Excerpts:
Prologue
My name is Tina Ndidi Ugo . I’m the Creative Designer of Didi Creations. Didi Creations was incorporated and based in the United Kingdom.
We design unisex clothing, bags, footwear and accessories and we launched our brand in June 2012 here in Nigeria . Ever since, we’ve been getting positive feedback. We started with the bags, then the jewelry line.
At a time I wanted to be involved in the manufacturing of the clothing, the bags and jewelry but now we have manufacturers from different parts of the globe who are my sketchers. I get my design ready and I tell them what I want for the bags and jewelry. I didn’t have any formal training in fashion designing, so I decided to attend a fashion school to learn dress making and sewing and I’m still learning .
We showcased our clothing line at the African Fashion Week London and at the Kenya Fashion Week in Nairobi a couple of weeks ago. We are showcasing the same collection at the New York Fashion Week presently.
I call them the bou bou collection and most of the outfits in this collection are free flowing boubou which we made using different fabrics. They include chiffon fabrics with heavy embellishments as well as jersey fabrics and lace with an infusion of Ankara fabric.
I also use crispy silk fabric. Apart from the boubous, I have some outfits that are quite contemporary . They are not free flowing but they are glamorous and with loads of embellishments like sequins and feathers with an infusion of Ankara fabric as well. I tried that also for the bags.
I try to infuse the African heritage in whatever I do. For the bags, I have two different kinds of collections.
I have genuine 100 percent leather and I have the ethnic collection . We make bags from bamboo, coconut shell, cowry shell, straw and any earthen substance we try to come up with. For the jewelry line we do statement pieces. Our theme for the current jewelry collection is floral . We used different kinds of beads as well as crystals.
Tell us about your education and work experience
I had my first degree at the University of Ibadan where I studied philosophy and political science. After graduation, I did my youth service as an insurance broker. Subsequently , I had a stint with an aviation company as a ticketing and reservation officer. I also worked as a marketing officer with a publishing firm, then I decided to quit my job in 2005. I decided to incorporate my own business and began with corporate gifts and interior decoration, but I’ve always loved fashion too. In January 2010, I went back to school for my post graduate diploma in business management.
When I was done with that, I proceeded to do my MBA in the UK at Edge Hill University in Lancashire, Northern England and after I decided to do my business full time.
Journey into fashion
Back then in school, I liked to be different from the crowd. Even when I bought ready made clothing , I altered them and made them into whatever I wanted.
I decided to put my creativity into use by doing loads of artwork and paintings on linen. I made kaftans and boubous. I was surprised at the positive vibes I was getting.
At that time, I wasn’t staying in the UK, but I used to visit and people bought stuff from me and recommended me to their friends.
Her childhood
I was born in Lagos and I grew up in Lagos. I had my primary and secondary education in Lagos. I left Lagos for the first time for my tertiary education at the University of Ibadan. Growing up was fun. When my friends who were raised in Abuja and Port Harcourt complain about Lagos, I tell them I’m used to life in Lagos.
I am the first born of my parents and we are quite close. I was a popular student in primary and secondary school and I had lots of friends. I was a bit above average in my studies and I didn’t do primary three as I had double promotion.
I actually wanted to be a medical doctor as I was a pure science student. I did physics, chemistry, biology for my JAMB exams.
Do you regret not studying medicine?
Looking back, I think, I might not been able to cope. I don’t like seeing blood. I don’t like seeing people in pains, rather than comforting them, I break down. I don’t think I could have coped.
I know you are a designer but what is style to you?
Style for me is being in a unique piece that I’m comfortable in. I like classical pieces.
In most of my collections you see an infusion of a bit of vintage, retro and all that. These are classic pieces that are eternal.
Five years down the line, you have a classic piece and it’s still relevant, it doesn’t go out of fashion.
For me, I tend not to always go with the trend. I like to stand out of the crowd and of course standing out won’t be pleasant to everyone but as far as I’m concerned, I tend to do what I’m comfortable with even if the next person thinks it’s outrageous or I’m over dressed. It doesn’t matter to me as long as I’m comfortable.
When I was coming back from the Kenya fashion week, I wore these massive platforms of about 7 and a half inches heels and three different immigration officers stopped me and when they saw my passport they said “oh you are even a Nigerian” and I said yes, I’m proudly Nigerian. They said “Nigerians don’t dress this way”.
I was adorned with beads on my neck, my hands and in skinny jeans. I told them I’m a designer just back from Kenyan fashion week and they all said “no wonder”. Fashion is my life. I like standing in the mirror to dress up. I’m proudly vain.
Are you in a relationship?
Yes. My boyfriend is based here in Nigeria.
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