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By Damilola Fatunmise
Hephzibah Adamolekun has always loved to make clothes. When she was younger, she would make clothes with needles and thread.
To her, the idea that clothes come in different shapes and sizes, and make the wearers look beautiful, thrills her to no end. However, during the 2015 long vacation, Hephzibah, who was then an undergraduate, learnt how to cut out fabrics and make use of sewing machine. That was in Akure, Ondo State.
Then came a challenge.
Hephzibah’s mother didn’t want her to sew in school. Rather, she wanted her to concentrate on her studies. “My mum then didn’t want me to sew in school. But later in 2017, after my 300 level exams, I got my own sewing machine. I was supper excited. Then after my degree, I went ahead to learn male clothing and pattern drafting from BimmyBrown Fashion, which is now located in Germany. That opened my eyes to the business part of fashion,” the Ekiti indigene explained.
But having studied Health Education at University of Ilorin, why did Hephzibah choose to be a fashion designer and not a teacher? Her response: “I love teaching and at the same time I love fashion. There was a time I was doing both, but I preferred working on my own and doing things at my pace. I also had to work more at night because when I closed from school by 4 pm, I couldn’t do so much work; I wasn’t meeting deadlines and it just didn’t work for me.”
On what’s unique about her fashion brand, Hephzibah said it’s the ability to make the wearers look comfortable. “My fashion brand looks out for making you comfortable in whatever outfit you put on. It looks out on building your self-esteem. You are what you wear; remember that. And on my passion for catering to the kids, you see, children love to show off their clothes in a different way; they are just so adorable and carry the clothes differently. I love to see their smiles; it melts my heart,” she enthused.
Recalling her most memorable experience as a fashion designer, Hephzibah Ademolekun quipped, “I remember making a dress for my daughter and she adored it so much that she refused to take the dress off. And you need to see the smile on her face that day. It was a memorable experience that I can’t forget in a hurry.”
The fashion entrepreneur gave kudos to her mentors/role models in the industry. She specifically mentioned Lady Tee, the chairperson of Akure Tailors/Fashion Designers Association, who she described as her “oga” (boss). Others, she said, are Bimmy Brown, Veekee James and Matopeda.
Now, how would Hephzibah Adamolekun describe the journey so far and what are her future plans? Hear her: “I have enjoyed and loved the journey but I want my fashion brand to go international. I want my brand to be well known globally as one that caters for every member of the family.”
