Ayeni Temitope Grace, a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, is the CEO of TemmyGrace Apparel. In this interview with SEYI TAIWO-OGUNTUASE , she speaks on the Nigeria’s fashion industry, why she ventured into the fashion designing business, the journey so far, the challenges and the opportunities to be tapped in the business, among other issues. Excerpts: What led you into fashion designing? I was inspired into fashion designing due to disappointments from my designers, while I was still schooling at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
Then, at my leisure, I do sketch out beautiful designs because I love sketching. Often times when a design idea pops in my head I will just sketch it out, so whenever I want to make a new outfit, I will just pick one of my sketched designs and give to my designers to make for me, but often time they get it so wrong, and whenever I wear the outfits without making proper adjustment I will feel so uncomfortable and this will make me less confident at whatever gathering I find myself wearing those outfits to. Often time I loose them out, and will make adjustments by myself with just needle and thread and it will come out perfectly well and because I didn’t even have a sewing machine, so after all the tiring experience with my designers, I decided I also need to not just sketch out designs, but also to be able to perfectly make them.
I was also inspired by my friend then which happens to be my husband presently. We were just close .
