Oluwadamilola Amolegbe, AKA Wadami A. or simply ‘Dammie’, “has garnered a lot of respect amongst her fashion peers in the industry, and is often called the “Anna Wintour of Africa”. At just 21, she has written for various print & online magazines in Africa, and the US. Including, HauTe Magazine, FashionAfrica.com, Bella Naija, GIANT Magazine, True Love (babe) Magazine, and Genevive Magazine“.

Wadami talks to Jamati about having a passion for something, having a true sense of who you are and putting it all into plan.

Jamati: Hello Wadami, can you give us a little background of yourself: Were you born and raised in Nigeria?

Hello, I was born and raised in Nigeria. Did My primary and secondary education in Nigeria, then moved to the States to pursue accounting at Manhattan College where I also realized my passion for magazines.

Jamati: Where do you currently call home?

If you had asked me this three weeks ago, it would be New York! And I wouldn’t have dreamed of saying where I call home now is really my home, Nigeria. Just at the spur of the moment, without any plan, I decided I wanted to move back to Africa, Nigeria.

Jamati: Wow! Good for you! I am sure there is going to be even more exciting things from this move! You must have always been into fashion, do you have a formal background in fashion design?

I am not sure I will say fashion. Fashionable? Yes I have always been particularly ‘stylish”. My formal background is in print and online publications.

Jamati: You have definitely achieved a lot for someone of your age. Where do you get your drive and motivation from?

The fear of not living my life on my own terms motivates me and keeps me focused.

Jamati: What would you say you have more passion for, writing or fashion?

Haaaa, that’s quite a tricky one…it has to be definitely what I am writing about. I’d say fashion because it’s a great tool to help improve my country – my true passion.

Jamati: Do you have any aspiration to become a designer yourself?

No way!!! I can’t draw to save my life!!

Jamati: Tell us about HauTe Magazine, what prompted you to launch it?

HauTe Magazine is a platform used to promote (African) designers. The prompt to launch the magazine came when there was (and still is) a shortage of good African designers being put in the forefront of fashion, and we created a database via the magazine and website.

Jamati: HauTe Magazine started out as a quarterly print magazine. Where was it based and how would you describe the extent of its readers now?

It was based in the United States, and the extent of it’s readers is literally across this globe, from Canada to Sweden and of course Africa. (South African and Nigeria).

Jamati: What is featured in HauTe?

Primarily designers of African descent, and other fashion inspired stories, like our ‘Fashionable Life’ that documents regular people in society, who do something extraordinary… and ‘Fashion for Cause’ that mostly features charity events where they use fashion as a tool to help raise funds.

Jamati: You are re-launching HauTe Magazine? What’s going to be different?

We started HauTe with just featuring Nigerian designers, now it’s going to be Africans; not just limiting it to Nigerians anymore.

Jamati: I know as an African (Liberian) who has a passion for fashion, I would love to get my hands on any magazine, print or online, that features African designs/designers. Is there currently an option to subscribe to the magazine?

There was that option, but we seized in preparation for the re-launch later this year.

Jamati: In the past, actually not too long ago, whenever I googled “African Fashion”, I always got those sites that featured the back–in–day styles. You know, the big gowns, the dashikis, and what have you (not that there’s anything wrong with them if that’s what one is looking for), but look at us now! My question is, what do you think has ‘awakened’ the ‘hip’ African fashion?

Just as we grow we start to feel a certain love for where we are from; we appreciate our culture and want to show it off to the world, and let the world know that there’s really no difference when it comes to Africa. We are just as fabulous if not more!

Jamati: I do agree with you! I definitely think that it all boils down to the fact that we are growing as a people, and, with this growth, a renewed appreciation for our culture is on the rise, especially with the younger generation.

In your profile on FashionAfrica you mentioned that you “craved only designers of African decent”, and I think it is very important to embrace both the designer and the designs inspired by African prints. What do you think will make African fashion wearable by anyone, as supposed to just Africans or friends of Africans ( Kimora in the yellow print dress)?

Well, I know non-Africans tend to appreciate our culture deeply, even more than some Africans who may feel embarrassed by us, so as far as we can keep it western without losing our culture, they will definitely come around. The challenge now is breaking the fold of Africans who are obsessed with foreign brands, and get them to support African designers, because if we don’t get together who will back us up?!

Jamati: I must say, you do have a very strong sense of who you are. With Africa emerging in the western world ion the line of fashion, what is your take on the collective effort of Africans to make this happen? Which events come to mind, that you think have helped propelled us in this direction?

A big shout goes out to The Fashion weeks that take place in South Africa, I believe its one of the best tools that has geared African fashion to a better future.

Jamati:For fashion-forward people like yourself, where do you see African fashion in the next five years? Where would you like to see it?

Gracing the covers of international fashion magazines worldwide!!!

Jamati: Amen to that! What’s on the agenda for you in 2008?

Taking the publishing industry by storm, and helping my community through fashion!

Jamati: We do thank you allowing us to pick your very creative mind, and I am sure that we will be hearing a lot from you.

Thank you

To keep up with what’s going on at HauTe Magazine, visit their website.