Ohima Atafo AKA Mai Atafo was born on November 15, 1977, at Ile-Ife Osun state. He spent his early life in Lagos. He has been making waves in the fashion scene for over ten years, His name is one that continually rings a bell among the style conscious personalities in Nigeria and the world at large. People want to know who he is, his early career, His award and nominations and other subsets that come together to form the ‘set’ called Mai Atafo.

Mai Atafo had his elementary education at the University Staff school Benin and The Federal Government College Ido-Ani, Ondo state respectively. Mai Atafo later earned a master’s degree from the City University of the United Kingdom in Information System and Technology. He came back to Nigeria in 2002. Upon returning to Nigeria from the UK, Mai Atafo worked in various positions in the marketing department at British American Tobacco Nigeria. He left for Guinness Nigeria in 2006 where he worked as brand manager before his resignation in 2010.

He is married to Christine Atafo and they are blessed with a daughter, his hobbies are music, salsa dancing, watching Manchester United’s football matches and poetry.

Mai Atafo’s journey as a fashionista started before his resignation at Guinness, He started a bespoke clothing label called “Mai Atafo Inspired ”then that gained media acclamation pioneering clientele of celebrities like Banky W, Femi Adebayo, Omowunmi Akinnifesi, IK Osakioduwa among others. He sat briefly as fashion editor of Genevieve magazine.

His major dive into the fashion world was his gig at the reality dance show “Celebrity takes two” where he styled top celebrities and performers and since then Mai Atafo has taken the fashion industry by storm. Solidly rooted in the Nigeria innovative space, Atafo oozes a high style tastefulness that makes him a model for forthcoming design brands in Nigeria. He launched Mai Atafo inspired in 2007.

The imaginative chief of the classy fashion brand Mai Atafo has assembled a topnotch way of life utilizing his involvement in promoting, branding and his affection for fashion to make a perfect business.

Mai Atafo is the creative director of weddings by Mai which he formally launched in 2011. Mai designs perfectly fitting wedding dresses and tailored bespoke suits. He created a social media frenzy in 2014 after choreographing selfies with models on the runway at 2014 Lagos fashion week. In 2016 he has Tania Omotayo among other beautiful models for his wedding collections which actually made a roar in the Nigeria Fashion industry.

The fashionista has had a captivating profession in the fashion business that moves distinctive aspects of garments making; from making the wedding outfits for the noteworthy, highest gross paying Nollywood block buster movie “The wedding party” in 2016 to making red carpet outfits of top Nollywood actors at the 2018 AMVCA.

In 2017 Atafo launched “Follow Mai Heart” campaign in partnership with Moet and Chandon on his 40th birthday. “Decisions made with the heart are made out of love and love is the one thing that drives everything in life, this collection is an ode to brides and an inspiration to others because I always #followMAIheart”said Mai Atafo on the launch of this campaign.

He showcased that fashion, courage and entertainment could walk hand in hand at the Heineken Lagos Fashion week with his bespoke collections for the event. He also showcased his classic, versatile and coexistent with time designs at fifth edition of the ARISE fashion week 2018.

Mai Atafo has been awarded a number of national and international awards for his consistency and hard work in the fashion scene as well as other spheres. The awards he has received includes; City people fashion and style Awards as hottest new designer Male (2009) and special recognition (2010), Fab Magazine Fashion brand of the year (2010),Mode men magazine fashion designer of the year (2010), Best dressed men (2010) (2011). This style best-dressed men (2011) amidst others.

Mai Atafo’s lifestyle and journey to stardom could be likened to that of Milton Hershey. Versatile, Urban, Stylish, Clean, perfectly put together these are the words to describe the artistic and fashionable designs of this fashion Icon.

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