‘Money not a motivation for me’

Selemon Susan is a fashion designer who is inspired by happenings in her environment. With a taste for class, she pays attention to details and her jobs has earned her recognition from within and outside the country. The soft-spoken designer speaks with SEGUN ADEBAYO about her designs and what makes her job easy.

How has it been since you started your career in fashion?

It has been very fulfilling. I feel like I have found my perfect place and doing what I was born to do. I will not say it has been rosy all the way. In fact, I have had to face lots of challenges, but the passion I have for my craft has helped me endure all odds. Also, I have God who constantly reminds me that He is with me.

You have been creating different styles and designs in the last one year, what inspires your designs?

Every single design is inspired by God. Asides from making dresses, bags and shoes, I love making costumes with recycled materials. Most times, I get inspired by unconventional materials. For instance, my “2017 Newspaper Series collection”, where I made a series of outfits from newspaper, was totally inspired by God. Today, I can work with almost any kind of material, paper, cardboard, leaf, straw, bottle, glass, and so on. A week Prior to Nigeria’s Independence. I was sweeping some tree leaves at my compound and from the leaves, I got inspired to make leaf dresses to celebrate Nigeria’s 57th Independence Day. That was the birth of another fun project I worked on which I tagged Nature meets Fashion. So my inspiration comes from God and happenings around me.

Has the job been profitable?

It depends on how you define profitability. In terms of fulfillment, this job has been very profitable. I am in this job because of my passion for fashion designing; also because I want to make a difference in the industry. I am not in this job because of the financial gains. Though money is important, it’s not a priority to me. More so, this job requires some financial commitment if you want to stand out. A share of my profit gets invested into other projects which I know will yield in the long run. life is all about vision, to attain the bigger picture, some sacrifices must be made. So yes, so far, this job has been very profitable to me, not only financially but in terms of fulfilment as well.

How many fashion runway shows have you graced so far?

Since I started my fashion brand in 2015, I have graced a couple, one of which is the Osogbo fashion week runway show in 2015.  Another is the African Fashion Week Nigeria runway show in 2016 during my Nigeria’s Next Top Designer 2016 competition, where I emerged top 7 from more than 500 designers. This year I haven’t graced any runway because have been quite busy with the masters programme I am presently running at the University of Ibadan and also a couple of projects I am working on. But come next year, I intend to hit one or two runway shows.

What is the experience like?

It is really thrilling and fulfilling doing what you love and getting paid for it. Having your work appreciated by so many people, the applause makes all the hard work and sleepless nights worth it. Even though it could be very challenging because you want to create something better than you did previously. The fashion industry is one of the very few industries where designers get to express themselves with their designs and get appreciated for it. I must confess runway shows are so much fun.

Where do you get your designs from?

Like I said before, all my designs are God inspired. I get my designs from anything around me. I get inspired anywhere I go. I could be walking down the street and see something very catchy and get inspired by that. I don’t necessarily have to see a dress to get inspired. It could even be a painting or a song, or something I hear someone say. My designs are inspired from anything and everything around me.

Which of your designs has gained the most recognition?

First, I would say my 2017 Newspaper Series Collection. The Newspaper series collection was just a fun project I decided to undertake. The collection consisted of ten outfits out of which were ball gowns, cape gown, evening gowns, shoes, bags, hats, jackets, all made out of old newspaper stacks. I even re-designed my office into a newspaper studio for the photo shoot. The newspaper series was just a fun project that went viral. To my utmost surprise over 40 major blogs, both national and international, announced my newspaper series collection.

Second, is a leaf project tagged “Nature meets Fashion” which was inspired by my beloved country Nigeria. The project was my own subtle way of celebrating Nigeria’s 57th Independence. The dresses were made out of green and white leaves which were meant to replicate the Nigerian flag colour green, white, green and what it stands for. The theme of this project was to remind Nigerians of how truly blessed we are as a nation. It’s even still trending online.

How are you dealing with the pressure that comes with the job?

Just like any other profession, there are demands and challenges. The pressure that comes with being a fashion designer could be intense. Many at times I barely sleep just to meet up with numerous clients’ orders, or working on a new collection different from what I’ve done before. Also the more your brand gains recognition, the more the pressure to deliver better than you have been doing previously. It’s an unending process, the ultimate goal is to be a better you every passing day. So far it’s been God and my passion for the job that has helped me thus far. I wouldn’t have the strength to carry on without Him. Whenever I feel chocked up into a corner, I run to God and ask Him for Guidance. That’s how I’ve been dealing with the pressure.

What’s your advice to people out there?

My advice to people out there is to find something they are passionate about and good at doing, work so hard to be a master of that craft, and put God at the centre of their every plan. Surely there will be a lot of challenges faced, but with dedication, hard work and prayer, they will break grounds.