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Thursday, June 24, 2010

RUKKAYAH'S INTERVIEW





Rukkayah Suleiman-Reedas Fashion House


How did you discover your passion for fashion? What’s your interpretation of it?

I just realized that I find very interesting the intricacy of every twist and turn, stitch and cut that goes into creating a master piece, it’s very very interesting.

When did you make up your mind to express your artistic endowment through fashion, and how has your foray into it been since.

That has to be in 2007 or thereabout, it has had its ups and downs but it hasn’t hindered my progress.

Is this a now a long term profession, or is it a fun thing for the mean time to show what you can do.

This is something I enjoy doing because I have a passion for it so you can say it’s both for me, a long term profession but at the same time having fun while I am doing it.

You were one of those who showcased at the last Nigerian fashion show in Lagos, and you had a fantastic showing, what was the main reason for featuring, what are your expectations after.


We decided to showcase at the Nigeria fashion Week so we can give Nigeria a taste of what we’ve got and can give, An opportunity to show the public something different and they should expect to see more from us, and it was an absolutely amazing opportunity for us.

How easy is it for you to continually come up with ideas, what are those things that helps to inspire you.

I always say this; inspirations for me come from everything and everywhere, believe me it might just be a painting or something other thing.

What does your brand name mean, what are you reflecting through it.

It’s a name I derived from my daughter’s name which means purity, beauty and sophistication.

What’s your candid assessment of the Nigerian fashion situation, are our various designers up to the task, can they favorable compete with their counterparts in other parts of the world.


OMG! Nigerian designers can compete favorably anywhere in the world because our fashion industry is becoming a force to reckon with. We have fabulous designer coming out every day and that is fantastic.

Are their particular difficulties you daily encounter in the course of doing your business are those challenges peculiar to you, or they are a general one that entrepreneurs all face.


Being an entrepreneur in this part of the world that I come from is a great challenge. Not many people have faith in small businesses so for instance if you have a bank support you at the end of the day you find out that you are actually working for that bank for so many reasons you don’t even have constant electricity to run your business but you have to pay the bank. So there are so many challenges that we face.


There seem to be an upsurge kind of, as more Northerners are openly embracing fashion, a lot more designers of Northern origin are on the scene now, why is this.


Northerners are very fashionable people as you can see and a lot of designers are coming out to the scene this days, the truth is I think they northern designers’ have been around for a while, but most of the media house choose to concentrate on those in the south like in Lagos, but if they come down north believe me they will be amazed as to what they can find here.


Are their particular types of women you love to dress and why, paint us a picture of those you will love to see in your brand?


You know women are very sophisticated beings and the confident women are my best kind of women, you know that woman that can turn a sack into the next trend? THAT IS THE WOMAN.


Who are your icon in the business and why

I really admire Ituen Bassey and Folake Coker, they understand what fashion is about and they are not doing it because they have the money or because there is money in the fashion industry but they have that passion.

Don’t you feel that the northern ladies are restricted fashion wise and in their expression of personal style by religion.


No we are not restricted fashion wise, we are just very modest, but absolutely fashionable

When are you at your best?

Believe it or not, when I have a lot of challenges. I don’t like to admit it but I am a very restless person so when I am very busy with so many ideas and so much work inside my head and around me, trust me it’s pure bliss.

Tell us a bit more about yourself, growing up, educational qualification etc

I am from Nassarawa, and I am 30 years old; I come from a very large family where respect, integrity, humility, confidence and oneness are our core values. As for my educational qualifications, I am a very smart woman, if I could say so myself.

How do you relax?

I relax with my Blackberry and my children, lol!! Trust me that am not relaxing. I don’t know how to relax but I will learn..

What are we to expect from you in the nearest future, say in about 2 to 5 years from now.

Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week Designer To Die For, lol!!!!!!!! By the grace of God.

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