My Tunic of Many Colors by Ed-John
Since the start of this summer, I've walked into my closet and the first top I'd reach for, has been this brightly-colored "Hey-there-Joseph" tunic! Always! I can't help myself.
It, actually, used to belong to Ed. He outgrew it right about the time I realized my clothes were mostly body-cons and felt like cling-film; and you know how sometimes your body just needs that "whoosa" moment. Exhale! So, I obtained 2 of his other shirts and his jog pants too! Grin. Benefit of being married, everything becomes double including your wardrobe selection! What do you think about my tunic? Ok, I hear you, what you think about our tunic? The family tunic lol!
Want one?
Tunic by Ed-John Apparels
Phone: +2348030927373
I promise, I'm wearing shorts!
PGI's May Girl: Ufuoma (The Organized Bride)
PGI's feature for the month of May is the beautiful, ambitious bride-to-be Ufuoma Ukueku! She talks about working in Real Estate, planning her wedding and how she deals with marriage horror stories!
Many brides have wedding planners and if they don't, they, at least have 5 different notepads where they scribble all their wedding ideas and plans or a scrapbook or Pinterest board. Ufuoma Ukueku is a different type of bride, one who is very keen on detail and plans to have a flawless, hitch-free wedding without a wedding planner! She applies her vocational skills to her wedding planning in a super-impressive way. She's blessed with fab planning skills, a trait she apparently got from her mum! Where was Ufuoma when I was planning my wedding and forgot to pick up my cake! Lol!
About her crazy organizational skills
What do you do for work?
I work as the Assistant General Manager of a Real Estate company in Lagos
How do you balance your busy lifestyle with your wedding planning?
I prioritize, analyze my tasks. I tend to take everything I do as a project, applying my management skills and knowledge to them. I manage well, balancing my personal life, work and wedding plans
Have you had any Bridezilla moments?
Not yet. I'm hoping not to! (laughs)
How many bridesmaids do you have?
I have 11 bridesmaids! (laughs)
Have you asked them if you've been showing any Bridezilla signs?
I haven't. I should ask them.
How do you keep a tab on your wedding planning? Do you have a wedding planner?
I actually don’t have a wedding planner. Excel spread sheets are the best wedding planner tool anyone could have! My work has taught me to plan, document and track progressions in any project, in this case, the wedding plans. I have an excel document with different sheets for various things I need to plan for. I just need to check every week to make sure nothing has been forgotten, then from time to time I show the document to my friends so they can contribute, so I don’t miss out anything .
From Ufuoma's doc
Pretty amazing! Are you a natural planner?
Yes, I am. Majorly influenced by my mum. She is super-organized; the best planner I know. She has a file for the wedding with "Seyi and Ufuoma" written on it! (Laughs) She saves programmes from weddings, documents everything as it progresses and is very hands-on with the preparations which I really appreciate.
Your dress! How did you find it? How many dresses did you have to try on?
My dress! My dress! People say it's difficult finding a dress but I always told myself that it would not be difficult for me.
It was helpful that I knew what I wanted already! I tried on about 6 dresses. The first store I went to is called Perfect Bridal Occasion. I had seen a dress they made for a bride on a friend's display picture. I felt the lady wearing the dress and I had similar figures, so i made inquiries about the dress, went for a fitting and that was it!
The only reason that i tried other dresses after finding this one was to get a sense of pricing on wedding dresses in general. The store stylist asked me to go to other stores to have an idea what their prices were like relative to the quality of the dresses and in all honesty I did not see any thing better. So I stuck with this one regardless of the price. I found it about 6 months before the wedding!
What do you love the most about it (the dress)? (Don't spill anything you don't want us to know)
I particularly like the fact that it’s very fitted, I have always loved body-con dresses.
What do you think are the top three things a girl needs to have to be well-put-together?
Great hair, Glam heels, Shaped eyebrows
What's your morning beauty routine?
Foundation and eyebrows are super important to me
Are you on a diet for the wedding?
