INTERVIEW WITH MAISON D' EREX

VROOMMM VROOMM!!!

      Everyone is going into fashion these days. I have a feeling sometime in the future every girl will be a fashion designer or a makeup artist. They may not need professionals to do the work for them. Recently I came across a unique individual Ebere who happened to finish from same university with me but we had our first chat on Google+ where I called her “Fashion Girl”. Since I didn’t get to meet her, I decided to run an interview on her via Whatsapp, thanks to the internet and technology.

Who is Maison?

My name is Eberechi Igwe from Onitcha Local Government, Ebonyi State Abakaliki. I am a fresh graduate of Ebonyi State University Abakaliki.

What’s up with the name Maison D’Erex?

Maison D’ Erex is a French name for house of Erex. My name is Eberechi Igwe, I simply took the “Chi” out and took the last three letters “Ere”, and added “X” to form “Erex”. So we have house of Erex…Maison D’Erex.

How did you come about sewing?

I used to cut pieces of fabrics when I was a child and sew myself different dresses. Growing up, I fought with all my tailors...no one ever pleased me or did my job to my satisfaction. My mother told me just how difficult I was and she'll always say, “Since no one ever makes a dress to your taste, why not just go learn sewing so you could sew for yourself". I spent hours watching Fashion Tv and sketching styles of which I give my tailor to stitch for me.

How did you learn?

I learnt from a friend of mine who was serving in Ebonyi State about three years ago. I however learnt impatiently and haphazardly, having to come for trainings once or twice in a week and spending about an hour. I wasn't patient, for I felt that I had known it all after my first 2 weeks of inconsistency. By the time it dawned on me that I knew next to nothing, it was too late to go back to my tutor Ladipo. His last words where, "Go and practice, Ebere. You know too much". Not confident in my skills, I went back to another tailor Jaylo to teach me but he wouldn’t take a student because according to him, “students were not good apprentices” and he was right, I wasn’t ready to be an apprentice.  He let me watch him sew my dresses by so doing, I added to my little knowledge on cutting and sewing. I didn’t really start sewing till 2012 when I decided risking making my pageantry dinner dress. 

What are your successes so far?

I have featured in a number of fashion shows, amongst which are Ebonyi fashion and design week 2014, Fashion Fever PortHarcourt 2013, and a number of other runway events that weren’t really fashion shows. I have met a lot of clients who have in the long run turned to become friends, also working with different clients who have different attitudes and temperaments there by making me a better person.

 What are your challenges?

My challenge mostly was that of being a student. As an undergraduate, medical school could really be a limiting factor. There were hardly vacations which made business expansion seemed almost impossible this made the exposure my business needed confined basically to the internet. Publicity hasn’t been as much as my business needs and this has mostly been due to school. Now, am thankful to God that the challenge of being a student is almost entirely over. So far, this made me effective in time management.  I learnt to plan in order of priority.

Who are your role models?

My role models? Countless!!! First, my elder brother who insists that I take responsibility for everything; He would stand tall no matter the situation. As for my designer role model, Zac Posens creativity makes me reach outside (beyond myself) to be better, Sherri Hill also inspires me with their “over the cosmos sequin”, lace, net or beaded designs”.  Ejiro Amos Tafiri sure knows how to make me gasp for breath with every single design, Vera Wang does it for me to; she blows my mind with her hyper detailed dresses. She makes me reach out for excellence. How could I forget my ever consistent MAI Atafo!!! His bridals are simply classy.

Awww...aint she so pretty?

 Do you have a sponsor?

Yes I do, my elder brother. Just as I mention earlier sometimes, He would call me when I felt everything was crumbling and instill confidence with his powerful words. He believes in me even when I know well enough that I can’t do it.

You made mention of you making your pageantry outfit. How did that help in improving your sewing skill?

The fabric was expensive and I thought to myself, "If I could risk destroying this beautiful and expensive fabric, why not keep playing around till I get there?"  It was in that moment that I launched an attack on my mums Ankara scarves. I condemned so much fabric that it would have been cheaper if I had paid a private tutor instead. When my mother got upset about my so much waste of fabrics, she refused giving me more fabrics and it was in a bid to put together different pieces of fabric to make a dress that my "unity in diversity" design was conceived. It wasn’t exactly conceived actually, it was born before the conception. By the time I was done making a multicolored skirt with pieces of fabrics, my friend looked at it and said, "I see different colours of love, bright colours of the sun. I see unity in diversity".

 What do you love the most about your works?

I watch people smile and exude confidence when they wear Maison D'erex and that makes my spirit soar. ...that’s what I love the most.

What’s your advice for upcoming fashion designers out there?

Never lower your standards for any reason, the moment you do so, you will certainly keep coming down. Dresses are made to cover and not to reveal. Decent is classy, designers should make dresses that portray class, style. Indecency certainly shows no class. Indecent dressing simply tells the story of one who lacks confidence and feels a need to make up for flaws by revealing flesh or endowments. However, merge decent, classy and hot without making your client seem desperate or sex objects.

She makes a lovely model as well.

   Thanks a lot Maison D’ Erex for cautioning everyone especially fashion houses over the trending indecent dressing. Good works you got out there mehn, keep it up and more grace to you.

Contact Maison via the following handles.

Gmail: maisonerex@gmail.com

Facebook: Maisonerex

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