Fashion Fades But Style Is Eternal

CHIEF PROF. ANTHONY OHA, FNOS

Fashion relates to the trending outlook of things like cars, clothes, shoes, houses, etc. It talks about current trends with regards to the choice of the moment. Fashion reveals the language and taste of a period; the voice and choice of an age and the currency of immediate possessions. But, due to the insatiable nature of man’s desires, fashions often fade. We often describe some people or something as ‘old swag,’ ‘old fashioned,’ ‘old school,’ etc. because they exhibit external nature that exhibit  timidity.

Style is the mother of fashion. Style points at the uniqueness of creativities. Every fashion is an offshoot of style. Style can never be pinned to an age or a class. It evolves and radiates new ideas which grow to develop more ideas as styles of interests in every human needs. When we stick to style we create pictures of elasticity, longevity and classicism. Style is like the proverbial fire that cooks many pots of soup. 

Fashion does not bother about its relevance tomorrow. Fashion is for the now. Fashion is like the fantastic things which have limited existence but style cuts across dialectics as it generates exclusive things for every trend. In everything we do, there’s fashion in it and there’s style. Today, we have 4matic Mercedes Benz cars all over our cities with the usual ‘boys’ in the saddle. Yes, it’s the fashion now just like it was the fashion of Toyota Venza and Range Rover Sports yesterday and today with the same ‘boys’ in the offing. 

You may not understand what I am saying until you put your ears down to hear the sound of the ants. Our society today is so much engrossed with fashion that they overlook sanity and reasoning. Today, to maintain fashion we hear gory tales of ritualism, kidnapping, robbery, banditry, etc. We celebrate the fashion of the wealth of immediacy against the better style of wealth creation, which is elastic and strong.

Most wealthy men we celebrate today built their wealth with time and style. We can talk about Alhaji Dangote, Chief Ibeto, Chief Maduka of Coscharis, Alhaji Dantata, Chief Wale Adenuga of Glo, Chief Otedola, etc. The foundations of their wealth are so strong and capable of developing new ideas for greater growth in other ventures. They have multinational companies and groups with greater styles of growth. Style is multifaceted because it cuts across ideologies.

We have to have style as our guide. The city of Dubai developed on styles which are eternal. Fashion is a general trend but style denotes uniqueness. Most architectural edifices in Dubai are styles not fashion. New York, Los Angeles, Washington DC, London, Brussels, Paris, Rome, etc. are built on styles. That’s why they exist in uniqueness. That’s why they’re recognized as cities with classic base.

All we struggle to enshrine is fashion. We want to do the latest and gain the latest. We want to build our stardom based on the judgement of the moment.  Creative ventures are styles because they evolve out of extraordinary thought systems. Style is rare and often an individual choice beyond the common precepts. Style results from metaphysical paradigms which are secured through series of uncommon leverages. It’s possible to fashion out ideas that must cohere with the moment but not beyond the moment because the interest is often to align with momentary realities.

When we come out of the crowd we begin thinking in style. The crowd is a meeting point of people with same  idea. When you see protesters marching down a road, they have a singular reason to actualize at that moment. Today, we still hear ASUU strike because they have the same fashion of strike as the only means to the correction of the ills in our institutions. ASUU has never thought out any other means of projecting their displeasure apart from strike. They have other options but they have refused to change; yet, it has never changed the trend. Anybody or groups that cling to the same idea or fashion of presentation of issues is assumed to be bereft of ideas. People of fashion lack ideas because they only think the thought of the moment.

In marriage, the most critical factor that diminish couple’s interest is where the partners lack sex styles. In most homes they lack sexual satisfaction because they lack styles. Imagine where a pastor preached that the only sex pattern acceptable to God was missionary style, which I call missionary sex fashion. When some men in this missionary bondage encounter women with styles, their marriage will definitely begin to suffer. A man or woman who holds her man or woman with the entanglements of style will live to enjoy the union. 

Even in business, the traditional fashion of stocking goods in shops while waiting for buyers is no longer in vogue. Today, business has developed styles through marketing, supply chain,  purchasing, advertisement, which even the small and medium enterprises benefit. Every business venture today develop into creating other businesses as styles of profit making. 

Let’s embrace styles and eschew fashion which aims at momentary realisation. An advocate of style is a leader with uncommon developmental indices. In governance today in Imo State, the 3R’s styles of Governor Hope Uzodimma are patterned in stules. We see unique approaches to governance as we observe the way Imo State is changing positively and steadily despite the distractions. 

The governance styles of the 3R’s are felt in road construction, infrastructural development, political elevation, broad economic lifting, profitable governance. We are experiencing the enshrinement of upgrades in omnibus amenities. Thus, the real legacies from the styles of the 3R’s will surely outgrow our time just like Sam Mbakwe’s legacies. Truly, fashion fades but style is eternally implanted to benefit posterity. 

Chief Prof Anthony Oha