To be honest, i'm always on one diet or the other, its already a way of life for me. Yeah, I would say i am on a diet
Shoes or Handbags?
Shoessss! Anyday, any time. ( I give all my bags out all the time. I have about 2 bags left and i'm like what is the point of buying bags)
Shoe-colour preference?
The family of purple (purple, lilac, magenta , plum)
About her wonderful job!
Did you choose your industry or did your industry choose you?
Well, I would say both based on the circumstances of the employment. I met my boss on a project that I was working on at the time and he offered me a job!
Why did you choose your industry?
It was all just me following that inner voice saying, "this is an opportunity of a life time".
What do you love the most about your job?
I love that ownership quality that comes with working here. Even though, it's not my company, i still feel responsible for the outcomes of certain decisions made. I love everything about my job, really! It’s the best decision I have ever made (laughs) This is not for my employer o! I mean it.
How have you developed your skills and knowledge of Real Estate?
Experience. I work in the construction aspect of Real Estate. A lot people think its only when you are an engineer that you can understand construction- that's so not true. Experience is our best friend and for the past 5 years, I have been learning and getting better at it .
What would you change about your industry?
Improved skills for artisans; I'd like to set up a training school for them. They have the enthusiasm and energy to work but they have very low level skills which could have adverse effects in construction. It's something that should be looked into in Nigeria.
About marriage and twerks!
What are you looking forward to the most in marriage?
Really looking forward to actually living with my best friend
How long have you and Seyi been together?
5 and half years
About 3 years ago, I had a conversation with you about your goals as a couple. I still remember very clearly. You guys set goals you hoped to achieve before you got married! Have you set your goals as a married couple yet?
Well, yes we have been working on our goals for marriage and the marriage counseling classes have also helped us redirect some goals as well.
Have you heard any marriage horror stories?
Yes, I have, especially couples that did not get married from their tribe(my fiancé is Yoruba). We hear all sorts but for some reasons people also say Deltas don’t really attach tribal issues to anything, so for me, it doesn't bother me or maybe it's because of the person I am getting married to
How do you deal with these stories?
Just prayers and working on my relationship daily.
Have you ever tried twerking?
Hmm, yes o! (Laughs) I used to know how to dance in the past!
Kilishi or plantain chips? Let's see where you are on the Vegetarian-Carni spectrum!
Plantain chips any day, that kilishi ‘s pepper can kill (laughs)
What would you say to your 20 year old self?
"Well-done for taking great opportunities at a very early age and well-done for setting good morals and values but we could have done better."
What would you say to your 30 year old self?!
"30 is the new 20s, so stay positive and aim for better"
4 Things I Learnt...
1. Take your work home with you, i.e apply some work skills in your personal life too (except, of course, if you are a wrestler)
2. As you grow vocationally, don't forget to develop subordinates and junior staff
3. Ufuoma hands out bags; i love bags....we should work something out
4. We eventually become our mums (tell me about it!) Love you mum! Happy Mothers' Day!
Thank you so much, Ufuoma, for being PGI's May girl! ! We wish you all the blessings of God in that thrilling adventure called marriage! Love you loads!!
6 Ways to Get the Best out of your Shopping Experience
Have you ever gone shopping all day, stumbled home with more than 5 shopping bags but still felt like you bought nothing? You, even kind of, went over your budget and you still have nothing to wear when you look into your closet? Ok, not kinda-you literarily killed your account balance and still, your wardrobe doesn't feel like you just spent your rainy day fund.
The indicator of a wholesome, rewarding shopping experience is that moment when you set your bags down, change into something more comfortable and can't help giggling (moderately) insanely at the contents of your shopping bags. If you aren't giggling insanely, take it back, subito*!
Here are 6 guidelines that could help you make the most of your shopping experience. Hope it helps!
#1 Don't buy anything you aren't mad about.
