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From Rebrand to Radiance: The Timeless Elegance of Moelle Essentials
How Doyinsola Ogbeifun is redefining occasion wear with a focus on fit, femininity, and confidence
When you meet Doyinsola Ogbeifun, founder of Moelle Essentials, there’s an instant calm that draws you in, the kind that comes from someone who understands grace, structure, and the quiet power of confidence.
Her journey into fashion wasn’t a loud or impulsive one. It was built over time, shaped by observation, curiosity, and an ever-present desire to create clothes that make women feel as good as they look.
A Pause, A Rebirth
Moelle Essentials first came to life in 2018, born from Doyinsola’s vision to design elegant, well-fitted pieces for women of all shapes and sizes. But as with most creative journeys, there was a moment of pause — a three-year break that became a period of reflection and rediscovery.
In 2022, Moelle Essentials returned rebranded, refocused, and ready to redefine occasion wear.
The brand found its rhythm again, this time with a clearer purpose: to celebrate diverse body types through elegant, accessible designs that don’t compromise on quality or comfort.
Fashion That Fits Every Woman
Walk into Moelle Essentials’ world, and you’ll find pieces that speak of balance, classic yet modern, bold yet feminine. From flowing dresses that move like poetry to structured fits that celebrate the body’s natural silhouette, every design is made to make women stand tall.
Whether you’re petite, curvy, or tall, Moelle offers both ready-to-wear (RTW) and made-to-measure pieces. The goal? To eliminate the struggle of finding occasionwear that truly fits.
As Doyinsola puts it,
“Elegance should never be a privilege. It should be accessible — and it should fit.”
The Moelle Woman
The Moelle woman knows her worth. She loves sophistication without shouting it. She values quality but also seeks versatility. And above all, she wears her confidence like her favourite dress effortlessly.
Every piece by Moelle Essentials is designed with that woman in mind. From the first sketch to the final stitch, Doyinsola ensures that comfort, style, and precision go hand-in-hand.
Redefining Occasionwear
Moelle Essentials has carved a niche in occasionwear, reimagining what it means to dress up. It’s not just about sequins or silhouettes; it’s about emotion. The feeling of slipping into a dress that fits perfectly. The quiet excitement of looking in the mirror and saying, Yes, this is me.
With elegant fabrics, timeless cuts, and detail-oriented craftsmanship, Moelle’s creations are meant to stay in your wardrobe, and your memory for years to come.
The Future of Moelle
As Moelle Essentials continues to grow, one thing remains clear: the brand isn’t chasing trends — it’s setting a standard.
It’s about creating clothes that tell stories of women who rise, reinvent, and walk into every room like it was designed for them.
And in that story, Moelle Essentials isn’t just making dresses. It’s making statements — one confident woman at a time.
I always leave a message, especially if it’s important. And I have found out that it works.
You are calling a prospect again to remind him or her of your services. You ended into a voice mail again, just like you were the last time you called. And the time before that. And the time before that. What should you do?
Leave another message? Hang up and try again next week with the hopes of finally getting through to a real person?
Leave a message. Pleasant persistence always wins. Leave a message [text or voice mail] just often enough to remind your prospect of your services or product. But don’t call so often that you actually are making a nuisance of yourself.
Why Should You Leave A Message?
You are gaining recognition for your product or services. You may not get through to your prospect this time or next, but the information you leave will.
For another, you are building rapport with your prospect even if you are not making direct contact. Your continued calling will convince your prospect that your are consistent, and persistent.
Finally, you are being informative. One of your products or services might be a sales item. You need to let your prospect know this so they have an opportunity to take advantage of the discount.
Keep your Messages short
This is important as you may be perceived as being “the intolerable nuisance” you think you are becoming. Remember KISS? Keep It Short and Simple.
Tell most of the important information first. Do not dawdle. Mentioning the benefits your services or product will provide first and then how to contact you.
