Her beautiful face has graced many billboards and calendars across the country as the brand ambassador for Orange Drugs. Princess KELECHI ROMEO OGHENE is taking a big leap into fashion and modelling with the recent opening of her fashion house. In this interview with NAOMI NDUNUEZE, she talks about her new-found love.
Life as an Ambassador
My name is Princess Romeo. I am an ambassador for Orange Drugs. The parent company is House of GYMT. We have other companies under the house of GYMT. We have a salon, GM events and modelling limited. I have been in busy for over a decade. I thought its high time I officially hosted my friends. We have a section which is the academy fashion and there is a make-up school coming up. It’s high we let the world knew what we are doing and what is yet to come.
The Fashion Academy
I am an entrepreneur. The academy is more like the fashion school and we have a new one which is the make-up school. The fashion school has been on now for months; we have fifty-seven students. They have done their first project and in three week they have been able to make like the skirts and embroideries and they did like an illustration on canvas. The dream is to empower women even men but we have more women now coming. We are not a liability to ourselves, our spouse and to the government. The academy is to help people empower themselves not waiting for government to provide jobs for them or anything, but we will be teaching people skills so they can survive.
Start-up in the Fashion Industry
Regarding the modelling agency, I never thought I will be a model but I am a model for Orange Drugs. I do some other things. Modelling is not affecting my business. Being a model, I have also been working but then I just felt I have been doing modelling for eight years. I just felt I should start-up my own company, where I can groom my models, get them jobs from modelling agencies without collecting anything from them. I get them jobs like ushering jobs for events
Gains from the Fashion Industry
Fulfilment has been my gain. Fulfilment, aside modelling and fashion. I have six students on scholarship. The fee is not so pricing but if you check how many students on scholarship, you will see that I am doing a lot. By the grace of God in 2017, I should be able to empower 200 women. The dream is having people establish themselves. That’s the dream for me. So, when I can see that every woman can stand, probably to support themselves, it reduces abuse, from men. It’s just a dream I have empowering women.
Business Expansion
For now, I will say no to expansion. because I like to be in charge with everything I do. I like to supervise everything I do. I like everything to be around me. I don’t want to open another branch in Abuja and I have somebody managing it and they start misbehaving. I have built a name and a niche for myself, I don’t think I want to start dealing with negative reports now. Even with the students when they finish their activities, they bring their log book for me to see and with that I can see how fast they are learning. I have a system I have put in place for that. I don’t want a situation where they say I went to this fashion school and I did not learn anything. When they get a contract, and I see they are missing classes, I cancel the contract. So, no I am not expanding because I want everything to be within my reach.
Business of Modelling
I am still a model. I am still feature on calendars and billboards for 2016. I am the face for my company and so I am modelling for my company. Yes, I will say I am not too big to be a model but I am more of an ambassador now.
Experience in Fashion Designing
I am the creative director of my business. Growing up, my mum would force us to go learn how to make something. My mum was a seamstress so I learnt making few things growing up. The interesting part of my business is that I create a design and the next minute I see that thing that I have created on somebody’s body. Everything we create in this company, before they deliver, I access it before I give approval for delivery but everything comes through me and goes through me. Another interesting part of my business is that when you make an appointment with House of GYMT, we don’t only make your clothes and leave you to book for people to style your hair and do your make-up, we do everything from head to toe for you.
About GYMT
God’s Might. That’s my name from birth. My mum gave me.
Next Step
Next step is to establish more relationship with my clients. I am happy they have been supporting me so far. We have not had issues with them complaining about fabrics or not doing our jobs very well. Even sometimes when the fashion designers make mistakes in their designs, they give room for adjustment. So now it is just to show the world what we can do. I have built a mini-empire where things like food, wi-fi and other necessities are available when needed. I love to work and now I am going to put in more work and continue giving out my best to my clients and everyone am serving. I think that is the next step.
You being the creative director for your brand, what makes your design stand out that when we see a design, we can say this is obviously from GYMT?
First, I like vintage fabric and I like to make them look different from the normal vintage fabric which is the Ankara. We use Hollandis which are mom use back then like the horse, ABC, the butterfly etc. which people know us for but if you give GYMT your Ankara, you won’t see it as the normal Ankara because of our finishing. If you are holding an outfit we make here, you will know it is from House of GYMT. I just feel our parents did not appreciate the Hollandis, they just did two wrapper and blouse but this is the modern age. I don’t like wrapper but I feel we could do more with vintage promoting even African culture. So, if you see my finishing, you will know cause it’s not the regular one. My finishing makes me stand out from others.
You are a self-confessed workaholic; how do you relax? I see you are a golfer but how else do you relax?
I play golf once in a year because I don’t have time but I really love to play golf. How I relax is by working
2017 is around the corner, and the fashion industry is changing drastically, what is GYMT doing to stand out in 2017?
We have done a lot. We have created an environment where you are not rushing because you have an appointment some else. We have everything in the fashion industry.