Yummy Mummy Couture ჱܓThe Preggie Diva!
Posted on 02. Sep, 2010 by Lounge Lady in iStyle
Fashion choices for pregnant women are evolving everyday and staying fashionable during pregnancy has never been easier – or more fun! More than ever before women are beginning to embrace the possibility of staying pretty and comfortable instead of being frumpy during pregnancy.
Edidiong Amama Ekwere is a designer who is passionate about making trendy maternity clothing for women who want to stay beautiful while celebrating their pregnancies. She has been busy working on her fashion line called Yummy Mummy Maternity Couture®. Her desire is to craft and provide a unique African inspired touch to captivate the trendy, classy, sexy, sassy and bold modern day mummy-to-be.
Here is what she told Femme Lounge!
Edidiong Amama Ekwere
My name is Edidiong Amama Ekwere, Eddie or DeeDee for short. I studied Geology but have always had a flair for all things artsy and creative. I started sketching as early as 4 or 5, and designing, as a fall out, came naturally. I love design and the process of bringing something to life that was once only a figment of my imagination is pure delight. It’s an absolute ‘high’. With the creative arts, you can be certain that the best of you is out there for someone else to enjoy!
Yummy Mummy Maternity Couture®
Yummy Mummy Maternity Couture® is a subsidiary of “Maison de Bara” and boasts “Haute Couture” and Prêt-a-porter collections for today’s ‘unrepentantly preggo’ diva, providing her couture with a decidedly ethnic twist. Using African prints as a basic medium and playing it against and alongside other fabrics of varying textures, Yummy Mummy Maternity Couture® desires to craft and provide a unique African inspired touch to its products captivating the trendy, classy, sexy, sassy and bold modern day mummy-to-be and mother-of-xxx. We’ve also provided a range of fashionable, unique tee-shirts for the urban young lady. We are confident the vibrant colours and hard-to-come-by patterns will steal your heart right away, and they are just for that woman who ‘dares to be different’.
Inspiration
I wanted to uniquely express myself while creating stylish, afrocentric and wearable designs for the pregnant diva.
2010 Collection …
This is my debut collection. It boasts the Yummy Mummy Maternity line ‘proper’, the Materni-Tees™ and the Tribal Tees™. The Line itself showcases a range of luxuriantly crafted dresses for yummy mummies-to-be and yummy mummies. Each piece was carefully designed to either be worn as a day dress, or to transition nicely for a casual evening event or for church, and cut to accentuate and celebrate the ‘baby bump’ while still affording the wearer comfort uncompromised by style. The Materni-Tees™ are designed to snuggle the baby bump in a very bold and trendy way while the Tribal Tees™ are Ankara and embroidery infused t-shirts for every woman, in every walk of life. So you don’t have to be pregnant to wear a Yummy Mummy design.
What sets you apart from other maternity fashion lines?
We definitely stand out as being the fore-runners of ethnic inspired maternity wear. It is clear from research, there is no other maternity fashion line here in Nigeria today and when compared with foreign counterparts, we are the only ones providing maternity couture with a decidedly ethnic twist, that African inspired touch. Our tee-shirt line is also the first of its kind, infusing fashion and culture to give that unique quality that so many people have been waiting for.
When was Yummy Mummy Maternity Couture® established?
Yummy Mummy Maternity Couture® has been in the ‘dreamworks’ for a very, very long time but was finally established in May 2010.
Who is the typical Yummy Mummy Maternity Woman?
Every woman in the whole wide world, who wants to look and feel glamourous while she’s pregnant, after she’s had the brood, and while anticipating that facet of life.
What were the challenges you faced in establishing your fashion label?
Finding the time to invest in this project has definitely been my biggest challenge…
Did you have to get a relevant training about having a fashion line?
I’ve definitely had to rely on a love of fashion and a flair for the arts to get this project off the ground and to a flying start.
The hardest part of your job?
Finding the time……
The best part of your job?
Everything about it puts a smile on my face. I absolutely love my job……
Your most fulfilling moment on this journey
Seeing the designs come to life on the actual human form and in print….
People’s response to it so far
Extremely encouraging and very supportive.
What significant life lessons have you learnt on this journey?
It’s never too late to pick up and run with your dream.
This must be costing you lots of money, where has the funding been coming from?
I haven’t found it too difficult to find investors to support my enthusiasm, business plan and sense.
