By Funsho Arogundade
Beloved by customers, fans and friends for her talent, humility, and down-to-earth demeanour, Kiki Okewale is the founder of House of Plush Exclusive (HOPE) Fashion label, a purpose-driven entrepreneur and a life coach. On the fashion scene, Kiki is known for unique designs which often come with glittering embellishments. Her clientele boasts of prominent personalities in politics and the business sphere. Within the short period she forayed into the fashion industry, the young woman has carved a niche for herself, stitching her name tightly into the Nigerian fashion landscape.
Kiki is also no stranger in high society. She is the pretty wife of notable fertility czar, Dr. Babatunde Okewale, who owns the popular St. Ives Hospital Group. The proud mother and wife boasts of a résumé that includes more than one career and she continues to chart into new territories that are fashion related. She recently opened a multi-million naira garment factory in Lagos where she employed scores of young Nigerians. One can call Kiki a workaholic. She also runs a blog, non-governmental organisations and offers mentorship classes on entrepreneurship, mostly under the auspices of Women High Achievers Trybe (WHATrybe), a community of female high achievers she led.
On Sunday 7 July, this entrepreneur maven clocked 40. It was really a massive landmark celebration for Kiki who isn’t holding just any lavish 40th birthday celebration, but having an empowerment extravaganza. To mark her arrival on the fourth floor, Kiki threw a ‘Blingers’ Party’ for 100 women she trained on how to transform rhinestones into beautiful crafts and lucrative businesses. She also donated food items and other gifts to the less privileged across Lagos. To her, this is more than a celebration as it’s a stand against poverty, especially among women.
However, the gorgeous woman capped the 40th birthday celebration with a joyful gathering at the foyer of HOPE Plaza, her fashion empire headquarters in Opebi, Lagos last Saturday 13 July in the presence of select friends, family members and some VIPs. It was a very unique kind of party dubbed ‘Kiki Okewale’s 40th birthday Sip, Shop, Celebrate’.