Davida Okpara,the Creative Director of Davida Shirts is a law graduate who has been making an enduring statement with classy and trendy shirts since 1998. The ace shirt maker has won several fashion awards. The brand boasts of an enviable network of stylish clients and her shirts appeal to individuals who want to make a statement anywhere. She was one of the designers who showcased their brands at the just concluded Native and Vogue International Fashion Show in Port Harcourt. In this interview she explains why she is not visible in fashion shows and other things. Excerpt:
Why are you hardly seen in fashion shows these days?
I just have a lot of work on my hands, taking care of my customers who are my primary concern. When you have to prepare for a fashion show, it takes a lot of planning and I do not have the time.
Your styles are splendid. What’s the secret?
I would say it’s God really. Before I create a collection, I’m like God, what now because there is noting new on earth. Anything that is, has been. I tell God to inspire me. I ask myself what I can make now that will appeal to people because at the end of the day, it has to appeal to people, it’s not about me. My customers always inspire me too. They always push me to do more. They say “Davida give us something else”. They put me on the spot and I know that I have to deliver. The Davida range now includes shirt dresses, cocktail shirts and casual shirts. My inspiration comes from my relationship with God, rich cultural background and travel experience. I have enviable and stylish friends and customers, so my designs are tailored around them.
Where do you source your unique fabrics?
I source a lot of them locally and some of them from abroad. I see lots of variety from which I pick the bad ones. We translate them to ideas that will make them come to life. When I go on holidays, it’s not holidays for me, because I visit shops and malls to see what they have, then I ponder over them.
How long does it take you to make an outfit?
Once I have come out of the planning stage, it’s over.
Tell us about your journey into the fashion business…
My mum bought me a machine when I was in my first year at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology and my friends laughed at me and said “Next time she’s going to buy you a mortar. She is preparing you for a husband” but I just took an interest. It was an electronic machine and it was unique. I started playing with it and that was how I started. I love shirts, because I used to dress like a tom boy when I was in school and I used to wear my brothers’ shirts. That was how I started making shirts and here we are today.
Do you regret not practicing law?
Yes, sometimes when my tailors annoy me. No, I don’t regret not practicing law . Sometimes, I feel like I should have done this business on the side and just be practicing but I realized that I can’t be the best at everything. You’ve got to pick one and stay with it and this is really what I want to do.
What did your friends or parents say when you chose fashion designing?
They asked “ Are you are really serious? A lot of people want you to go the pathway they want you to take. My parents had a plan for me but when they saw I really love what I’m doing and that it gives me joy, after a while they just they understood.
Do you do cleavage-showing shirts too?
No. Right from the onset, I felt that you can be pretty and you can look good without exposing your body. It’s not our culture and what is good for the goose may not be good for the gander. For me, I just want a lady to be decently dressed. People look at you and they say you are beautiful but not just that you are beautiful on the outside but you are also beautiful on the inside and you are portraying what you have on the inside to the outside. You can achieve that without showing so much cleavage. It’s offensive to some people and I don’t really know why you need to put it out there. For instance , I buy a perfume because it smells good.
What has life taught you?
Life has taught me that you have to believe in yourself first. You have to live your purpose, discover that purpose, the reason why God created you and try to be the best in what you believe in. For me, that has been my push. It hasn’t been oh this person is doing this, that person is doing that. For me, it’s me and God. I want to be the best doing what I do. I’ve got to keep at it and make it work. A lot of people say to me, why haven’t you started sewing this and that and I tell them I don’t want to start sewing all that. I’m a shirt maker. I just want to sail through and be the best that I can be. I want God glorified in what I do.
Can a clerk wear Davida shirts?
My prices are very reasonable, why not? My shirts are for everybody.
What’s your childhood like ?
I grew up in Rivers State. I’m from Port Harcourt. People always thought I’m Ibo because my surname is Okpara. I am actually from Ahoada. I’m a Port Harcourt girl. It was fun growing up there. I had lovely neighbors. Everybody was just simple and that was just really me because it reflected in everything I do. Sometimes, people think I may be full of myself , but I feel what is there to be puffed up about? Whatever I have is not my own doing, it’s God that has given me. I am just a simple person.
Do you regret anything?
I believe life is a whole lot of experiences. You go through a situation that may not be very palatable , but there is always a lesson to learn from it. If you tried something and it went wrong, you should know you are not going to go that way again. You learn from life and you move up.
How do you spend your day?
I wake up in the morning and say my prayers. Of course I need God. Subsequently , I have my shower, eat breakfast and go to work. I stay at work till I’m really tired . I watch movies now and again. I must go to church, because I believe I need God in my life. I’m not much of a socialite that is why people don’t see me at functions. I’m a very reserved person. I just feel that all that show and glitterati is for other people. You have to know who you are and stay who you are.
Culled: sunnewsonline
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