I remember being very fashionable as a child. Living in Warri, sketching dresses and standing in front of the mirror all day. Uniforms weren’t my favorite thing but they were mandatory at school.
The thing with fashion, whether you like to call it that or not, is that it is an everyday art form. It is a way of expression that inspires a very subtle effect on our minds. There is a popular saying in Nigeria “Dress the way you want to be addressed” and sometimes not paying attention to how one is looking is also an intentional decision on how you want to be perceived.
As a young teenager, style and clothes were the last of my worries. When you wake up uncertain about breakfast, without crumbs or salt in the cabinet, there’s very little concern about what it means to look good. You want to be alive first.
Lately, however, being alive has taught me many new things. I have learnt a lot about confidence as currency.
One of the most important things I have come to learn about women as a woman is that nothing beats a head raised high. Even the most unattractive person is sexy and powerful when they walk with confidence.
Many people consider fashion to be superficial. A mask of some sort in hiding the sadness of our lives. I thought so, too, until I had my daughter.
I think that fashion is a statement of one’s mind. If you’re sad, you’ll most likely throw on a sweater. When you’re happy, you’re wearing that gorgeous red gown that clings to you like rain.
Postpartum depression inspired my collection, “Flaunt Her” . I felt uncomfortable, I felt ‘bland’ and nothing I wore had any sort of spark to me. It was difficult. I stayed indoors because I didn’t feel beautiful. My style didn’t fit my reality anymore. Flaunt Her was a representation of that rediscovery. And once I found it, once I wore started wearing the clothes that lit up my mood, I felt confident again.