At the end of the message, leave your phone number and/or web site address. Repeat your name, company name, and phone number one more time out of courtesy to the prospect so he or she doesn’t have to repeat the message.
In case your prospect finally decides to pick up the phone and return your call. And they will, you have already laid the ground work, making you one step closer to making a sale.
Telemarketing should never be undermined, as it could make or break your company. It could even improve or worsen the sales growth of the business. Note, asides from physical and virtual communication, phone calls are a more direct form of communicating. Understandably, not everyone can be good at telemarketing. Here are Telemarketing tips you should know.
Effective telemarketing campaigns are targeted to customers and prospects that are most likely to respond. They broaden the names of your products, services, or company to the prospects you want to reach.
There are generally two types of telemarketing programs:
One that generates a sale or close.
One that generates a request for more information.
Which one works for your company, of course, depends upon what type of product or service you are selling. It may be possible to sell your products or services right over the phone. Or it could require an additional appointment for a demonstration with a salesperson. The type of product or service, its complexity, and whether it is hard to sell or not, will also determine the type of telemarketing program you should develop. So when planning your campaign, keep in mind all these factors.
I advice that if your product or service is relatively inexpensive and can be demonstrated easily, using the telemarketing campaign as a way of “selling” appointments or even the product or service, go ahead as it can lead to the conclusion of the sale right over the phone!
If the prospect feels that your product or service is expensive, they generally require more information before they purchase or even consent to a demonstration. In these cases, you may want to design a campaign that triggers a Request for more information.
You must also keep in mind that the more expensive the item you sell, the higher up on the chain of command the decision-maker will be. You need to find out who the proper decision-maker would be, and if they were willing to receive more information on the product or service you are providing.
Furthermore, try calling to verify addresses. Reminding them of your product or service. No hard sell involved, as you are just checking in.
Are there really apps for entrepreneurs? Well, yes, there are! Being an entrepreneur you know the importance of time management. I mean, you have a lot of things to handle, meetings to attend, workers to communicate with daily, receipts to keep at hand, accounts to track, you name it! So do you really need irrelevant apps?
Your plate is full, and you have to do everything in 24 hours!
24 hours is not even enough to begin with because you have to manage your time properly, stay organized, become tech/social media savvy, boost productivity, and also maintain your sanity as well as your personal life because your business will drain you!
So with all that, and very little time, believe me, you do not need Candy Crush, 4 Pics 1 Word, or any other irrelevant app that is not keeping you organised or even helping you.
I am not an entrepreneur yet, but I am conscious of the apps I have because even I need to stay organised and have everything in check as I am also busy sometimes. Candy Crush is an app I can use to unwind when I need a break; but I do not have it because at some point, it can be a distraction.
So, as an entrepreneur, how do you stay organised in order to get work done? Simple! You have to incorporate productivity apps to keep you on track.
Whether it is on your phone or on your laptop (although I use my phone more), after reading this post, go through your apps and do some cleaning. Delete the irrelevant ones and download the ones you really need.
So keep reading to find out what apps you should have in order to help you manage your time and remain productive.
1. Evernote:
Photo Credit: lifehack.org
As an entrepreneur, innovative ideas can hit you no matter where you are. While most people have jotters where they write down their ideas (I do, sometimes), you cannot go everywhere with the jotter but when it comes to your phone, it goes everywhere with you.
Whether you are on the road, in the kitchen, in the bathroom, at the movies, or anywhere, your phone is almost always in your hand. But in the case of your jotter, when the idea hits you, how will you write it down? This is where Evernote comes in; so toss your jotter!
Evernoteis an app that works both online and offline; making it easily accessible. It helps you manage your life by collecting, uploading and sharing your ideas in whatever form, be it as a photo, audio, web clip or document.
It is basically like your offline book where you scribble your thoughts and ideas. I am a writer so often times, ideas come to me when I least expect it. My phone helps me scribble everything down so I can always go back to it later and Evernote has proven to be so helpful in retaining my ideas.
