A new pan African styled reality show to be hosted by the first ever black Miss World and Face of L'Oreal Agbani Darego titled Stylogenic is set to debut on TV.
Shedding light on the concept of the programme at the launch in Lagos recently, Ms. Darego said "Firstly, I must say that the show is quite unique, in the sense that unlike other reality TV shows, it won't be focused on a particular individual, or one aspect of fashion. It's going to be focused on the whole aspects of fashion. In essence, it will be focused on a group of people involved in fashion such as the designer, the model, the make-up artist, the stylist, the hair stylist and the photographer. What this means is that at the end of every edition when there is an eviction, not one person will be evicted, but the whole team."
A sense of style
She also explained that Stylogenic "is trying to portray a sense of style that everyone has," she said. "For example, in Nigeria there are so many ethnic groups, and each one of them has its own different attire; that's stylish, that is being fashionable; that's style, and that's what we are trying to promote. Everyone has a sense of style that they are proud of, and we are not trying to change it."..
The model, who has been busy studying for a Psychology degree at the New York University, said she won't try to force her sense of style on any of the contestants because "The show is about people being aware of style. My own preferences or choice of style is quite different from that of everyone, because we are all different types of people."
Style teams
Speaking further, she added that the contestants will comprise of a team of six people, and there are going to be several teams while the show will be broadcast with a total of 13 episodes.
Quite unlike most shows which are based on the search for a top model or designer or stylist, Stylogenic will revolve around the concept of a style team. Begining immediately after the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, entries for contestants will open to all Africans with casting calls held in Lagos, Johannesburg, Nairobi, London and New York.
Each team will be competing against one another for mouth-watering prizes, which include a showing at Fashion and Design Weeks in London and Cape Town, said Solomon Ikhioda, Head, Sponsorship, Insight Communications Ltd, one of the show's executive co-producers.
