Posted by By GODDY OSUJI, Abakaliki on
Chukwuemeka Ezeofor, 34, comes from a family where the legal profession has become their trademark. But even when Chukwuemeka had bagged a law degree at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, in line with his family tradition, he later abandoned the legal profession to pitch his career in the fashion designing trade.
•He obeyed the family rule of studying law, but opted out to practice fashion designing
Chukwuemeka Ezeofor, 34, comes from a family where the legal profession has become their trademark. But even when Chukwuemeka had bagged a law degree at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, in line with his family tradition, he later abandoned the legal profession to pitch his career in the fashion designing trade.
Today, Chukwuemeka is not only eking out a living from fashion designing, but his fashion outfit in Enugu - Debanch Couture - has become a must-visit place for most past and present state governors, including lawmakers in the federal and state houses of assembly.
The reason for this is simple. Chukwuemeka has put professional touch to his work, customizing the content of his design that people now queue up to get measured by him. For his numerous customers, he has become a 'fashion university,' a nickname they gave him to describe his fashion wizardry, tourist adventures and cultural motifs.
According to him, his life ambition outside touching people's life has the seminal objective to serve God through the elevation of his fellow folks in the society by first, 'serving the dressing needs of man and carrying out acts of charity to help the poor."
He told Daily Sun that 'fashion is a serious business which I use to make cultural tourist, modeling, educational and even political statements".
The Amesi Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State-born Chief Executive of Debaunch Couture disclosed that he started his fashion career at the university.
'I designed a new fashion concept that reflected the African personality and assert the integrity of our own culture and values and to have that dream actualized I attended a week-long fashion show in Burundi in 2004, during which Debaunch Couture gave a good punch definition that triggered my fashion fiesta. It was there that I let the world have a feel of my inner self when I declared that fashion is something that thrills me, gives me joy and drives my energy.
'I like dressing fine. In the university I was among the best dressed and when the tailors at school didn't give me what I wanted, and, I felt and knew I could do better, I started making my own wears. My dreams of dressing well metamorphosed into my dressing others which led to a massive and popular movement which rebelled at hijacking by Europeans of Africa's fashion sense and culture which Africans imitated neither with respect nor honour," he said.
Chukwuemeka has about 25 fashion diaries where he banks all his designs just as he has plans to open a fashion industry. He also has the ambition to organize annually an African catwalk that would model her queens and princes in an assembly that would be a total celebration of flair and elegance.
With this hobby becoming an income-yielding venture for Chukwuemeka, his clients who admire his design and proudly wear them, have forgotten that he is their 'learned friend" now turned a fashion designer of international repute.
Chukwuemeka had between 2000 and 2007 initiated series of programmes to achieve his aim of giving African fashion, tourism and culture a new acceptable face and respect.
He has also concluded plans to set up a fashion and modeling school, 'where I will be training upcoming and budding talents in the fashion industry."
His words: 'As a determination of my zeal to showcase African culture through fashion I organized the biggest fashion show East of the Niger code-named ‘Coal city extravaganza' at Zodiac Hotels Enugu in 2006. It was a show that featured the best Nigerian numerous house of fashions and featured the best night of comedy, catwalks, music and general entertainment ever seen in the history of fashion in the South-East."
It was against this background that he has received several awards including the Nigerian Union of Journalist (NUJ), Enugu State which he described as 'a stepping stone to my beginning of success in life as I will continue to make people appreciate what I do".
He advised youths to realize that nothing good comes easy. 'You have to be dedicated and focused to achieve success".