Evernote helps you stay organized on all your devices (phone, laptop, iPad), and you can sync all your files to ensure they are updated on all your devices; enabling you to continue from where you stopped.
You can also clip web pages, create to-do lists, set voice reminders, record memo, edit and scan documents, search for your tasks, and capture photos on the go. What more could you possibly need? It is one of the best business apps for entrepreneurs.
2. Instapaper:
Photo credit: Zapier
As an entrepreneur, you still want to catch up on everything going on around you. Maybe read about the government’s latest venture on a news site, or read an article, or you found something interesting online; but you are too busy to read it.
You have to rush to the office or quickly fix up something for the kids so you close the page and focus on what you have to do. Well, thanks to Instapaper, you no longer have to close the page. Instapaper is an app that lets you save an article so you can easily read it at a convenient time that suits you.
The best part is that you can save an article, video, song lyrics or whatever you come across on the internet! How cool is that?
I am someone who is always on the internet searching for new things to read; and most times whenever I open an article, I may have to run off to do something or go somewhere.
With Instapaper, I just click and save it then after whatever I was doing, or when i get back home from work especially, I lay down, open Instapaper and read my saved article without having to find the web page in my browser history.
Another amazing thing about this app is that it syncs whatever you save so you can easily read it on all my devices (phone, computer, iPad and Kindle). So no matter where you are, you can read the saved article on your phone/laptop; anywhere and anytime, even offline.
It also enables you highlight a text on an article, like you would on a physical book (with a marker), so you can easily find it, quote and share it if you want to. One of the best apps for entrepreneurs to connect with things outside work.
3. LinkedIn:
Photo Credit: thenextweb.com
Asides the most popular social networks (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Whatsapp), Linkedin is a social network I think you should definitely join, if you are an aspiring entrepreneur.
LinkedInis one of the best apps for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to build business relationships with everyone. It helps you search for jobs, industries, location, people (based on their qualification) and stay in touch with everyone.
In short, if you are an aspiring entrepreneur looking to make connections, LinkedIn is the app you need. It is particularly made for business professionals to connect as it helps you build connections, build a customer base, build partnerships, and basically just put your business out there.
It also enables you share your ideas and grow your brand whilst keeping up with everything relevant to your line of work. One of the best networking apps for entrepreneurs.
4. Buffer:
Photo Credit: Buffer.com
Sometimes maintaining your online reputation can be difficult, even though it it is necessary. You want your brand to stand out and as such, promoting on social media is very important.
With so many social networks to promote on, handling everything can be a bit overwhelming (I know it is for me). You have to share and promote on all your social networks, which takes up much of your time because you have to create content, use relevant hashtags, respond to comments, alongside other things you have to do.
If it frustrates you as much as it frustrates me then you are in luck, because of Buffermakes everything easier.
Buffer is one of the best productivity apps for entrepreneurs as it enables you plan and schedule social media posts according to whatever time suits you…phew! That is one work load off your shoulder.
It is super helpful because it enables you plan and publish contents on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Pinterest ahead of time.
So you can plan all your contents for the week at your convenient time, save them to your draft and schedule all of them to be published at a specific day and time. Your personal social media genie!
You can also track your posts performance, create reports and get recommendations to increase engagement. Social media marketing campaigns just got better!
5. Skype:
Photo Credit: Betanews.com
As an entrepreneur with staffs and business partners in different locations around the world, you know that communication is important for the growth of your business.
Making calls requires a lot of credit, which also requires a lot of money, and travelling all the time to follow-up on your business dealings is time, energy and money consuming.
Thankfully, you can now keep up with all your business dealings on-the-go (probably how Otedola keeps up with his business; because he is always travelling).
