Samsung to launch Galaxy S4 smartphone May 10

…Set To Empower Young Nigerian Fashion Designers

IN line with its commitment of facilitating economic growth and development in Nigeria, Samsung Electronics, is offering five young, ‘up-and-coming’ Nigerian fashion designers an opportunity to showcase their designs at the upcoming launch of its flagship Galaxy S4 Smartphone on May 10.

Through its ‘Galaxy S4 Design for Life’ initiative, a programme aimed at harnessing and promoting local talent in the fashion industry, the company is providing young talents access to skills, training and support that are pivotal to ensuring that they achieve both commercial and creative success.

Participants in the programme were required to submit evening wear design proposals for Samsung Brand Ambassadors, Kate Henshaw and Banky W via Samsung’s website. Of the submissions received, 18 entries were initially chosen by a panel of fashion experts including brand ambassador, Kate Henshaw, Chief Executive Officer of Beth Model Management Africa, Mrs. Elohor Aisien; Creative Director of CLAN, Ms. Teni Sagoe and Hakeem Balogun of Kimono Kollection. A second and final selection process took place in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Saturday, April 20, 2013, with five lucky designers emerging as winners of the competition.

The five finalists will be given the opportunity to present their collections to buyers, consumers, the media and the general public at the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4 in Lagos on Friday, May 10, 2013.

Samsung Electronics West Africa’s Business Head for Hand Held Products, Mr. Emmanouil Revmatas, described the programme as an avenue for the company to provide emerging stars in Nigeria’s fashion industry with the much-needed pre-requisites for success, including publicity, mentoring services and networking opportunities.

“At Samsung, we are committed to providing an enabling environment for Nigerian youths to pursue their dreams and passions, as we believe that this would help to unlock the country’s huge economic potential. We are very proud to support Nigeria’s growing fashion industry with our ‘Galaxy S4 Design for Life’ programme,” he said.

In addition to providing the five finalists with the opportunity to showcase their collections at the launch of the Galaxy S4, Samsung also organized a workshop on Sunday April 21 to enrich and expand the overall fashion experience of the participants in the programme. The workshop encompassed training and mentoring by fashion icons Teni Sagoe and Hakeem Balogun, as well as networking opportunities to equip the emerging, creative talents with the necessary tools for launching and managing a fashion business.

Also speaking, Samsung Electronics West Africa’s Marketing Manager for Hand Held Products, Ms. Olajumoke Okikiolu said, “The new Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphone is a combination of innovation, class, style and beauty; and what better way to launch it into the Nigerian market than to showcase Nigerian designers’ sense of style and creativity. We are happy to support this very important initiative because we value every opportunity where we can contribute to the community; it is more so for this programme because it is a sustainable one.”

“We are also happy to be promoting and cultivating local talents while simultaneously providing avenues for them to become productive and responsible members of the society. Who knows, the next big name in the global fashion scene might come from Nigeria and might have been discovered from participation in this programme,” Okikiolu added.

The “Galaxy S4 Design for Life” initiative is one of several community development projects undertaken by Samsung Electronics West Africa over the past few years, as part of its corporate social investment initiatives. Other projects include the Samsung-Chelsea FC ‘Dream the Blues’ Youth Football Clinic, an expansion of Samsung - Chelsea FC Youth Football Camp programme, which has already benefitted more than 5,000 children across the world and the company’s construction of its Engineering Academy in Lagos and Ekiti States, with a view to developing 10,000 electronics engineers across the continent by 2015.