By Tonia Okereke
One of Nigeria’s iconic fashion designers has declared herself a modern gypsy. Creative Director of Nikki Khiran Couture, Nikky Odu-Khiran, in an interview with The Sun, described her style as bohemian and very much like the fashion of contemporary gypsies. The graduate of the London College of Fashion, who majored in Fashion Design Technology declared her love for the features that make gypsy look something she lives by.
She also disclosed that her parents, both professors, weren’t happy with her decision to pick a career in fashion.
“Since I was a little girl I had always been very creative and when I told my parents that I wanted to go to college to study fashion design they discouraged me. This was because they were both professors, so they felt I should get a proper degree first and then go into fashion. When they realized how serious I was, they allowed me go to England to study. At that time fashion design was not a popular choice.
“My dad was a mathematician and physicist while my mum was an educationist, so they weren’t exactly pleased, but the fact that I knew what I want to achieve spurred me on. The way they had raised me gave me the boldness to question them and fight for what I wanted.
“Eventually they agreed. The got the creative part of me came from my mum, she’s artistic. Right from a young age, I would play with fabrics like batik and adire”, the newspaper quoted her as saying.
“My style is bohemian chic; I’m a modern day gypsy. I love ethereal clothing, layering, fluidity, asymmetrical cuts and bold prints. I like sexy clothing in an understated ladylike way. My main focus now is a prêt-a-porter line. We have outfits for day wear and evening wear, and also have a made-to-measure line for special occasions.
“The Nikki Khiran Couture woman is confident, individualistic, graceful and elegant; she’s a strong woman, who wants functionality, elegance and comfort from her wardrobe. She’s a real woman with real curves and dresses to suit her curves. She doesn’t need to be Size-10 to feel good about herself. Consistency, an eye for detail, and understanding a woman’s body and what she wants and exquisite finishing, I believe are our unique selling points”, the newspaper quoted her as saying.
Nikki attributed her longevity in the ever changing fashion industry to her dynamism. “To stay relevant in the fashion industry, one needs to keep evolving. At this point, after being in the industry for over 25 years, I would like to give back. So, we’re going to start a skills acquisition centre, teaching the rudiments of fashion design. A lot of people would like to start a fashion-based business but don’t know how to start or what is involved in starting a creative business and staying in business”, she said.
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