Haven started her fashion business in 2014, Ololade Adeoye Damee, CEO, Rareza Clothing is no doubt a force to reckon with in the industry because of not only her exclusive designs but for her proclivity for details.
In this chat with the publisher of SOLIDNEWSNG.COM Online, AZUH LILIAN, the woman of style and panache, speaks about what sets her apart from the pack as well as other topical fashion issues.
Can we meet you?
I am Ololade Adeoye Damee, a fashion designer and creative director of Rareza Clothing
Your educational Qualifications?
I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and I also have a vocational certification in fashion designing, event management and event decoration.
When did designing begin for you?
I started designing in 2014 with children wears but I moved into adult wears in 2018.
Did you have any formal training?
Yes, I had training in a fashion school for six months and majored in fashion designing
How long did it take you to master the art of fashion designing?
I have been in the business for some years now. I can say that you actually never get to master a particular art because things change. The things that were taught back then have become stale and some are no longer trending, new things have come up. The whole idea is knowing the basis and been able to apply those basic knowledge into the new technologies and new designs coming up yearly. You basically cannot master the art completely. When you say how long does it take to master the art, I will tell you it’s a continuous process, you keep learning everyday and you keep striving to make sure that you are on top of your game.
What is the name of your fashion house?
The name of my fashion outfit is Rareza Clothing.
How did you come about the name, Rareza?
The name Rareza is a Spanish word and what it means is something rare or something unique. So when I was trying to name my fashion outfit, I was checking for words that actually meant something you hardly find, something that it’s in a class of its own, something that is very unique and I came across that word Rareza in the dictionary.
And of course, all the other option that I had then just didn’t click the way Rareza clicked and I loved it and decided to use it. I have been using it right from 2013 when the idea of becoming a fashion designer struck me.
When did you set up Rareza Fashion?
I started and launched it in 2014. I used to have a physical outlet where I sew readymade children clothing especially girls wears in 2014.
What is your state of Origin?
I am a native of Ogun State.
What fabrics do you love to work with?
I love Ankara, African prints, cotton fabrics, but most especially I love Ankara. Ankara is a very versatile fabric and that is what makes me love it so much and then, Ankara never goes out fashion, it never goes out of style unlike laces where certain laces will trend for a particular period of time and after some years you cannot wear a particular lace again because they say it is old lace or something like that but Ankara is not like that. If you buy Ankara in 2021 or 2031, you can still wear that same Ankara and it will still look as gorgeous as it was when you wore it the first time. Ankara never goes out of style so that is why I love it so much and you can actually tell it from the design I put out on our pages.
What inspires your designs?
For me my inspiration comes naturally. I get inspired by many things. It could be anything – plants, colors, people, anything. I draw my inspiration from all kind of things, basically things that are around me.
One other thing that inspires me is that I look at what other people are doing and I try to do it and do it better. I try to do what another person is doing but in a better way like create a better vision of what somebody else has created. I do that too.
What are those things you look out for when designing for a client?
When designing for a client, we try to look at the physique. We look at their shape, we ask them questions about the things they like and the kind of things they don’t like, we use all the responses to design on what to make for them.
1How affordable are your charges?
Rareza clothing is very affordable. We try as much as possible to make our prices affordable for the average Nigerians. We also have a range of product that caters for high end clients but most of our items are affordable to the average Nigerians.
Who is your best dressed Nigerian woman?
To be honest, I don’t have any best dressed Nigerian woman. I will just say I am my own best dressed Nigerian woman. You know our styles are different and everybody and everyone to his or her own style and for me, I just like simple outfits, casuals. I love something that makes me comfortable. I don’t think I have every Nigerian woman who comes to mind as the best dressed person.
What separates your designs from others out there?
Now most people follow trends, I don’t follow trends. Most of the time when you look at my designs, it is unique. When you see it, you can easily tell how much effort that has been put into that design because I like to create my design from scratch. I like to look for inspirations and create designs from scratch so I can boldly say in the last seven to eight years that we have been in business, we have actually set trends and so our designs are extremely unique and they speak a lot of class. As a woman, when you wear a Rareza outfit, you easily exude confidence that you are wearing something unique and exceptional. I think that’s our own selling point. When someone wants to buy from us, they are sure that they are buying something that is unique. Also we like to make our design exclusive. We sell exclusivity and what that means is that we mass produce our own designs. Whenever we are designing, we have it at the back of our mind that we are designing this outfit for this number of people and we don’t want it to be something you see everywhere we go. When we design we want it to be only few people that have access to such design. And what that means is that it gives the clients a feeling of exclusivity and that’s one thing that makes people want to buy our design.
What colors are in vogue?
Green, purple and orange are in vogue
What is your dream for Rareza clothing?
Our vision at Rareza Clothing is to have at least one Rareza woman in every family. That one Rareza woman is in every average Nigerian family.
What are the three things people don’t know about you?
The three things people don’t know about me is that a lot of people don’t know I have a science educational background, I think that basically what people don’t know about me is few things. People actually thought I did marketing or accounting or something else. Most people are usually surprised when I tell them I am a Computer Science graduate.
