Nigerian Taofeek Abijako is the youngest fashion designer at New York Fashion Week
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Taofeek Abijako, the Nigerian-born designer, is just 19 , and the youngest designer to present a collection at New York Fashion Week: Men's.
He held a presentation for his brand, Head of States +'s spring/summer 2019 collection. Which paid homage to 70's afro-futurism styles and West African youth culture. Head of State + , features cropped half-zips, wide-necked sweatshirts, fitted jeans and loungey basics, often in warm, rich tones.
According to New York Times style Magazine, Abijako was still in Albany High School when he released the look book for his first collection on his Twitter feed. An email from a buyer for the Japanese luxury retailer United Arrowws arrived few weeks later. This he assumed, was pranks by his friends. The buyer asked to visit his studio but Abijako preferred somewhere else. Eventually they met at Manhattan.
Abijako said, "I came to New York City with my clothes in a little bag and they looked at me like, "This little kid?!" But once I showed them my work, they decided to carry the entire collection."
Abijako was born in Lagos, Nigeria, to a Nureni Abijako. Nureni Abijako worked in Nigeria as an independent fashion designer. Though young Abijako was not allowed to touch the father's machineries, he looked at his sketches and this has really helped him.
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