I want to innovate on use of Aso-Oke fabrics, others — Helidiiam CEO

Ejibunu Mercy is a Chemistry graduate turned fashion entrepreneur in Ondo State. She spoke to ROTIMI IGE about her passions and vision for the future. Excerpts:

About myself

I am a  29-years-old native of Arigidi Akoko in Ondo State, Nigeria. A graduate of Chemistry from Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, I am the CEO of Helidiiam Couture, a fashion brand operating out of Ondo City.

Growing up was amazing with its ups and downs. I was born in my hometown, but spent most of my years in Ondo town which has become a home for me and my family. I grew up here with my nuclear family of six people.

My love for fashion

I have always been a fashion lover since I was very young. From making clothes with needles for teddy bears and plastic baby now to sewing for people…

I also loved drawing then. Whenever I did any drawing, I made sure I designed the dresses to my taste. I started choosing my designs for my tailors at age 10 because I always loved to stand out wherever I went, even among my age groups then.

Influences that shaped me

Aside from the fact that I loved drawing designs at a very young age and making dresses for dolls, few things that shaped me back then was watching fashion shows on TV, and whenever my father bought newspaper then, I always never cared about the other news; all I wanted to see was the page for the fashion trends. I had a book back then, I would cut out different people who were in the newspaper with beautiful designs and paste on that notebook.

Challenges I have faced as a fashion entrepreneur

Back then, while training, I had a few challenges which included training as a part-time student then, because I had to also go to work. After the training, I went to the university. The very first challenge I had was having clients to sew from me. Also, the fear of starting on my own was also a challenge. Finance was one of the many challenges, ranging from buying equipment and fabrics.

How I overcame

The first thing was to sell myself to the people around me. My mother got me my first sewing machine. So, I decided to start making beautiful designs for myself. I made sure I attend ed church every Sunday, events too. I always wore what I made for myself and people began to like what I wore and all. That was how I was able to win the majority of my course mates back then and even people around me. As a young undergraduate, a lot of people knew what I did for a living from the kind of promotion I gave myself. So, after my B.Sc. and service year, I came back to Ondo town. I used my room as my workshop. Then, I had my first student. From one student, we graduated to four and more. Today, we have produced five fashion designers and currently have 12 students. So, I had to upgrade my workspace to a three-bedroom flat. We now have clients in Nigeria and overseas countries.

How I adapt to evolving world of fashion

One thing is clear, change is the only constant thing in life. How we adapt to it is going to reflect on whatever we are building.

The fashion industry is constantly changing, as a brand, Helidiiam consistently stays on trend and sometimes, ahead of it.

This has been achieved via constant learning and relearning. One must be aware of the trends and do the best to stay in vogue. If you come to terms with the fact that the fashion industry is fluid and if you cannot keep up, you will lose out, it will put things in perspective.

One of the things that made me stand out is the fact that I am versatile when it comes to dresses for women. Both the plus size and medium size,  We run virtually everything related to women’s clothing.

Moreso, the finishing on our dresses are top notch. We don’t just deliver, we give the best to our clients. We also run a fast sewing business for our clients, whereby you can bring in your fabrics and get it done in less than 48 hours, depending on the designs chosen.

What’s next for me

First, I want to relaunch the use of Aso-oke, adire to make comfortable office wears. I once did that, but due to lack of funds, I couldn’t continue. So, that’s the next thing on the agenda

Also, I want to run mobile sewing. The first thing to do is log into our website if you have your fabrics, probably for an event. You’ll book an appointment with us. We come in with our team, make the dress, and deliver that same day, on the spot. We will do this except for exclusive designs which might take more than six hours.

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