Ciaa: Please introduce yourself to our readers.
Abbiee: Hi Ciaafrique readers, my name is Abbiee Oyewole, the creative mind and brain behind Qétura. Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria. Moved to Texas 8 years ago and have lived there since.
Ciaa: How and why did you start your own line?
Abbiee : The itch to start a clothing line began several years ago. At first I dismissed it as a strong desire for shopping. I would go to stores and not find quite what I was looking for; I wanted clothing that I could identify with, and was left disappointed. A couple of friends shared the same frustration, so with a little prayer and encouragement from family and friends, I decided to go for it 2 years ago.
Ciaa: Is fashion design a full time job for you or you are doing it part time for now?
Abbiee:Well you could say that. Fashion design for me is a full time job, because my mind never stops thinking about the endless possibilities. However, I share my time with a career in Accounting.
Ciaa: Tell us a bit about your latest collection
Abbiee: My latest collection is like a hodge podge of things I want in my closet right now; day dresses, cocktail dresses, and separates. Essentially I tried to consider the everyday woman and pieces she can incorporate easily into her life. Mostly inspired by vibrant colors and textures, some of the pieces in this collection were made out of(Aso Oke) a silk and cotton hand woven fabric to create color block dresses that look sweet like candy, literally .
Ciaa: Does your personal style influence your designs at all.
Abbiee: Selfishly, it does. Which means it’s ever evolving! However, I split my collections into 5 different categories, from chic to sexy to playful, so there is something for everyone
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Ciaa: Describe your clientele. What kind of woman wears Qétura?
Abbiee:I think this quote from my website (www.qetura.com) best describes it
” Qétura is for that stylish woman who works hard during day, meets her girls for happy hour on a week day, weekend brunch and of course provides that extra kick for an evening out on the town.”
Ciaa: Can you name one celebrity that you want to see wearing Qétura?
Abbiee: All of them! Well most J I’d have to say Scarlett Johansson, she has a very feminine body and a certain allure about her that embodies Qétura pieces. Another celebrity I‘d like to see in Qétura will be Sade; she also has that allure and femininity that Qétura represents.
Ciaa: That's great choice indeed ! What are some of your accomplishments as a designer?
Abbiee: To describe them as accomplishments would be a little premature. I like to think of Qétura as an up and coming label. With a growing clientele, potential stockists and anticipated fashion shows, I’m thankful for where Qétura is thus far, but there is still a lot of ground to cover.
Ciaa: Who are some of your favorite designers?
Abbiee: I have quite a few of them, all for different reasons. For example, I love the boldness of McQueen, the sensibility of Nanette Lepore, the eclecticness of Diane Von Furstenberg and the playfulness of Betsey Johnson.
Ciaa:I am not a fashion designer however I know how hard it might be to design and finish an outfit, what do you most enjoy about designing clothes?
Abbiee: Designing clothes is like finding the perfect shoes for me, challenging, yet exciting! There is nothing more satisfying that seeing your idea birthed into reality! It’s a home run when a client gets the same satisfaction from wearing it.
Ciaa: There are millions of blogs these days that talks about fashion in general but Rare to see African fashion mentioned at all. What is your take on that?
Abbiee: I think Africa Fashion is beginning to show its presence on the fashion stage. With the Arise collectives in New York, Paris and South Africa, and the recent influx of media coverage on African fashion, it’s exciting to see that the fashion industry is starting to pay attention, and dare I say taking notes from the motherland!
Ciaa: On that note, are you already planning another collection?
Abbiee: I am working on another collection which I plan to show at the Africa Fashion Week New York (www.afwny.com ) this summer. I’m taking more risks on this one. It’s all about shapes, volume and of course wearability. As always, there’ll be something for everyone.
Ciaa:: Let s talk about shipping, I understand you are located in the US do you ship all over the world?
Abbiee: We currently ship to Europe, US and some African countries,
Ciaa: How can Ciaafrique readers contact you to get some of your amazing designs?
Abbiee: Qétura’s website was recently re-launched (www.qetura.com) online orders can now be made. In celebration of Qétura’s 2 year anniversary, all items are 10% off (limited time offer). Additionally, pieces will be available in select boutiques (the list will be available online shortly)
Thank you very much for your time.
So what do you think of Quetura ? Is it one of your favorite fashion houses? designers? would you like to see more from Quetura . Always let me know if there are any other designers you’d like to see spotlighted on Ciaafrique in the future . I love African fashion !!!!!!! do you?
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