It is simple; you just need Skype! Skype is one the best communication apps for entrepreneurs as it helps you keep in touch with employees and business partners no matter the location. If you are in UK and your partner is in Hong Kong, you no longer need to travel that far to close any dealing; all you need is Skype.
How do you think most of these huge companies with offices around the world operate? Regardless. this is also one of the best apps for small business owners looking to expand and grow their business.
Skype has improved connectivity in the world of business as you no longer have to travel for conferences, business meetings, or to check the affairs of your work in another state. All you have to do is schedule, and communicate with whoever on the go.
Personally for me, I consider Skype a time management and productivity app for entrepreneurs because you no longer have to worry about travelling constantly to handle business dealings.
Now, with Skype, from the comfort of your office, you can message or call clients, business partners, investors or employees around the world, whilst carrying out your normal business activities.
The best part is that you can message/call multiple people all at the same time, with audio/video call, and you can share pictures and videos across; all with a data plan or WIFI. Say “goodbye” to stressful business trips and “hello” to comfortable business.
The 3rd Edition of the African Creative Exhibition and Awards (ACE Awards) is back and the nominations have begun! ACE Awards, which brings together the best creative minds in the fields of Arts and Crafts, Fashion, Beauty, Food produce and snacks. This ceremony is organized yearly to recognize creative entrepreneurs in the aforementioned categories; with this year’s theme being “Creativity and Innovation in Nation Building”.
ACE AWARDS NOMINATION BEGINS
Creative Entrepreneurs and consumers of their products can now send in their nominations. The categories are listed below.
CATEGORIES
Best Indigenous Textile Designer
Best Beauty Brand
Best Fashion Brand (Clothing, Shoes)
Best Startup of the Year
Best Accessories Brand (Jewellery, Bags)
Best Eco-friendly Product Innovation
Best Innovative Product of the Year
Best Pioneer Craftsman/woman of the Year (Over 10 years)
Best Food Produce Innovation
Best Creative Children’s Brand
Best Creative Child Entrepreneur
Best Creative Social Enterprise of the Year
Best Arts & Crafts Person
Best Home & Lifestyle Brand
Best emerging African Brand
In showing our support and in accordance with what we do at Bellafricana, we would be granting 3 lucky Creative Entrepreneurs with the sum of ₦300,000 naira to help support their businesses.
Grant Eligibility Requirements
The candidate must be a Creative Entrepreneur.
Candidates must be nominated for the ACE Awards.
The candidate must have a valid business that falls within one of the following niches:
Fashion,
Arts & craft,
Health & Beauty,
Home & living,
Food produces & snacks industry.
Steps to Participate/How to apply
Follow @bell_africana on Instagram
Repost this flyer on your page, tag us as well as your friends
Fill out the form on our website – www.aceawardsafrica.com/nominate
When posting, use the hashtags: #ACE2021 #ACEAwards2021 and #Bellafricana
Bellafricana celebrates the talented African Creative, whose works involves the transformation, from Metal Scraps to Breath-Taking Masterpieces. Dotun Popoola is a synergetic metal sculptor who has carved a niche for himself with his monumental metal sculptures.
Esin Oba by Dotun Popoola
His works of Art infuses both the European and African culture all by transforming metal scraps into environmental art.
Double Bass by Dotun Popoola
Born in 1981, Lagos, Dotun Popoola is a contemporary Nigerian artist (sculptor) who specializes in synergetic metal sculpting. He creates pieces of art works from discarded scrap metals. His works are focused on transforming trash to treasures, rubbish to rubies and waste to wealth by repurposing wastes that threaten the ecosystem. Some of his works were exhibited in ART X Lagos. He had a solo exhibition called “Irin Ajo” (Journey) in Signature Beyond Art Gallery, Lagos, where he presented around 24 metal works of his.
It’s wellness & Style week for Exquisite Magazine as they turn 18!
About the Wellness and Style Week by Exquisite Magazine [EM]
The wellness and style week by EM is an online event being organised by Exquisite Magazine to commemorate 18 years of being in the media, fashion, beauty, entertainment and lifestyle industry.
