“I don’t know her,” went Mariah Carey in 2004 after she was asked if she knew who Jennifer Lopez was. This reaction had the world talking because both women are popular international musicians hence have crossed paths.
Such are some of the common scenarios faced by upcoming “hustlers”. For example, recently fashion designer and Style Project host, Sylvia Owori, threw shade at designs from a young upcoming designer, Vanessa Ikwang on her show.
In this particular episode that aired last week, the show featured the Africa Day party that had a showcase by different designers. Amid so many unkind words, the host and co-hosts tore up Vanessa Ikwang’s designs, tagging her work as “rubbish”, “trash” and everything else in that line.
For a while now I have watched this programme and rumbled in my head wondering when we shall ever be original.
In my view, The Style Project tries so hard to emulate E!’s Fashion Police, and Sylvia Owori tries to assume the position of Joan Rivers (RIP) while the co-hosts (whose claim to the fashion world is forever questionable) tag along in unison, as if the perfect puppets.
While that may not be a problem, it makes no sense for anyone to get insensitive and trash an aspiring designer with so much potential. I believe there are so many young women who look upto Owori as a role model so to trash one on national TV like that destroys them. As a role model, it would be nice to try and nurture some of these people in the right manner. And by right manner, I mean support, positive criticism and guidance. This business of tearing them apart on the only platform she has right now reminds me of those bullies in high school, who looked at a new, vibrant student and made every effort to frustrate them.
It is okay to have an opinion, but at the end of it all we stand together and support each other as opposed to getting the thrill in putting others down unnecessarily.
I do not think the show organisers were foolish not to vet the designers.