Celebrating Ndi-Igbo

In 2008, Enyinne ( @enyinneo ), a former Hedge Fund Operations Analyst, decided to leave the world of Wall Street behind and pursue a path of entrepreneurship. She started Heritage1960, a blogzine and an online retail destination offering a curated view of global African fashion, lifestyle, and design.  Named after the year 17 African countries won their independence, Heritage1960 celebrates freedom, individuality and unique style inspired by the continent. Born in the US, Enyinne grew up in Kuwait and has lived and studied in Philadelphia. She has a Masters Degree in Global Fashion Management and worked as a US Business Development Manager at London-based trend forecasting company Worth Global Style Network (WGSN).  H1960MUSE is Enyinne’s Tumblr moodboard, “a collection of people, places and things that inspire” her. She is one to watch.

Emmanuel Ohuabunwa is an incredibly intelligent 22-year-old Nigerian, who in May 2012, emerged the best graduating student of John Hopkins University in the United States. Ohuabunwa made history when he obtained a Grade Point Average of 3.98 out of a possible 4.0 to earn a degree in Neurosciences; he also holds the highest honours conferred during the May 24, 2012 graduation ceremony. Ohuabunwa, who hails from Abia State, was born in Okota in Lagos State. He was 13 years old when, with his family, Ohuabunwa left the hustle, bustle and familiarity of Lagos, Nigeria for Houston, Texas. An outstanding young mind, Emmanuel recently joined the Phi Beta Kappa community, a prestigious honor group that features membership of 17 US Presidents, 37 US Supreme Court Justices and 136 Nobel Prize winners. Emmanuel Ohuabunwa is currently furthering his studies at the Yale University School of Medicine.

Sunday Mba, born 28 November 1988 in Aba, Abia State, is a Nigerian football player who currently plays as a central midfielder for Nigerian Premier League club Warri Wolves. He was a member of the Nigeria B team that won the 2010 WAFU Nations Cup and made his senior debut in the Eagles' 0-0 tie against Angola in January 2012.  Sunday was called up to Nigeria's 23-man squad for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations. He scored the winning goal in Nigeria's 2-1 semi-final win over Côte d'Ivoire. On February 10, 2013, in the final against Burkina Faso, he scored the first and only goal of the game, displaying prodigious ball control with a right-footed juggle and a left-footed finish, to hand Nigeria their third Africa Cup of Nations title. Source: Wikipedia

Artist Kelvin Okafor (@KOkaforart), whose accurate drawings are often mistaken for photographs, is making waves in the art world after scooping a number of national awards and exhibiting at galleries across the country. The Middlesex University Fine Art graduate spends around 80-100 hours to complete his amazing pencil drawings over approximately three weeks in the studio.  The genre is known as ‘photo-realism’ and Kelvin creates his detailed work based on a mixture of life and photographs. The highly skilled 27-year old has already had more than 50 commissions and is generating a buzz at galleries he exhibits at and online. One of his recent accolades, The Catherine Petitgas Visitors’ Choice Prize part of the National Open Art Competition, was awarded to Kelvin after he received the most votes from the public.  Kelvin has also recently been selected as one of the top two pieces of work in Cork Street Gallery Open Exhibition Winter Show. Okafor also attended St Ignati...

One to watch Chinelo Okparanta received her BA in Secondary Education (French, English & Communications) from the Pennsylvania State University, her MA in English (17th & 18th Century British Literature, or The Restoration) from Rutgers University, and her MFA in Fiction from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. Among other honors, she is the recipient of the Coral Lansbury Graduate Award for Academic Excellence at Rutgers University, and the Dean’s Graduate Fellowship at the University of Iowa. She was one of Granta's six New Voices for 2012 and has stories forthcoming from Conjunctions, Subtropics, and elsewhere. Granta is a literary magazine and publisher in the United Kingdom whose mission centers on its "belief in the power and urgency of the story, both in fiction and non-fiction, and the story’s supreme ability to describe, illuminate and make real.

Ogo Offodile is a New York based fashion stylist whose passion for creative expression and eclectic work can been seen across new stands, billboards, and numerous red carpets. Best known for her work styling Solange Knowles, her experiences range from styling fashion editorials to advertisements, campaigns, music videos, celebrity styling, brand consulting, and much more. She attributes a large portion of her creative influences to the "geek" in her and derives strengths from her vibrant multicultural Nigerian background. With a boundless creative vision, keen eye for detail and versatile approach to styling that explores the unique experiential relationship with fashion, art and technology it is no wonder her work has carved its unique signature and captivated the attention of A-list celebrities and publications like Vogue, Glamour, Harper's Bazaar, In Style, Marie Claire, and Women's Wear Daily.

Nigerian-American model Adaora Akubilo (@AdaoraAkubilo) is one of the few models who got a coveted spot in Sports Illustrated’s 2012 Swuimsuit Edition. The annual swimsuit issue has elevated the careers of supermodels and superstars including Tyra Banks and Beyonce. Adaora was photographed by Walter Iooss Jr. in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Born in Windsor, Connecticut, USA, Adaora has worked for Garnier Nutrisse, Burt’s Bees, Verizon Wireless,Target, Zappos, House of Dereon, Ray Ban, Essence, Seventeen, Abercrombie, Glamour, CosmoGirl, Agatha, Mary Kay, YourProm, Jewel and Ebony Magazine. One to watch!