In the fashion industry, designers now produce ready-to-wear Ankara clothing, intended to be worn without significant alteration because the clothing is made to standard sizes to fits most people. With this trend many fashion lovers have come to embrace it and don’t have to be at the mercy of their tailors any more to wear what they desire. In this chat with the CEO of Culater Enkay Fashion Home, Pastor Favour Chikezie, she speaks on how her love for clothes led her to becoming a fashion designer.
Please may we know you?
Thank you so much, I am Pastor Favour Chikezie, the CEO of Culater Enkay Fashion Home, the home of ready to wear dresses.
What led you into fashion business?
I have other businesses I do like I’m into decorations and I cook but one day I was in my room studying and I was like the Nigeria we are in today you don’t have to rely on one source of income because one won’t be able to make a living out of it. So I told myself that I needed something that will be giving me daily income and something that I love so much if you understand what I’m saying. That morning during my study, I heard the voice saying why don’t you turn what you love into a business. I like food that’s why, I’m a caterer so I was wondering what is this thing that I love so much? I had to go to my Facebook page to see what it is people talk about me and I found out that everybody is always complimenting my fashion sense and then it dawned on me that this is all about my clothes. I had two wrappers in my house that time so I called a tailor and when I was giving her the styles she was going to make; she was like pastor where are all these coming from? Years back I had a sketch book that I prepared but I dropped it so that day all those sketches where now coming fresh in my head. Out of those fabrics we were able to get six clothes just like that and I displayed them on my status, my Whatsapp and Facebook and people were calling in saying they liked the dresses and before you know that was what inspired me and I am happy when I see my customers admire the clothes also the satisfaction I get wearing them because this is my brain child and this is what I have made out of it.
How has your journey into fashion business been so far?
It has been awesome you know someone saw me and was like pastor you are glowing and you are so beautiful and young, maybe because I have found love at last. You may ask what is love? Its fashion. I breathe fashion, I talk fashion, I smell fashion, sleep fashion you know everything about me now is centered On fashion and I discovered that I was like somebody in a cage all these years but now I have found me, it feels so good and we making profit out of it quite alright and my head is busting with so many styles. If you come to my house right now my living room, my bed room, everywhere clothes are always there and once I looked at them I’m inspired about what to turn them into.
As a pastor, how do you combine your fashion business and ministry work together?
Many people do ask how I combine being a pastor and a business woman. I tell them it’s by God’s grace because it’s not just something I wanted to do but was led by the spirit of God which gave me the idea and the strength to push on.
Is your fashion outfit an online shop?
It’s majorly an online shop but I have some friends who also display my brands in their stores where you can go and buy Culater Enkay outfits. Like the outfit I have on, I have about ten orders of it and if you need an outfit we don’t have you can always order for it and you will get it within 48hrs.
A word of advice for upcoming fashion designers
I will say don’t give up and whatever you do should be your passion. It’s doesn’t matter how low you are in life because I always tell people if you are determined you can turn N50 into N50,000. Like the day I started my business I had the clothes but didn’t have money to pay my tailor but I made up my mind that I’m going to pay her because I don’t want to start this business on credit so what did I do? I began to save N50 everyday no matter what I’m going through. By the time she was ready with my clothes I had money to pay her before you know it my clothes went to US and as I speak now my clothes are in UK and have orders again from US to make clothes. So at every point wherever you are you want to do fashion make sure it’s your passion because if it’s not your passion you won’t go far. For ladies out there, I will also say whatever you do be productive because it’s not good to be idle and love what you do.
Thanks for sharing. I read many of your blog posts, cool, your blog is very good.