Reason fashion designers are not tailors — Oghenekioja

By Vera Opia

Obi-Egbedi Oghenekioja is simply a Delta State calved haute couture. In this interview, 

the manner decorator speaks connected the challenges faced successful the industry, what distinguishes manner designers from tailors, among different absorbing issues. 

What is manner plan and what is the quality betwixt manner plan and tailoring?

Talking astir the manner industry, the manner designers are radical who make designs and are inspired by things they see. They spell around, make designs and draught patterns. Tailors are much similar a backbone to the manner designer. Without tailors, a manner decorator tin make designs, but manner designers request idiosyncratic retired determination to bash the job, and that is erstwhile tailors travel in. Tailors bash the job, which includes sewing.

Let america look astatine the manner manufacture successful Nigeria successful the past decennary oregon two, bash you consciousness we person truly grown implicit the years, particularly arsenic it concerns fashion?

We are making a precise large interaction successful the manner industry, particularly with the assistance of the entertainers from the euphony manufacture and comedies. They are trying to propulsion the manner designers arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable to beryllium successful the limelight.

Are determination mandatory steps idiosyncratic who wants to get grooming successful manner plan needs  to spell through?

For sure, they person to due to the fact that it is not a time occupation that 1 would conscionable aftermath up to accidental 1 is simply a manner designer. There has to beryllium a career, determination has to beryllium a push, determination has to beryllium a platform, determination has to beryllium vulnerability oregon accusation which cannot beryllium received from anywhere. They person to be immoderate benignant of manner schoolhouse per se.

Do we person this successful Delta State?

Yes, we do. We tally a manner school. In the authorities assemblage and polytechnic, they besides person manner courses. 

What are immoderate of the challenges manner designers look successful the country?

There are ever challenges. In the manner industry, we endure from inadequate powerfulness supply. Electricity is simply a precise large situation to america due to the fact that we person to commencement moving connected fuel, and the outgo affects us. There is besides the contented of inadequate textile mills. We don’t person skillful men, determination are immoderate machines that you have, but determination is cipher to run them.

Has the emergence successful the dollar affected your business?

Yes. The terms summation is simply a precise large stroke due to the fact that you tin spell to a marketplace contiguous and time morning, the terms of an point bought the time earlier has changed. There was a occupation I did recently. I charged astir N4 cardinal for it, but aft the full outgo of production, it turned retired to beryllium implicit N5 million. I made a loss.

How lucrative is the manner business, what is your lawsuit basal similar and tin idiosyncratic truly prolong a surviving successful this industry?

Talking astir customers, the information is that each concern has its ain lawsuit base. For me, I usually enactment with apical influencers specified arsenic comedians and musicians. In that way, I americium capable to measure immoderate level of customers that suit my products and the services.

For anyone who is coming into the manner industry, determination is simply a batch of wealth successful the manner industry, but it depends connected your marketplace value: what you springiness and what you take. Becoming a manner decorator is not a time job, it is not a time job. It requires a batch of energy, clip and patience.

How appreciative are Nigerians towards our designs?

When it comes to importations, I would accidental the manner manufacture is going done a batch close now. They inactive consciousness the much the importation the much planetary the marque is, the much valuable. Most radical similar to get imported materials alternatively than those produced successful Nigeria. If you are importing from outside, they don’t get a suitable plan for them. And that  is wherefore we are coming successful present to spot that erstwhile they import,  the happening does not spot them, and they autumn backmost to us.

Are you saying that those companies overseas wide nutrient these stuffs due to the fact that it is rather cheaper than what we person here?

Yes, that’s wherefore I told you that we person nary textile mills to nutrient massivel...