20
Applause
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Sunday Sun Su S un u nd day da ay Mir ay Mirror Mi M irr ir www.nationalmirroronline.net na n attiiio on nal a almi mir m mirr irro ir rror orro o on onl nllin n iine n ne e.n n
‘I’m more fulfilled as a model than a biochemist’ Momodu Efe, a mother and a wife, has been into modelling for about nine years. She is a fashion pundit-cum-designer. Efe, who studied Biochemistry at the Ambrose Ali University, Ekpoma, tells Adaeze Amos in this interview that she is fulfilled as a model than as a biochemist. You studied Biochemistry. You are supposed to be in a science laboratory. Why are you in fashion and modelling world? I actually have passion for fashion and modeling. After graduation, I did my youth service in Shell Petroleum after which I got a job with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) but I wasn’t fulfilled. I felt something was lacking in me. I resigned and went back to what I have passion for. I decided to chase my dream - fashion and modeling. I’m happier now, in fact, more fulfilled. Why do you not have passion for a course you studied in the university? The thing is you can be working somewhere and you are not really happy. It’s not all about the money they pay but you are not fulfilled even while you are there. As time goes on, you still want to really pursue what you love doing and be satisfied with what you are doing. Are there no challenges in fashion and modelling that you have passion for? Yes, there are challenges but your passion would drive you into overcoming your challenges. The challenge I’m faced with is, sometimes, clients are difficult to satisfy. You would want to give them a very perfect job. How do you come up with your designs? Sometimes it could be what I see people wearing. What I’m surrounded with inspires my designs. I could go out to somewhere and all of a sudden ideas could flow in. I deal with embroidery and stones; I could be very creative. I don’t opt for common designs you see everywhere. As a wife and mother, how do you cope with modeling? I still model irrespective of the fact that I’m married with a child. Right now, I was just coming from a job. I have done a couple of big jobs this year. I do mostly commercial modeling - billboards, TV commercials, handbills and all that. Most models believe that marriage or child-bearing can obstruct their career, how true is this? It is not true. It won’t obstruct anything. You can actually get married and still do what you love doing. You can be who you are even while you are married. Marriage is one thing we must all do in life but at some point, you still have to go for what you love doing. What is your advice to some ladies in their late 20s who feel they are too young to get married? My advice is that so long as you are an adult and you are mature enough to go with whatever that comes with it, you can get married. It’s not always a bed of roses but at some point, it’s worth it. There is no perfect age for marriage. Being an adult is very important. How do you combine motherhood with modeling? It’s easy because my husband is very supportive of whatever I’m doing. At some point, I may want to do one or two things and my baby may need my attention. I think it’s normal, so I’m not really complaining about it. Did you discuss your career with him before marriage?
Yes I did. It’s better to get married to a man who supports your dream and loves you for who you are. I think before even entering into any marriage, your husband or your spouse should know whatever you really love doing and be supportive of it. What is your style? My style is distinctive and special. I try as much as possible not to design for my clients styles that everyone is wearing. I also try not to wear such common styles. I always like to stand out in whatever I’m putting on. I think that is very unique about me. I customise clothes and styles for my clients in such a way that you may not see anybody wearing that style in the country. Fashion allows you to show off your good sides and cover your flaws. What can you flaunt with shoulders high? My hips and my waist are what I flaunt with shoulders high. That is why I wear things that accentuate my waistline. I also thank God that I have a very nice body. Letting my boobs to be on display is what I frown at but I can flaunt my cleavages a little bit. Who are the Nigerian fashionistas you admire? I love Zizi Cardow because she plays around stones in her designs. I love Marata Foe; he is good too. I also love Tribal Mark; he is an up-and-coming artiste. What is that fashion accessory you wouldn’t mind spending a fortune on? I wouldn’t mind spending good money to have good sunglasses and it has to be a designer label. I prefer Prader and Channel designer sunglasses. What are the beauty rituals you must observe to look good? I don’t wear make-up to bed. No matter how tired I am. I don’t have pimples and I don’t have to worry about so many things but I try to cleanse my face when necessary to allow my facial pores to breath and to make me feel fresh. Modeling is full of glamour, bliss and razzmatazz; what are those things that can make models lament or cry at times? What makes us cry at times is that in Nigeria, people don’t really respect models. There is the misconception in our society about models sleeping around, that we are prostitutes, not homely. This is not true. In the western world, models are highly respected. They take it as a career but just because we are here in Nigeria we are not respected, that is why some models would do one or two other things to keep body and soul together. I think it is because of the respect we don’t have here that is the cause of the peanuts we are paid. What are your wishes for the modeling profession? I wish models would have a union, a body that would take care of us. All the modelling agencies should stand up for what they know is best for models. Have you ever regretted being a model? Not at all. Apart from when I was coming back from Edo State and someone snatched my bag and all the moneys I was paid for the job were stolen, but so far no regrets. It’s been good. Would you wish your daughter to take modelling as a career? I wouldn’t mind. Right now she is a model. They wanted to use her for a job but she was too young for that. She was barely five
months old then and because the camera lights are not good on babies, I had to suspend that. Right now, she can model pampers, baby cream and so on. How do you feel being a woman? Personally, I love being a woman because it gives me room to cook. I enjoy cooking even with all the things that I do because I do make-up too and I know how to make hair. But what annoys me in this part of the world is the way men would look down on women. Some would even shout at you to keep quiet, that you don’t need to talk when men are talking, and things like that. When you are down, what do you do to derive your inspiration? I sing praises to God.
‘Fame denied me peace’ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19
me and I knew I was breaking inside. I knew I needed something but I couldn’t put my fingers to it. Many things were happening; I just had to cry unto the Lord because I needed peace that fame was denying me. At that point in time, every other thing could go to hell because I needed a relationship with God. It is only in your quiet moment that you could hear the voice of God because His voice is soft and subtle. You hardly hear Him when you are in the crowd. You go with
the crowd, you get destroyed. The crowd has nothing good to offer . I withdrew from the crowd so that I could hear the voice of the Lord and get the best from Him. When I heard Him, he said to me, ‘go to the wilderness’. My peace was more important to me because even with all the money and you didn’t have peace, it was equal to nothing. Little wonder the Bible says, ‘what does a man gain if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?’ There is time when you need something higher than everything material. Let me tell you one thing you may not know: stars are the most lonely people. What
you see most often is the glamour and the fame. Why are stars, with all the fame and glamour, lonely? It is all about trust; there is no one to trust, no one to confide in. That is why somehow along the line, if they can’t handle loneliness, they take to drugs. Some even commit suicide. Honestly, stardom is a problem. When stardom comes, you begin to learn how to deal with what people would say because they would definitely talk!