WCW: IBUKUN AWOSIKA

Hi guys! Its another Wednesday. Hope you all are doing well? Today, we are crushing on the CEO of Fiber Rose- Ibukun Awosika- people  always think she's related to  the renowned First bank Chairman, Ibukun Awosika but she's not.I spoke to her about her about her style, motivation and of course, her  fashion company called Fiber Rose- Enjoy ;)

Hi Ibukun!

1)      When and how did you get the idea for Fiber Rose? 
       
IA: I was 17 in my second year of uni. I had run a make up sales business in my first year and a friend suggested it to me. I was opposed to it but eventually came around and I'm glad I did

2)      What would you say has been your proudest moment since the Fiber rose journey began?
     
IA: I really don't know if I have a proudest moment but it's been a combination of many things. This year I started out with a goal to release two Ready to Wear collections but I've surpassed          that and that makes me so happy. I was nominated for an award and I thought that was cool too.

3)      One thing that makes you/will make you fulfilled.
IA: What makes me fulfilled is actually impacting others. Either from making them feel special in my clothes or by sharing my knowledge. I'm obsessed with sharing my knowledge! The                   moment I learn something, I want someone else to know. Lol

4)      What motivates you even when things are not going right?
IA: I think it will be kind of looking back on how far I've come. When the future seems overwhelming I take a moment to look at my journey and the things I'm grateful for.

5)      Best Fashion related advice you’ve ever heard/given?
IA: Best Fashion advice I've gotten is that style isn't about the clothes you wear but about you. I'm still finding what my style is and owning it. Best I've given I think would be that when you             buy clothes, it's an asset because you're investing in your look and other people's perception of you! I mean after hearing that don't you just want to shop Fiber Rose!

6)      3 people you’d really love to see wearing  ‘Fiber Rose’.
     
    1. Mrs Ibukun Awosika
    2. Tara Durotoye
    3. A First Lady/President

7)      One unpopular belief that you have?
IA:  That animals are not to be trusted because I think they're about to attack at any given time. But I'm getting a puppy soon though! Lol

8)      What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work?
     
IA: My YouTube! I started learning Video Editing this year and I LOVE EET!!! And combining that with being able to share my knowledge is gold. So subscribe to my Youtube - TheHotstuffTV *wink*

9)     What's it like being a namesake of Ibukun Awosika (chairman, First bank)?
IA:  I never feel intimidated by it. I feel very inspired really. Something cool you might want to know is we both spoke at an event once. And they had to keep referring to us as either
 Ibukun Awosika Snr or Ibukun Awosika Jnr. I thought that was funny lol.  I've always wanted to keep my name when I get married but I decided that if she could marry into a family and               make it hers then my goal is make a great name out of mine. I definitely have high standards to live up to but it definitely inspires me to do more

10)     What’s on your mind this Wednesday? (Anything you want to say)
     
IA:  My secondary school had this quote up, 'Character is who you are in the dark'. Thinking about this, I would say, don't do things ecause people are watching but because it's the right thing          to do but the truth is someone is always watching so make sure they're inspired by you.


Stay Inspired guys!

MCM: VISIONARY PHOTOGRAPHER , JAMES EMMANUEL

Hola mi Familia! Hows everyone doing? Today we have an amazing photographer who is one of the three founders of 'Ordinary and Art', a creative  establishment that aims at uniting fashion and photography. *Drumroll* Our man crush is the one and only James Emmanuel.

Oh by the way the first three words in this post mean 'Hello my family' but you probably figured that out already. Enjoy :)

Hi James!

1)      Why did you choose photography as a career path and is there any other career path you wish to follow in future?
JE: I choose photography because it feels good to capture moments and tell stories with your photographs and getting paid to do what you love is just a cruise. For the future, i plan on delving into full media, from photography to videography.

2)      Tell us about one of the most inspiring moments you've ever had (what happened and why it inspired you?)
JE: One of my most inspiring moment was when one of my mentors commended my works and told me his story of where he started from, what he had to do to get to where he is. It made me realise that there is a process and you have to endure through the process to attain the height you have set for yourself.

3)      If you could remove one thing from the photography (creative) industry, what would it be?
JE: What I would remove is the lack of diversity. This has affected a lot of creatives; they have mentors and they want their works to look exactly like them. Now everyone has their own style so every creative should strive to achieve his/her particular style to make them stand out.

4)      What's one thing you hope to have done in the next five years?
JE: In the next 5 years, I hope to have completed my masters degree in photography and would have began my media agency. oh and yeah gotten married *winks

5)      Roughly, how many hours do you work for daily?
JE: It depends on the workload, some days I have jobs that take the whole day, sometimes I have a truckload of pictures to edit, and some days I am just chilling *smiles

6)      Tell us a  very important lesson you’ve learnt from photography that actually applies to real life.

