…as House of Borah adds winery, lounging to its feat.
Ndifreke Enefiok, Uyo.
Class, sophistication, elegance and poise were clearly written on the faces of excited fashion lovers on Monday, 18th April, when they visited the popular fashion House, House of Borah for the Fashion X Wine celebration on Monday, 18th April.
From the neighboring streets of Udo Umana where the fashion hotspot is located, loud soothing music which depicted an atmosphere of celebration could be heard blaring. Customers drawn from the political, business and social class were seen walking into the premises to register their presence and sort out their individual fashion needs.
The day which signpost the birth of a new addition to the House of Borah brand as the brand officially launched the winery and lounge section as part of its drive to create luxury and lifestyle for its highbrow customers, it also served as a day for customers to sip some vintage wines, banter and catch up on the latest fashion trends in the industry while shopping for their desired fashion accessories.
The colourful event with semblance like the much talked about Lagos fashion week was truly a day for fashion consumers to make a statement.
Among guests that visited the premises was the People’s Democratic Party‘s frontline gubernatorial aspirant, Pastor Umo Eno who is a passionate proponent of the creation of a fashion hub in Akwa Ibom State.
Pastor Eno, an unabashed businessman and entrepreneur who’s in tune with the role and contributions the fashion and lifestyle industry brings to economic development made a stopover to further reiterate his commitment and match his policy document with action by supporting the House of Borah brand during the winery launch.
Pastor Eno accompanied by the TEAMUMOENO Crew made a tour around the whole showroom and also visited the production factory. They were impressed at the level of work going on in HOB and the uniqueness of the brand.
Pastor Eno while expressing gratitude to the brand for staying Consistent and pushing the fashion industry from Akwa ibom State to the world, further stressed his desire to establish a fashion hub in the state in 2023 when he becomes the governor so that fashion producers in the state can have sustainable business platforms where their products can be better refined, visible and appreciated within and outside; in turn making Akwa Ibom state to a preferred fashion destination.
Meanwhile, not many fashion enthusiasts and entrepreneurs understand the role and contributions they give to the growth of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product. From Bespoke Designers, to those making casual wears, garments production, embellishments, apparels, foot wears and accessory for fashion consumers; the Nigerian fashion industry has become a big hotspot of development.
For an industry that sauntered from being a small unit of cloth makers to becoming a huge exporter of its raw and finished work to the global world, the Nigerian fashion industry has evolved and key players grown as well.
As the Nigerian fashion industry continues to evolve and reap from every gains therein in the world of fashion; HOUSE OF BORAH, like the chanel and Louis Vuitton of this world, the prominent and outstanding fashion hotspot is egging and carving a niche with several laurels to its cap.
The brand Birthed Nine years ago by a fashion nerd, Mrs Ifiok Tony Akan has become a household name in Akwa Ibom State and lived its essence in the fashion industry in Nigeria.
HOUSE OF BORAH despite the evident challenges in the industry is spearheading and soon becoming a critical component of the Akwa Ibom and Nigeria’s economy as it continues to expand and tap from the untapped areas of fashion.
With the launch of its winery and lounge which is borne primarily to provide comfort and relief to customers who patronize the brand, also for potential customers and friends who visit the showroom for inquiries and other needs, HOB according to the CEO is determined to becoming Africa’s leading fashion and lifestyle brand.
Matching their word with actions, House of Borah took off a whooping 30% discount off bespoke tailoring that day, and also from fabrics and accessories bought from them by customers; They also offered free wine tasting and other services like leisuring to customers.
Shading more light on the new addition during the winery launch tagged FASHION X WINE in Uyo, the CEO, Mrs Akan revealed the idea of creating a winery and lounge was borne from the need to create more quiet space for customers when they shop.
She said, ”Borah winery” has been my dream like forever. So, this is me bringing it to bare. Whether you like it or not, wine and fashion goes hand in hand, it’s like fashion and lifestyle. We’re here to make it big and take it to the next level and do what we love. A lot of time, people get bored just sitting at the showroom to wait for their outfits.
So adding the winery and lounge is like giving customers a place to sit, watch fashion TV, do karaoke if they feel like, explore the world and sip some good wine while they wait for their clothes to be done. It’s more like giving value all round. Like I said previously, our vision is to become Africa’s leading fashion and lifestyle brand.” She added.
A quick report from PayU reveals that fashion consumers in Nigeria spent as much as $1.82 billion purchasing fashion items online in 2020. What this means is that consumers in the country spent more in buying clothes and other fashion needs in 2020. While a recent report from Technext suggest that fashion overtook travel and mobility to top consumer spending in 2021.
Also, the revenue in fashion segment vis-a-vis the industry is projected to reach US$1.82bn this year, according to Statista. It’s expected that fashion revenue will experience an annual growth rate (CAGR 2022-2025) of 12.30%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$2.58bn by 2025.
With this stats in mind, House of Borah is leveraging on the humongous needs of fashion consumers by strengthening its core values, creating more value chain and connecting all the dots in other to tap from the revenue projected by fashion analysts.
However, the CEO of House of Borah on her part while sharing tips on how the brand has weathered the storm and stood out from the rest opined that fashion is like oil and gas and that only creatives with genuine spirit and love for the craft can fully benefit from the hidden resource in the industry.
She added that her brand which has consistently collaborated and breached the gap of unemployment in the state is building, fostering and pushing for the realization of a fashion hub as proposed by Pastor Umo Eno in his campaign document.
House of Borah CEO expressed optimism that the proposition of having a fashion hub is realistic, possible and sustainable because Akwa Ibom State has the required manpower and personnel to make it happen.
Also, the brand which has tied into the vision of Pastor Umo Eno of creating a fashion hub in the state, expressed sincere gratitude for the honor granted them by visiting their business premises.
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