AFRICAN DESIGNERS GET SUPPORT AS GTBANK COLLABORATES WITH SELFRIDGES, UK

Guaranty Trust Bank plc recently launched its partnership with Selfridges, UK to project authentic designs by talented African fashion designers. The collaboration tagged “Guaranty Trust Bank presents Ndani” stems from the Bank’s commitment to the projection of African Art to global audiences as a Proudly African and Truly International financial institution.

Ndani represents the beauty of Africa and this is clearly demonstrated at a distinct pop-up shop in Selfridges’ departmental store on Oxford Street in the UK. The designs on display at the shop express the deep creativity, ingenuity and originality of African designers, attributes which the designers share with the GTBank brand.

The exhibition has already attracted several reviews and visits by fashionistas from all over the world and is set to be a high point at the store throughout December 2012 and January, 2013. Participating designers are from Nigeria and include: Agu, House of Silk, DOT Handbags, Odio Mimonet, Lanre Da Silva Ajayi, Jewel by Lisa, Eki Orleans, Ituen Basi and Tiffany Amber. These designers are showcasing their Christmas/Cruise collection exclusively at the Nigerian world pop-up store during the project.

Commenting on the GTBank – Selfridges project, the Managing Director and CEO of Guaranty Trust Bank plc, Mr. Segun Agbaje said that supporting and promoting African art such as fashion internationally is one of GTBank’s major Corporate Social Responsibility thrust. He stated that “we will continue to forge strategic partnerships to create platforms for the contributions of Africans to the different genre of Art as an organization positioned to harness the hidden potentials in Africa”.  

Guaranty Trust Bank’s other recent art projects include its ongoing partnership with Tate, UK where it has appointed an international curator of arts and provides funds for the acquisition of African art by the gallery in addition to sponsoring annual art projects around the world. Furthermore, Ndani TV powered by Guaranty Trust Bank is an online platform which seeks to promote the best of Africans in music, fashion, writing, technology and business. The platform tells their story from a uniquely African perspective and puts their works within the digital space.  

Guaranty Trust Bank was established in 1990 and presently operates from over 200 offices in Nigeria and banking subsidiaries in Ghana, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire and the United Kingdom.