The Wellness and Style Week by EM is set to promote self care and stress management, keeping fit and healthy, looking good on the inside and outside to continue to empower confidence and style in women.
The Wellness and Style Week by EM
Over the one week from the 20th of September to 26th of September 2021, there will be online speaking sessions by experts in the industry on the mindset, fitness, nutrition, style, beauty and discount shopping with our partners.
There will also be 2 challenges where participants can win various gifts such as:
Different beauty products,
Spa vouchers,
Cinema vouchers,
Nutrition plan,
Personal development books and
Shopping vouchers.
The calendar shows all the activities online and offline. There will be access to discount shopping, whilst keeping fit, looking stylish and feeling confident.
Participants also get the chance to win a wardrobe worth N150k plus more goodies when they join in all the activities during the Wellness and Style Week 2021.
Bellafricana is set to hold the 3rd Edition of the annual African Creative Exhibition and Awards (ACE Awards) which will take place on Friday, the 29th of October, 2021 at the BWC HOTELS, Victoria Island, Lagos Nigeria.
Bellafricana is a tech-enabled community that provides a platform for creative entrepreneurs in the fashion, arts & craft, health & beauty, home & living, food produce & snacks industry, to gain visibility, increase sales, have the right business support and structure that gives them the capacity to grow their business.
One of the many ways Bellafricana provides visibility is by giving recognition to these creative entrepreneurs, hence why it’s so exciting to announce the 3rd Edition.
The Annual African Creative Exhibition and Awards (ACE Awards) aims to laud the creative works of Nigerians (Africans) and is certainly one of the strongest tools in awakening creative, innovative and entrepreneurship drive in young people in Nigeria and indeed Africa.
The past 2 editions have garnered more than 6000 participants from different states in Nigeria and other parts of Africa; Captains of Industry, Upwardly Mobile Youth, Marketers, Trade Delegations & Missions, Procurement Officers, Brand and Business Managers, Art Lovers, Investors, Governmental Representatives as well as policymakers meet at this one-day event that is aimed at celebrating creativity and innovation.
The aim of the ACE Awards remains the same:
To acknowledge and celebrate creative and innovative works made by Nigerians (Africans).
Honouring the creative and tenacious spirit of the African producer.
Encouraging and inspiring new talents within the various Pan African industries through its annual program.
3rd Edition of the annual African Creative Exhibition and Awards (ACE Awards) would bring together the best creative minds in the fields of fashion, Arts & Craft, Health & Beauty, Home & Living, and Food Produce & Snacks Industry including 15 Creative Entrepreneurs that would benefit highly from this event. Preserving the African culture and promoting these Creatives, this year’s theme is “Creativity and Innovation in Nation Building”.
Bukky Asehinde, Managing Director at Bellafricana says “Everyone likes a pat on the back when they have done something good. Our mission for the ACE Awards is to give these Creative Businesses a platform to receive the recognition they have long deserved. In showing our support and following what we do at Bellafricana, we would be granting some creative entrepreneurs business support worth $2,500.
The event has been endorsed by the Lagos State Government, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Nigerian-British Chamber of Commerce (NBCC), Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce (NACC), Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and Nigeria-Britain Association.
Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, this year’s event is going to be a bit different. While it would still be a 3 part event, there will be online Flash sales, a physical Exhibitionfor a limited number of brands, which would run simultaneously with the Creatives’ Connect Networking Event and the ACE Awards Dinner which will be held at the peak of the event.
Event Details [ACE Awards Dinner]:
Theme: “Creativity and Innovation in Nation Building”
Dinner Theme: “A touch of Africa”
Date: Friday, October 29, 2021
Venue: BWC HOTELS, 1228B Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos Nigeria (Opposite Eko Atlantic).