What is your marital status?
I am married with three children.
What makes you a good designer?
A lot of things make up a good fashion designer. One of which is attention to details. A good fashion designer must be someone that knows how to pay attention to details, that can spot every little detail. A good fashion designer is also someone that listens because to actually be good at what you do, you have to be ready to listen to feedback from client and you have to take those feedbacks even the negative ones, take it to heart and use that to make yourself better. Thirdly, a good fashion designer must be very patient, very skilled and be able to multitask.
How lucrative is the fashion business?
The fashion business is very lucrative. As it is at the moment, the fashion industry is worth billions of dollars. So it’s a very lucrative business and fashion is very broad. There are many ways you can make money through fashion designing.
What do you like most about being a fashion designer?
What I like most about being a fashion designer is my ability to use my creative side every time and I am someone that loves to work with my hands. I am a very creative person. I love to do things with my hands so I loved the fact that fashion designing makes me utilize that side of me very well.
What is your favorite food?
I love bread and tea.
And drinks?
I love water, water is my best drink
What is the sweetest thing about marriage?
The fact that you can always have someone you can always talk to when you are down; someone who you can rely on and not be afraid that he will talk about you behind your back. To me, I think that is the sweetest thing. Everybody to his own, but to me, the fact that I have a best friend in my husband is what the sweetest thing in my marriage is because everybody’s marriage is not the same.
Can we meet your family, tell us about them?
I am married to Hammeed Damee and he is a computer programmer. I got married in 2014. I have been in marriage for seven years, precisely in August 2014.
Would you consider marriage the best decision you have ever taken?
I wouldn’t say marriage is the best decision that I have ever taken. I think the best decision I have ever taken in my life is following my dreams and that is my fashion business.
How do you relax?
I am an indoor person, I just love to stay inside my house, put off the light and watch movies.
Describe your personal style?
My personal style is comfortable, casual and classy. I just want to put two or three outfits together. I love to wear something simple and moderate but at the same time when people look at me, they will always admire my outfit. But my style generally is casual but classy at the same time.
What is the greatest thing God has done for you?
The fact that I am still alive is the greatest thing God has done for me and he will ever do for me. When there’s life, there’s hope for every other thing.
What is a must have in a woman’s wardrobe?
I think a good deodorant to avoid body odor.
What is your definition of a stylish woman?
To me a stylish woman is a someone whose sense of fashion speaks louder than their words. You see a person and you can easily tell from her looks that she is a bold confident woman and to me, that’s been stylish.
When was the last time you wore a suit?
I think my secondary school graduation.
Which is your favorite, corporate or native attires?
I love native attires. Ankara is my favorite and there’s so much you can do with it.
Describe yourself in a nutshell?
I’m a resilient go-getter and I am very hardworking, I don’t like lazy people and I am the type that don’t take no for an answer. If something is in my head, then it should be possible in reality. I go all out to do things. When I want something I do everything I can to get it as long as it is legal.
Who are your fashion icons?
Outside the shores of this country, I look up to fashion brands like Zara and back home I look up to MOOFA designs. I love Zara for his business model and I look up to him to be able to do something similar to what he’s doing here in Nigeria. I love MOOFA so much because her designs are extremely unique and despite the details she infuses in her designs, you can still see that simplicity, classy and comfortability in what she does.
For someone that wants to go into this business, what kind of advice would you give?
One, you have to be ready to spend money. You have to be consistent. You have to be ready to hear a lot of rules and in the fashion industry and basically most businesses, there are some many challenges. If you are not ready to take to corrections or improve yourself, if you are the type that is not teachable then, you cannot run a fashion business. For those who want to go into the fashion business, I would say you must be ready to spend a lot of money because in fashion there’s a lot of competition. You need money to do a lot of things, that can make you get noticed and I would also say you must be consistent because the more consistent you are, the more people will notice you, like you, trust you and do business with you.
What is your favorite color and why?
My favorite is white and that’s because white is classy. It puts you on another level and that is why you see most big men paint their houses white. White color has this gracious feeling to it. I love white. It makes everything classy.
How do you rate the Nigerian fashion industry?
The industry is doing very well by my own standards. I feel that we have actually gotten there. There are lots of designers in Nigeria right now and people seem to glow a lot and it shows. I think the Nigerian fashion industry is doing very well.
Are you a lipstick or gloss woman?
I prefer Lipstick
What is the secret behind your beautiful looks?
The secret behind my beautiful looks is that I don’t do any special therapy, I use very good skin care product and I actually have a skin care line called Rareza Glow. I use good skin care products and that is basically all I do. I don’t have any special routine aside the skin care product that I use.
What is the most expensive thing in your wardrobe?
I have a pair of shoes that is expensive. I don’t want to mention the price. I got the shoes earlier this year.
Are you a flat or heel person?
I love flats and if I am going for a heel, it won’t be more than three inches heels. But generally, I love flat heels like flat sandals, flat slippers, flat shoes. I love them, they are very comfortable.
What is a must to have in an elegant woman’s bag?
I think it’s a good thing to always have your perfume in your bag.
