes de garçon for their intricate tailoring, Deola Sagoe for continuing to inspire me and pushing the boundaries of African fashion and for bringing African fashion designers a new audience, she has got the West sitting up and paying attention to her designs. I also LOVE DAME VIVIENNE WESTWOOD.... her clothes gives me an edge, an attitude, an identity, she is just amazing.

FS: I am an African because..
AM: AFRICA is in me... no matter where i go; no matter whom i meet, i am true to myself as i know where i come from. You cant get anywhere in life without knowing where you come from.

FS: What is the best advice someone has ever given you?
AM: We style, we dont SAVE lives...

FS: Who has inspired your life so far?
AM: My Mum, My boss SW, Maya Angelou, Sharon Osbourne, Barrack Obama, Mary J blige, Grace Jones, Madonna, Debbie Harry, Annie lebowitz... this is of course in no particular order.

FS: And you future goals?
AM: Global domination, to bring BRAND ARI to the masses. Keep my head down and GRIND..

FS: Your most admired person in the world would be…and why?
AM: My aunty Florence... she has been through a lot and is able to remain diginfied in the face of adversity and is the STRONGEST woman i know... her shoulders bear the weight of the world but her smile makes everything ok. I definately would like to be like her when i grow up..

FS: You have worked with a lot of celebrities and been in fashion shows, how did you manage to work your way in this competitive field?
AM: By listening and getting as much experience as possible.. You are only as good as your last job so you have to keep it FRESHHHHH always!

FS: What is the best thing of being from Nigeria?

AM: Being Nigerian, no matter where i am in the world i'm never far away from another Nigerian, lol....

Thanks peeps for checking and reading the blog. Let us keep African Fashion alive by knowing about it and talking about it.

Fah-schyonysta (for life...!)