Like I said in this post, never buy anything or date anyone that/who doesn't get you thinking about them at 2am. Some of your essentials can go without being crazy about them but ensure that most of your wardrobe pieces are items that you absolutely love. Sometimes, it's better to buy 2 items you are absolutely mad about than buy 15 items that make your shopping experience bland.
#2 Don't stalk-buy
You walk right by a dress and then someone else picks it up, suddenly you want it! You begin to stalk her around the store, hoping she will drop it. I'm yet to understand that phenomenon. Consider buying only things that catch your eye. In fact, the first thing that catches your eye might be our gem. If it didn't catch your eye the first time, you'll probably be sick of it in a week.
#3 Beware of the Clearance
Never buy something because it costs 20 cents. Don't mistake that for "never buy anything that IS 20 cents", by all means do, if the item is valuable to you. However, buying an item just because it costs close to nothing might not get you the most value for your money. I really get irritated when I buy, maybe a pair of earrings, which has like 4 reduction stickers plus another bright orange final clearance sticker which screams 80% off reduced price and then I get home, i take it off the place-board and realize how thoroughly unsightly these earrings are! Buy items that you love and can't stop thinking about.
#4 Know your seasons
What's trending this season? Off-shoulder tops, denim on denim, metallic bottoms, block heels, past-the-knee coats etc It helps to know what's trending and what's "gone". That said, do not tailor your shopping to trends strictly. When you shop, pick out pieces that will forever be graceful and stylish.
#5 Beauty doesn't need a second opinion?
When you see an outfit you love, you will know. It's almost like it comes alive and demands that you take it home. As Deji Eniola said, "Beauty doesn't need a second opinion."You just know!
If in doubt though, don't hesitate to send photos of your items to a friend whose fashion sense you trust!
#6 Take a shopping break
I used to be a vicious shopper; eyes on the prize, no small talk with the cashier, no toilet breaks, no polite smiles at fellow-shoppers, no lunch breaks . This was partly because people my size seemed to attack shopping with the same attitude. I, very often, never found my size which led me to believe that they took this shopping thing, way too seriously. After like 5 hours of shopping, your game face begins to droop, due to fatigue and hunger. It's best to break up your shopping experience into bits of two hours. Eat, recharge, attack! Shopping is war!
P.s: Imagine all the steps you could get on your fit-bit in 5 hours!
I'd love to hear your thoughts on your shopping experiences? Do you stalk-buy? Ever hidden an outfit in the store because you had intentions of returning to the scene of the crime? Lol!
subito*: "immediately" in Italian
PGI Feature: Men's Style by Deji Eniola
I met Deji within the first few hours of NYSC camp (you guys have no idea how much treasure i found on those camp grounds- no idea). We were on this ridiculous registration queue from noon until 9pm standing in the sun and then the moon! At about 8.55pm, it began to rain, most people ran for shelter and deserted the ridiculous queue. I looked to my right, saw a plastic chair and lifted it above my head as my make-shift umbrella; to my left was this guy who had grabbed a chair too. We were not kidding here, we were going to be registered no matter what- rain, volcano, avalanche. We stood there and instantly, i knew we'd be friends. He struck me as irrationally resilient and brilliantly resourceful; the perfect fuses for being an entrepreneur! Deji Eniola Osinulu, is the Creative Director of the Nigerian-based Men's bespoke fashion label- Deji Eniola. His brand is frequently sighted on the red carpet, and featured in the 2015 Lagos Fashion and Design Week last October. He has styled some of our favorite celebrities such as TuFace Idibia, M.I Abaga, Christopher Attoh, Dj Spinall, Gideon Okeke.
Here he is; the man behind DE:
Deji, what do you love the most about what you do?
The ability to birth forms and the grace to make something out of nothing
How did you know it had to be fashion?
It was the only thing that didn’t seem it would leave me if every other thing that could leave left. It felt like my ‘Ruth’. It was that thing that puts me in my zone. It was my element. Imagine Kanye telling you “Don’t let me get into my zone” …because there will be no respite for any lyricist challenger against him. *LoL*
How did you learn to design and sew?