Time for Awards Dinner: 6:00pm – 9:00pm
For partnership and sponsorship details, please contact the organizers;
The Creative Connect is an event created purposefully for creative entrepreneurs to meet, connect, bond and network amongst themselves. It provides access to a networking session with SME owners, creative entrepreneurs, Industry leaders and creatives from all walks of life discussing how they settled in to work during the pandemic and moving forward; essential business advice, collaborations and so much more.Bellafricana is always finding ways to help both upcoming and established creatives to harness the resources available to build their businesses stronger. And this event is just one of them.
In that same vein, Bellafricana would be giving business support worth $2,500to several lucky creative entrepreneurs.
Event Details:
The Creatives Connect Theme:“Connect, Converse and Collaborate”
Date: Friday, October 29, 2021
Venue: BWC HOTELS, 1228B Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos Nigeria (Opposite Eko Atlantic).
Why attend? This is a great way to connect, network and shop!
It is the tradition to host an exhibition where attendees get the opportunity to buy quality Nigerian creative products on a large scale. Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, only a limited number of brands would be hosted at this one of a kind offline and online shopping experience.
Bellafricana will be hosting you physically at the venue and virtually at flash sales which will showcase quality fast-selling creative products and you can buy them at the click of a button.
The watchword at Bellafricana is Quality, to this effect; Be rest assured of the availability of top-quality creative African-owned businesses at the flash sales.
The 4 focus categories for the exhibition are:
Arts & Crafts
Fashion
Health & Beauty
Home & Living
Here are some of the benefits of Flash sales:
Access to New Market
Sales and New Contacts
Opportunity to Participate at future events/exhibitions
Gain Valuable Knowledge
This is one event you don’t want to miss.
Event Details [Exhibition]:
Venue: Offline at the Event Venue – BWC HOTELS, 1228B Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos Nigeria (Opposite Eko Atlantic). And Online on Bellafricana Marketplace Website – www.bellafricanashop.com
Meet the Founder of Handmadepreneur-(Exclusive Interview).
Adewumi-Inenemo Aminah is the CEO of Handmadepreneur. An indigene of Ikare Akoko North East Ondo state, and a graduate of industrial chemistry. A mother of 5, whose passion to creatively design handmade bags emerged after passing through pains of getting good bags of her taste for her kids and then decided to take the bull by the horn. She is a multitasking individual, always willing to improve her skills, determined to have her impact felt in her immediate environment and the world at large.
Adewumi-Inenemo Aminah is the CEO of Handmadepreneur.
I am very excited to be introducing this amazing Founder and her brand to you. Keep reading to Meet the Founder of Handmadepreneur-(Exclusive Interview)
Please introduce yourself and your background
I am Adewumi-Inenemo Aminah. A graduate of industrial chemistry from the great University of Benin. I hail from Ikate Akoko North East Ondo state.
Tell us about your work. How did your company start?
I started Handmadepreneur in 2019 after my epistle of searching for a bag of my choice in 2018 as an expectant mum of a set of twins. Since I couldn’t get any, it occurred to me that many Nigerians face this problem of not being able to tweak their bag of choice since their quest for a durable, quality and well finished bag is top priority.
How did you come about the name and what does it mean?
Handmadepreneur came from the fact that I wanted the name handmade emblazoned in my products and as my name as it would also depict to people that the bags are handmade. I then added –preneur from the word entrepreneur.
What is your niche and how did you know it was a market to get into?
My niche are families with kids under age of 19 as I saw most mothers face the problem of getting the right bag for their toddlers, young ones in elementary or themselves, in terms of packing both their personal items and that of their children all in one piece; this is typical to the African woman. Also I realised from my survey that most mothers wish their kids bags are like ‘this or that’ due to their own peculiarity and because they are yet to find that Nigerian bag maker who gives them their bag the way they want it, they opt for imported ones to solve one of their quest.
Where do you get the inspiration for your products?
