Ladies and gentlemen, grab your sketchbooks and sewing kits because Showmax’s Original fashion reality show, “Style Magnate” has officially strutted its way onto the scene, and it’s bringing drama, talent, and jaw-dropping designs to Nigeria’s fashion arena.

If you thought fashion was all about glitz and glam, think again—this show is proving it’s just as much about grit, determination, and quick thinking under pressure.

From the moment the show premiered on Friday, October 4th 2024, you could feel the tension in the air. Hosted by the ever-charismatic TV personality, popularly known for hosting Project Fame West Africa, Joseph Benjamin, with guidance from the fierce and fabulous Yolanda Okereke—affectionately known as The Fashion Principal—”Style Magnate” is not just a show. It’s an all-out fashion extravaganza where 20 budding designers, aka “The Magnates,” are battling it out for a whopping 100 million naira prize. That’s 10 million naira in cash, a three-month internship, and a chic one-bedroom loft courtesy of Mainstone Construction. Oh, and they get to rub shoulders with fashion royalty, so no big deal, right?

Mai Atafo, the godfather of Nigerian fashion, made his grand entrance early on, and let me tell you, jaws dropped faster than a hot new runway collection. The Magnates were starstruck, and who can blame them? With a reputation for tailoring perfection, Mai brought an intensity that immediately upped the stakes. For their first challenge? A mannequin styling task that led to the eviction of the first two contestants, it was a battle of boldness, creativity, and sheer guts.

But, fashion isn’t fashion without a bit of drama. Five unlucky Magnates—Damilola, Eva, Amarachi, Aderonke, and Olamide—found themselves on the chopping block, nominated for eviction after the first challenge. And just when you thought it couldn’t get more nerve-wracking, Mai threw them a lifeline. Their task? In just two hours, whip up a pair of drawstring pants and a boob tube (fashion MacGyver, anyone?), followed by sketching a red-carpet-worthy evening dress in ten minutes. The result? Olamide owned the challenge, rising to the top while the rest faced elimination. Talk about high-stakes fashion!

By episode two, Ejiro Amos Tafiri, queen of drapery and red carpet drama, descended like a fashion fairy godmother to deliver a masterclass in fabric magic. But this wasn’t just about technique—it was about finding the soul in the fabric and letting the creativity flow. For the next challenge, the Magnates were split into teams, but here’s the twist: while they had to collaborate, they’d still be judged individually. Tensions ran high, but Team Avant-Garde—with Philip and Aisha leading the charge—served up a fashion masterpiece, blending avant-garde artistry with a sprinkle of street-style coolness.

At this point, alliances are forming faster than you can say “fashion week,” and cracks are beginning to show. Designers are feeling the heat of the tight deadlines (I mean, creating haute couture in two hours? Yikes!), but they’re also realising that this pressure is to sharpen their skills for the real world. No runway show, no matter how glittering, can happen without a little sweat behind the scenes.