JE: One lesson I have learnt in photography is valuing yourself. No one would value you as much as you value yourself. If you have a strong value system, you tend to be more respected.

7)      One quality you admire about yourself? 
JE: One thing I admire about myself is being able to meet people and make them feel good about themselves. I hear people say I have a sanguine personality.

 8) A typical fun day for you   would be made up of what? 
JE: A typical fun day would be having an open studio session with friends, playing videos games and eating pizza and icecream.

9)     What's on your mind this Monday?

JE: Whats on my mind? planning to make this new week very productive.

Stay Inspired!

(Is there anyone you'll like me to interview? Comment below and you can be sure I'll be working on it soon.)


A FEW PHOTOS BY Ordinary &Art

WCW: TV HOST, IDIA AISIEN

Hi guys, It's a bright and awesome Wednesday here on the blog hehe. Today's interview will be of great importance to anyone trying to make it in the media industry as our woman crush  is someone who has made it in that industry and also at a relatively young age.

I'm glad I could have a chat with her and even happier that she opened up so warmly. You guys will get to know more about her story, her motivation and even funny camera moments she's had.

Our WCW is the delectable Idia Aisien!!! (I'm too excited) 

1) You are a TV presenter and a model, how did you know that this was a career path you wanted to take? 

IA: I have a lot of experience in the corporate sector, but everything I've done has always brought me back to TV and fashion--that's how I know it was meant to be. I dreamed about walking on the runway since I was 15 years old, but I didn’t think it was possible, because immediately after being signed to Beth Models I moved to the US to start uni. One day, I was at a job interview in Brooklyn, New York, when a friend called and asked me to come straight to Jovani Headquarters in Midtown. This friend had told a buyer –who was one of Jovani’s biggest retailers in Nigeria—that a girl she knows wants to model more than anything in the world, and the buyer asked her to invite me. When I met the buyer, she asked me to try on a red dress, and I hesitated, but she insisted. A talent scout also objected, because I was not a professional model. When I walked out of the changing room with that dress on, I was hired on the spot. And the rest is history. I went on to model with them for over a year, and the amount of exposure I got allowed me to book a lot of other fashion jobs concurrently.

As for television, I eventually started working for an investment bank in NYC for over a year before deciding to make a short trip to Lagos with my job. Within two weeks of being here, a TV producer approached me with an idea for a show, called You Got Issues – which caters to working through people’s career, love and relationship issues—and within a month, I was asked to start hosting Style 101. Everything was surreal to me until I got back from the Investment Bank one day (six months later) and I saw You Got Issues airing-I knew that it was destiny and I was meant to work on television. Everything.

 

2) What has the media journey been like so far for you?

IA: My journey has been such a blessed one, and I didn't think I'd come this far in such a short time. I don't go on roller coasters, but I imagine this is what it feels like! 

3) Please tell us about one of the lowest points in your life and how

you dealt with it?

IA: When I started out in the media two years ago, I was very open, but quickly had to realize that in this industry there are very few friends, and being in the media makes me more accessible for criticism. I've simply dealt with that by being more withdrawn from the "fluff" and by pouring my heart into my work.

4) What one motto/Philosophy do you live by?

IA: Never wait for people to help you become successful, because when you are successful everyone will want to help you.

5) Tell us some of the funniest things that have happened to you on set?

IA: I had made a blooper once and my team thought it was funny to create a meme and Krackstv-type video on it. I never recovered and I make fewer grammatical errors while presenting now (LOL)

6) What’s the sweetest thing a fan has ever done for you?

IA: I know a girl called Nonye who literally prays for me, checks on me all the time, posts so many uplifting things about me. Sometimes I have no strength and she doesn't realize that her kindness carries me-- she is the sweetest and most selfless person I have ever met.

7) What moment would you describe as that breakthrough moment in your career?

IA: There have been too many! My Genevieve editorial that went viral, My exclusive with India Arie, my odd but interesting fashion moments.

8) What advice will you give to someone out there trying to pursue a

career in media?

IA: Just go for it, head on!! But it's always good to have a solid plan and substance, because that's the only way to stay relevant.

9) What’s on your mind this Wednesday.

IA: well, I just heard a motivational speaker say that you must "Always shift your focus from pain to purpose." Good vibes only! Anything is possible!!

You can reach Idia here:

Instagram-https://www.instagram.com/doctoridia/?hl=en

Twitter-https://twitter.com/idiaaisien?lang=en

That's it guys!

Stay inspired.