FUNKE OSAE-BROWN
Her small frame belies the power of creativity that lies within in her. Yemisi Omoniyi sits atop a creative enterprise that seeks the way the contemporary Nigerian woman is adorned and perceived.
As a smart entrepreneur and one who is interested in adorning today’s woman, Omoniyi went on a short course to learn how to string precious stones to make statement neck and wrist pieces for women. This led to the establishment of her own necklace line Yemzee’s Touch, a brand name coined from her first name, Yemisi.
She took on the craft of bead making shortly after school. She is not the type cut out for paid employment. And so, during her national youth service, she decided to start her own eponymous label. “From the onset, I always like to be financially independent,” she tells me. “This led me into bead making. The experience has been good, but it wasn’t that easy from the start. When I was learning it, I had to empty my account to learn. At a point, I travelled to learn the advance level of it; from Ogun State to Lagos State, every week. Within me, I knew what I was doing. I was sure of where I am going.”
One of the things that has distinguished her pieces is that she creates her own designs. “I feel the challenges are there for me to grow. The challenges make me work harder to satisfy my customers. I sit and think and create. It is more of imaginative design,” she explains.
Her target market includes upwardly mobile women who love to stand out in the crowd. “Females that love beads generally, especially working class and also students who can afford good pieces, are clients that are cater to. I also train students that are interested in the work.”
She tells me her brand has been well received. Her mastery of the techniques involved in the beading process and the neatness of her output stand her pieces out.
“People love it so much. A lot of people are into making beads but not everyone knows the technique behind its laying well. Some of my customers will tell me that the reason why they come to me is because of the laying. It is really a strong point in bead making and people love my work.”
With an average of N15,000 you can get a simple piece from Yemzee’s Touch. “It is affordable. I have simple beads from N5,000 to N6,000, depending on the design and quality of precious stones used. There are pieces of N15,000, N20,000, and more. It all depends on the design. Beads made of Swarovski are very expensive because they are crystals.”
Omoniyi says the design she puts out at a particular time depends on the taste of what the clients want. “It depends on the taste at that particular time. There is this ball that I make and I discovered that people love it so much; because of that, I make it a lot. If they pick it, I will make another one and add colour to make it different from the previous ones.”
In another five years, Omoniyi hopes Yemzee’s Touch would have become a household name. “I see Yemzee Touch a big thing. I see it like company that will help reduce unemployment. People will come and learn and become financially independent.