Last weekend, Lagos based fashion entrepreneur, Kiki Okewale who is the face behind HOPE Fashion Group feted important personalities, including fashio
Last weekend, Lagos based fashion entrepreneur, Kiki Okewale who is the face behind HOPE Fashion Group feted important personalities, including fashion enthusiasts to the 10th anniversary celebration of her fashion empire.
The milestone celebration which was themed ‘A Decade of Style of Innovation’ was curated to honour a journey of creativity, craftsmanship, and her immediate community, particularly those who stood strong with her while she weathered through the storms. It was also a celebration of a brand which began from very humble beginnings to becoming a household name in the fashion space through grit, determination and consistency while also embracing the need to evolve with the times.
Earlier, guests had the rare privilege of touring her garment factory where she churns out ready-to-wear ensembles which she personally designs herself. The factory also houses her fabric printing company where designs are created and exclusively for each client from scratch to finish using a wide range of fabrics. Despite the scale of operation, the company is only able to take on a limited number of orders, with most of the orders coming from international clients. For this, Kiki is already looking at expanding her operational base with additional printing machines. This she hopes to accomplish by the end of the year.
The tour terminated at her huge purpose-built fashion showroom in the heart of Ikeja, Lagos, where the finished outfits she personally designed, finely crafted jewellery and accessories as well as premium fabrics for both men and women, sourced from across Europe and the Middle East, are displayed for sale.
Asked what her greatest challenge is, Kiki didn’t mince words when she mentioned power supply. She also called on the government to pay close attention to the potentials of the burgeoning fashion and textile market, particularly the local fabric printing industry while emphasizing the vast employment and economic opportunities that could be unlocked if the state tapped into the talents and infrastructure already in place.
As the celebration progressed, some of her staff members were rewarded for their loyalty and consistency. The Chief Operating Officer of HOPE Fashion Group, Ramat Sanni otherwise known as Rachael, walked away with N500,000. Another staff member, Okunlola Ganiyat Motunrayo walked away with the same sum of N500,000 too. A third staff member, Peter Mesharck Ojemeri walked away with N250,000 while a fourth staff member, Mohammed Abdulrahman also walked away with N250,000.
There was also a raffle draw with only staunch customers as participants. It was Kiki’s own way of appreciating her clients, both home and abroad for always keeping her in business. As a philanthropist, it was also her own way of giving back. Some of the gifts won in the raffle draw ranged from kitchen equipment to home accessories.
A woman of many parts, besides being a fashion entrepreneur, Kiki is also a life coach, an author (she wrote the book, The Audacity to Rebuild, a compelling memoir that chronicles a journey from privilege to adversity and back to triumph) and a philanthropist who has a calling for empowering focused youths and women, beyond just giving back to her community
From being a stockist of fashion items, to running her own fashion factory through which she services a long list of clienteles (retailers, wholesalers) who trust her judgement, it would be simply stating the obvious that Kiki has come into her own and has successfully carved a niche for herself as one of the most sought after fashion curators who understands the uniqueness of style when styling an African.
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