Clothing often mentioned in the
traditional list of the “basic needs” of man, including food and
shelter, is grown into fashion, the newest creations in clothing,
footwear, makeup, etc, made by designers.
Omoze Tare Okojie, CEO, TareO Designs, a
clothing label based in Lagos, says “the fashion industry around the
world has grown tremendously in the past few years,” prior to the
mid-19th Century where most clothing were custom made.
The fashion industry, a product of the
modern age, developed first in Europe and America, and has today
become an international and highly globalised industry. In the 60s,
Nigeria’s fashion designing was more of a vocation than a career,
being referred to as tailoring with the specialists not given much
public credit for their work.
Times have changed, and the industry
seems to have followed suit; the amazing designs created using local
fabrics featured in both national and international fashion shows
have continued to wow audiences all over the world.
“I have always had flair for designing
clothes and styling,” continues Omoze, 29, an Electronic and Computer
Engineering graduate who founded TareO Designs in October 2011, in
sync with her passion for fashion and style.
TareO Designs creates elegant, stylish
and high- fashion clothing (both ready-to-wear and made- to-measure)
and accessories, paying attention to details. With products ranging
from women dresses, tunics, jackets, bridal train wears, and casuals
to male outfits, including kaftans and shirts. “Our collections are
beautiful, colourful and classy,” the fashion designer, says, noting
that the outfit is committed to celebrating personal style.
Prior to her start-up, she did a
one-year stint in banking, before opting in for a career in fashion
(after attending courses in fashion designing). She’s currently an
Aspiring Entrepreneurs’ Programme (AEP) student at FATE Foundation,
acquiring entrepreneurial and managerial skills and knowledge to
become better at running her business, BusinessDay can confirm.
Nigeria is finally coming out of its
shell and presenting her face to the world when it comes to fashion.
“I see us going global and making a mark in the international scene,
creatively using local fabrics to create amazing designs,” she states,
while commenting on ‘her dreams for the business.’
On challenges, she says: “The power
situation in the country is a major one. Another is the inability of
manufacturing factories to produce designs in large quantities,
including lack of incentives to support start- ups.” She, however,
calls on stakeholders to provide the enabling business environment,
including policies to encourage small- and medium-sized businesses in
the industry.
“Starting a business requires
determination, dedication and perseverance,” the CEO notes, while
advising aspiring entrepreneurs to “be passionate about what you do,
aim at doing it better as well as recognise opportunities for growth,”
stating further the need for mentoring that guides and directs the
entrepreneur on the right path.
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