I get them from narrations of pains parents discuss with finding their bags and my imagination of possibilities of what a bag could have.
Can you remember one of the first products you made? What makes it memorable?
Our multi-pocket diaper bag. It was sold out before I blinked my eyes. Mothers loved it for its features such as, lots of pockets, it’s ability to keep their baby’s items all in one place and organized.
What are some of the challenges you face in your business?
Structure! Getting the right personnel and marketing right.
Do you have any regrets venturing into this line of business?
None. Not even a tiny bit.
What is your most popular product?
School backpack and lunch bag.
To what extent do you draw upon your Nigerian (African) heritage for your work?
For now we are not much of African but soon we intend bringing in the African touch. Making our own arts of African heritage on our bags.
What are some of your short term and long term goals, both in your business and life in general?
To be a brand that would be a game changer to many women, by providing them with trainings, and an opportunity to provide employment for themselves.
To improve my business skills by taking a business management course in 2022.
Get certified internationally as a bag designer.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
That I am a star chemistry teacher. 😂 I mean students loved my class and wondered why I left.
What profession would you be in if you weren’t in this Industry?
Teaching. I would be a teacher but then again, we are all teaching, in one form or the other.
If you could give one piece of advice to anyone who wants to start their own business in your industry, what would it be?
Never think small. Always aim at the best and you will see how you will work to achieve it
And finally, please share images of some of your work and tell us a little about each product
Rucksack by Handemadepreneur
For adults and secondary school students. Strong, spacious and can be made to suit client specification.
Lattern Bag by Handemadepreneur
Lattern bag. ‘Shakara bag’ as most client calls it. Unique and portable for few items only.
Ankara laptop bag by Handemadepreneur
This Ankara Laptop Bag is water proof, well padded and well spacious with two way carriage. Nice and long lasting zippers. Available in 3 sizes depending on your laptop size.
Maxi lunch bag by Handemadepreneur
Maxi lunch bag. Available in varying sizes keeps food hot up to 6 hours. Inner leather linen with a foreign insulator. Can be made also with Adire or Ankara
Handmadepreneur
Handmadepreneur is a handmade bag shop that offers high quality branded bags which suits a wide selection of every taste suitable for various occasion. Their beautifully designed backpack, lunch bags, ladies handbags, men bags, souvenir bags, pouches would leave you with no choice than acquiring them.
Bukky Asehinde, helping Entrepreneurs through her platform: Bellafricana.
Whether they choose to admit it or not, the goal of every business or product owner is to be noticed and patronised by people outside the shores of their country.
One problem business owners have faced for years is making their products noticed by other consumers apart from those within their vicinity.
Getting products noticed by global consumers is always difficult for Africa’s creative women entrepreneurs, but this challenge represented an opportunity for Bukky Asehinde, Founder of Bellafricana. Her platform is giving visibility to Nigeria’s creative business owners and their quality products.
Bellafricana, is a platform that empowers, supports and connects quality, talented and creative indigenous businesses to their local and global consumers.
Starting with Nigeria, their goal is to take it one African Country at a time.
Bukky created a platform to enable creative MSMEs to thrive, whilst doing all it takes to bring the quality products to the forefront of the market. She believes very much that a support group/community for these businesses will enhance the non-oil export in the African economy.
Bukky was inspired to start this up when she noticed a rise in the number of creative indigenous (made in Nigeria, Africa) brands that have great quality, yet are struggling to grow their business with little or no financing from both the government and bigger institutions.
She wondered for a long time, “Why should we wait on financial backing from the government and big institutions to help this industry, when we can create a platform to connect these Indigenous businesses who are maximising raw materials in Nigeria (Africa), providing employment for local talents within the country and creating wealth for the Nation?”. And so she conducted a research, which made her realize that one of the major challenges these businesses were facing majorly has to do with marketing and understanding the trade, which is the heart of any business.
This birthed Bellafricana, a community that showcases the products of local entrepreneurs to a wider audience, both locally and globally.
