Rising star (I)

In Nigeria, it’s becoming clear that the Government cannot provide enough jobs for the teaming population of its citizens. Hence, a call to entrepreneurship has been made. It has been discovered that small and medium scale business are just as important in building the nation’s economy as is the rehabilitation of large scale manufacturing industries.

In the Spirit of productivity, a few Nigerians have taken it upon themselves to not only talk about the change they expect to see in different spheres of endeavours but are also doing something about it. By being actively involved, these set of people do not only start businesses that create employment opportunity for others but they inspire and empower like-minded people to do the same as it is also their passion to see the dreams of others come to life.
I introduce to you one of such persons. His name is Kingsley Okotie and the name of his business is Design 360. Here is a clip of an interview I did with him for R.E.D. Magazine in 2011 which is yet to be released.


Every designer starts off by catching the eye of potential buyers by advertising unique self-made designs on themselves. This is no exception for Kingsley Okotie, the mogul behind the brand known as Design 360. His brand speaks loudly of his creativity in creation of suits and jackets, native attires, corporate design and much more. Putting his degree in Business Administration from Ogun State University to use, he established a brand that goes beyond dressmaking. Seven years ago, in his quest for a better life, his first taste of fashion began with the humble beginning of merchandizing second hand foreign suits popularly known as okirika. The dissatisfaction of his clients - who were capable of purchasing high quality brand new suits – coupled with unrest for him to sell better products, drove him to observe the fashion industry. He teamed up with the likes of his mentor (Mudi) and learnt the tricks of the trade. Eager to impact the knowledge gained, he sought a platform to be heard. Hence he went into Fashion consultancy while he worked, quietly in the shadows, on his brand using any good fabric. Drawing inspiration from not only within himself but other designs and things around, he was able to create masterpieces that gained him a well deserved clientele. One of which was the present Honorable Commissioner of the Ministry of Commerce and industry, Barr Osikhena Boih Donald. He presented a business proposal to brand the Edo State Traffic Agents (EDSTA) which was approved by the governor and implemented in 2011. Also in 2011 on the 28th of November precisely, he organized the program, Fashionista, maximising fashion opportunities in Edo state. It drew in a crowd of over a 100 fashion designers and tailors within Benin City who had the pleasure of meeting with the Managing Director of Trustfund Micro Finance Bank, Mr Sunny Idehen and a few walking away with brand new sewing machines.

He intends to impress his presence on the Nigerian Fashion Industry by becoming the conduit between various designers, creating synergy and making resource materials available to all designers both established and up coming in Nigeria. His 2012 collection was youthful and stylish. Currently he is working on a book that embodies his passion which is Fashion Education and Enlightenment, here’s a sneak preview of his thoughts on what he hopes to share in his upcoming book.

“The current fashion trend is impressive because it shows creativity at its fullest/best. The world is becoming a global village and this has positively influenced the African fashion industry. Before now the African outfit has been strictly regalia but with westernization, African fabrics are now used to create smart outfits with great silhouettes. This makes it possible for African designers to export their products to a wide available market. The fashion industry goes beyond just making the fabric, to selling it, designing with it, selling the finished goods, accessories and accompaniments. Fashion merchandizing is an aspect of fashion that isn’t taught in most of our fashion schools; abroad it’s a course on its own. The Nigerian designer needs to know that fashion goes beyond dressmaking, it includes selection and management of tailors or seamstress, how you treat your clients, how you sell your products etc. When you sell a product, you are actually selling yourself - charisma, character, carriage. I’m working on a book at the moment, it will contain the total package of what makes up the fashion industry and it will be available for everyone who is interested.”


Hope you enjoy it? Now go out there and get inspired to affect your world!

How to love your children

The mind of a child is like a blank slate; one that gets filled with recurrent observations and influences. As grownups, we tend to study each other’s love language and then choose different expressions of love that we know is valued by the people we surround ourselves with. For children, their initial form of communication is crying and throwing feats. Giving them comfort and being able to understand or interpret what they cannot express in words becomes proof of our love for them.

As the child grows older, their communication skills improve and they begin to interpret what we adults do as signs that we love them. For toddlers, giving them attention and spending time with them become the definition of love for them. In a busy world like ours where ‘time is money’, how can we show children just how loved they are? Below are a few of the ways:

1. Listen to them – While inquisitive children like to ask questions, others just enjoy the sound of their own voice and want to do what they see parents doing everyday i.e. talking. When your children come to you, listen to what they are saying and talk back to them about what you heard. It’ll make them feel important and build their confidence; it also increases their ability to trust you with information about anything.

2. Make out time to play with them and always be available everyday - you’ll notice how often they want you to be involved in anything they do. Even when they are playing, if they love you, they’ll try to include you in it. Even when they grow older, create family activities that allow you to interact with them physically. Knowing parents are available and reachable also makes it easier for them to spend quality time with you thereby getting to know you as a person and enabling them to learn from you.

3. Talk to them, ask questions – taking time out to ask questions about their day and their life, lets them know you are interested in their affairs. If their answers are vague, dig deeper until they are willing to confide in you about struggles and challenges they face. If they choose to stonewall, let them know you are there for them and ever willing to listen and give wise counsel.

4. Don’t give into their every demand – most times children don’t know what is best for them. Protect them even from themselves. If they give in to bouts of crying because they want sweets, give them only one and tell them that’s all they are getting, no matter how hard they scream and cry. Distract them with anything else and when that desire of sweet is replaced by another like playing with a relative, a toy or watching their favourite program on TV, they’ll soon forget why they were crying. Once they’ve stopped crying, explain to them why you didn’t give them what they asked for. By doing so, you’ll end up teaching them an important lesson which is, not everything want in life is in our best interest.

Whatever you do, be careful around children because they watch everything you say and do and that becomes the basis of their understanding of life. Even if you show them love, if you don’t show love to everyone else around you, soon enough the depth of your love for them will be questioned as they grow older and before you know it, the rebellion and withdrawal stages will become manifested. The golden rule of life still applies to children, ‘love your neighbours as yourself’.