Anthonia Nwamanna, serial entrepreneur and founder of clothing line, Nlecha, has said her love for fashion and style has drawn her into fashion industry despite having other businesses that she sits atop.
Currently the founder of Farmlife Productions, Anthonia who is also into oil and gas and FX, said fashion is inborn and her love for style will never go away.
“Fashion is something I have always had passion for. I have always been a stylish person. I have always had it at the back of my mind that one day; I would wake up and create something out of my heart desires.”
As such, teaming up with her siblings, Anthonia built an enviable brand, Nlecha, which she says will revolutionise the fashion industry, globally.
Giving a sneak peek of the clothing line, Anthonia said, Nlecha was borne out of a desire to re-imagine culture through fashion.
“We are taking a fabric, called ‘akwa ocha’ which originates from Anioma in Delta State, to tell stories. See what the Ghanaians are doing with Kente and the Yoruba’s are doing with aso oke. We can do same with Akwa Ocha. Akwa ocha signifies purity. We want to preserve African craftsmanship. We want to be a brand that has our heritage as part of its foundation.”
Talking about how she became a serial entrepreneur, Anthonia said her journey in the business world started in the oil and gas sector.
“I am a very curious person. I believe that there is so much to touch in the world. I like to create opportunities. I want to touch lives and for me to do that at a global stage, I have to create an opportunity for people to come together and do well for themselves.”
It was her “curiosity” that led her into the oil and gas business.
“The oil and gas started from a day of curiosity in my life. I was curious to understand what the industry was about and I got into it and I understood how to trade in the oil and gas industry and I started enjoying it. I am a very savvy business woman. I heard there was opportunity in the crude palm oil business. And I got into it.
“In my quest to trying to see how the business works, I ran into some bankers and they started talking to me about getting into the grains business. I got curious again about the business and I took a trip to Plateau State to understand how the grain business works. I got my first contract in a matter of minutes. I am a marketer by blood. I was to deliver 2000 metric tons of maize. I didn’t even know where to get the maize from. That was how I got in to farming. This same people we supplied the maize, we realized they have massive need for FX. This is me wanting to be a commodity trader. That means I trade in all commodities. That was how I got into Fintec.”
When one would have thought Anthonia would concentrate solely on her already established empire, she decided to venture into fashion.
“I love to dress well. I am one of those people that don’t get to an occasion on time because I want to be a show stopper. I also want my fellow lovely women to look good. I have always had this knack of wanting to dress somebody up. I would always notice if there is something wrong with your style.
“I told my sister that we should start a fashion house. We wanted to be able to portray quality. We want people to get value for their money. My sister asked me if I was sure we would pull this off and I told her I was sure.”
Talking about her brand, Anthonia said Nlecha is exceptional.
“Our creative process is exceptional. I don’t think there is any brand that is doing the infusion of akwocha with other fabrics the way we do it. Who would think of putting linen with akwa ocha? We play with all kinds of colours and patterns. We want people to know that akwa ocha cannot be worn as wrapper only. We can bring it in another style that would make you turn heads. Everybody can wear akwa ocha. Everybody wears aso oke. So our target is not for Igbo people alone but everybody. It is about your own styling.”
When asked how affordable her brand is, Anthonia said, “It depends on the style. Some styles are heavy as such, the pricing is high. We have other styles that are affordable.
Affordability depends on who is buying and what the person is buying. Our designs cut across from the Gen Zees to the middle aged to the older people.”