Bukky finds satisfaction as an entrepreneur because she is able to contribute to the growth of the economy, making an impact that will outlive her, and touching lives.
Bukky Asehinde, helping Entrepreneurs through her platform: Bellafricana.
Her counsel to women who are trying to start a business is simple:
SURROUND YOURSELF WITH WISE & POSITIVE PEOPLE:
This is so vital especially when you know your personality type. I am an extrovert and a positive person, so having negative people around me was a no no. This I know has certainly helped my journey. Another key one is surrounding yourself with wise people, as the bible says also “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed”.
GET MENTORS:
It’s important to have mentors who key into the vision of what you do and are thought leaders in their various sectors not necessarily celebrities. How? (you might ask) by keeping a relationship with them and striking a mutually beneficial balance of what they do, they will give you more than their time when you show you care.”
Bellafricana is that “support system” every creative business owner needs to be globally accessible.
Eyiyemi-Olivia Rogbinyin, a verified member of Bellafricana, wears many hats, one of which is her passion for tailoring. She is a graduate of Architecture from the University of Jos with more than 25 years post experience in the fields of Architecture and Interior Design, Broadcasting as a Television and Radio presenter, Make-Overs and Dressmaking which she has a Passion for.
I am very excited to be introducing this amazing Founder and her brand to you. Keep reading to Meet the Founder of EONL (Exclusive Interview).
Please introduce yourself and your background
My name is Eyiyemi-Olivia Rogbinyin an architect, broadcaster, actor, tailor.
Tell us about your work. How did your company start?
I started tailoring professionally in the year 2000 after a short stint in broadcasting. leveraging on the gift of sewing my mum had helped hone almost 20years before. Having the idea to show off what else we could do with ankara fabrics apart from Boubous and iro and bubas
How did you come about the name and what does it mean?
I started with Olivia concept (Olivia is my middle name) and registered EyiyemiOlivia Nigeria Limited in 2012 as a limited liability company.
What is your niche and how did you know it was a market to get into?
Detailing, detailing, detailing. Finishing has to be one of the most underrated skills used by tailors. We say you can wear our clothes inside out. We also love to show our versatility with local fabrics.
Where do you get the inspiration for your products?
Everywhere and Anywhere. Mostly though from The Holy Spirit
Can you remember one of the first products you made? What makes it memorable?
We used aso oke to make a cropped top and long fitted skirt for twin sisters for a wedding. Nothing like that had been done in a long time. It literally shot us into the limelight.
What are some of the challenges you face in your business?
Maintaining clientele and being consistent with marketing.
Do you have any regrets venturing into this line of business?
Not a single one.
What is your most popular product?
Right now our Auta jogger pants. We’ve had a really good run with our Omorinsola jacket as well.
To what extent do you draw upon your Nigerian (African) heritage for your work?
That was the whole point of setting up the business and we are very passionate about using locally sourced indigenous fabrics for our garments.
What are some of your short term and long term goals, both in your business and life in general?
That has changed over the years, now it is to impact those who are struggling in the industry and shorten the number of potential hot spots they will encounter. As for myself, I am working on my journey with getting to know My Father better and doing His will.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
😂😂 I’m not sure there’s anything. I’m an open book.
What profession would you be in if you weren’t in this Industry?
Already done a few.
If you could give one piece of advice to anyone who wants to start their own business in your industry, what would it be?
Understudy someone in the industry who’s willing to show you the ropes.
And finally, please share images of some of your work and tell us a little about each product
Auta Jogger Pants, POW Doodle t-shirt blinged or eco friendly hand painted
Draping services for your photoshoots.
Don’t want the hassle of choosing fabric, designer, fittings etc. Be draped in the lushest fabrics and be guaranteed of unique styling, one you won’t find anywhere else.
Amarachi set chiffon top and micro pleated 34 length wide leg pants
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