Designing is innate for me. It is the only thing I didn’t learn, I definitely had to hone the skill though. However, you know when they say a writer needs to write all the bad stuff out of her system first before getting to the good part? Yeah, I had to design all the ‘rubbish’ out of me first. *Laughs* Then it got to the good part.
With sewing, I took tailoring classes twice actually, once, during my last year in college and also during my NYSC service year on weekends. I started with female outfits. Surprise!
What's your most creative period of the day?
Mornings mostly, probably because i'm still calm enough to be in tune with my mind and spirit. I get ideas and themes at other times of the day too but I find that mornings are most frequent
What's the most unusual inspiration you've ever had?
Colour block! Before the craze started, those words literally floated into my mind. I didn’t understand it to the extent of implementing it. Months later, “colour blocking” swarmed the catwalks and filled the magazine pages.
What’s your creative space like?
I guess by that, you'd be referring to my flat. My studio is quite comfy, and well laid out. I have tried to avoid clutter to give the illusion of more space than it actually has. My bedroom seems to have me more when it comes to designing.
If you could, what would you change about the world of fashion?
Christopher Attoh in D.E
Vanity- but on second thought, I'd rather leave it alone, because it forms the basic foundation of the existence and advancement of fashion, although, the indistinct borderline between ‘necessary’ vanity and ‘absurd’ vanity seems to have faded, the inability to define this borderline, is the ample reason why it should just be left alone. There is a saying “Kill all my demons and my Angels might die too”
The most stressful thing about getting a bespoke service is the wait time! How long does it take you to complete a suit?
It takes an average of 21 working days for our half canvassed suits and much longer for the fully canvassed ones. Waiting is an inherent feature of bespoke. You honestly can't rush the process.
Who are your most admired local (and foreign) designers?
I like the Okunoren twins, I like their story and that they have journied on roads that we now tread. I like Paul Smith for starting his business with just 600GBP and also Ozwald Boateng, for being the first designer (to the best of my knowledge) to lend an African identity to a British heritage.
Your most important work equipment?
My eyes! *Laughs*
After all has been done, from design concept to design execution, what determines if it will make the shelves or hit the runway is its appeal! Beauty doesn’t need a second opinion to know if it’s pleasing or not. I stand back and look at it and immediately I know if it will make it or not.
The most challenging part of designing?
Designing for another! To design for someone else, you have to become him, you have to think like him, you have to know what he likes to do, his preferences and tastes. All that factors into the creative process.
What do you love the most about Lagos?
The beauty in its chaos!
What app do you use the most on your phone?
What's your favorite game?
M.I Abaga in D.E
Grand Theft Auto, Baby!
Your first thought in the morning?
God. And then more God!
The most alarming incident you've seen on Ikorodu road?
I saw a Toyota Highlander burning right there on the express with no one trying to quench the fire. It just got charred and everyone continued their day!
Lagos Traffic survival kit?
If I'm driving; a chilled bottle of coke, (partly iced), music, air conditioning and interesting company. If I'm not driving-a book.
Can you cook?
Yes, I can. I find pleasure in cooking.
Alright then, what's your most exquisite Deji Eniola-made dish?
Haha, see trap! Well, remove the word “exquisite". That word might be a little tricky! *Laughs* It'll have to be noodles!
Deji Eniola with a model
Four things i learnt!
1. "Beauty doesn't need a second opinion..."
2. Understand your industry and what makes it tick!
3. "Write out all the rubbish" and then GOLD!
4. Deji came up with Colour block! What?! If he told me then, we would be gazzilionaires right now! Thanks alot, man.
Thank you, Deji for being PGI's February feature! Below are photos from the Deji Eniola Spring collection as seen at the Lagos Fashion and Design Week! Enjoy!
If you are planning your wedding and bae and the groomsmen intend to buy their suits the day before the wedding like most men do, Lol; tell them to check DE out! They can't go wrong!
Contact
Email: de.bespoke@yahoo.com
Phone: +2348169282829
Follow on IG @dejieniola