Most successful women have had to climb on the shoulders of others to have a clearer view of the road ahead them, who are your own mentors?
Thank God for His dependable shoulders, for my mum who always believes in me and my abilities and my bestest friend, who totally believes in me even when I don’t believe in myself and has a wealth of advice and help to share and offer. And I can’t forget the few very special friends of mine who have supported me in every ramification, all the way. I am blessed.
Your greatest strengths and skills that have particularly been of help in achieving?
Prayer, you can’t achieve a thing if God is not in it and neither can you harness on what He has deposited in you if you don’t seek. Also, I would add persistence, the ability to not let go of a dream, hard work, mindless dedication and sheer determination.
What should we expect of Yummy Mummy Maternity Couture® in few years time?
A lot …
Where and how can we know more about your work?
While work is ongoing on our website, anyone can join, view and order directly from our Facebook page, Yummy Mummy Maternity Couture. There is a runway show planned for late this 2010, so keep your eyes peeled and be expectant …
If I Did It , You Can! – Adura Odesanya
Posted on 30. Aug, 2010 by Lounge Lady in Healthwise
If you don’t know me, you’ll soon come to learn how much I love food.
I vividly remember being told by a friend in secondary school that although I was lucky because I could eat whatever I liked, one day things will change. I felt like she was threatening me by predicting I’d get fat if I continued loving and eating food the way I did – I rolled my eyes and kept on eating 
Well… a year later, after a summer holiday in England, I went back to school chubby *shock horror*! Luckily for me, I was almost back to my usual size after a term in boarding school.
I wish I could say that was my only experience with being overweight but if you love food as much as I do and you’ve been overweight once, it’s bound to happen again especially if you fall back into bad eating habits. Or worse. That is exactly what happened when I moved to London in 1998. I ate, ate and ate a little more. I worked in McDonald’s for 6 months and had a burger, chips and a milkshake almost every day. Sometimes I treated myself to a chocolate fudge or caramel sundae, it was all free so why not? Was I surprised when I realised how big I’d become? Yes! Did I do anything
about it? Yes because once in a while I remembered how slim I was in Nigeria and I was sad I’d gotten that big and No because I quickly got over my self-pity and carried on eating… of course.
I finally did something about it when I saw a picture of myself at a friend’s barbeque – I honestly couldn’t believe it was me! Yes I saw that same person in the mirror everyday, I’d seen pictures of myself from other occasions but they never had the same impact that this picture did on me (Note: This isn’t the picture but is from the same year).
Before After
To me, that was a life changing moment. Sorry if I sound dramatic but it was. I instantly made the decision to join Weight Watchers and I successfully lost 40 pounds in less than 4 months from eating healthily. Wouldn’t it be the perfect ending if I said I looked and felt good for ever and ever?… Yes but that’s not true.
Through my experiences, some even as recently as last year, I have come to learn, and still am learning; the right balance between healthy eating and exercise. Exercise is very important but healthy eating is even more important.
It doesn’t happen in one day. It has been 8 years since I initially lost weight and I am now coming to the point where I am much more confident with the decisions I make with my health and my fitness. Finally confident enough to provide help and advice to people who are in similar situations to where I was.
If you are where I was, I’m here to help as much as I possibly can.
Adura Odesanya is a Fitness Instructor and Trainer who works with Fitter London. Having been overweight in the past, she recognises the challenges that many people face in trying to overcome weight loss and fitness challenges. She will be sharing some of her experiences that have helped her achieve and maintain a significantly healthier lifestyle with us on Femme Lounge.
website/blog: http://www.adura-odesanya.co.uk/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/adura_odesanya.
Shoes Are A Girl’s Bestfriend?
Posted on 30. Aug, 2010 by Lounge Lady in iStyle
Most ladies relationship with shoes start off from an early age, mostly while they are in their early teens, looking at the shoes through the shoe shop window wishing that they could have them to add to their already increasing closet full of shoes, or just wishing that they could pull off those extremely high heels without wobbling with every step they take. As much as we realize our love hate relationship with shoes and the fact that we only wear one third of the amount of shoes we possess we still cannot deny that we’d much rather have them than not.
So here is a list of the types of shoes every woman needs to have in her shoe closet and the different types of shoes for different occasions.
Flats or Ballerina Pumps
Our early relationship with shoes often starts off with flats or the ballerina pumps as they are often called. They have little or no heel, are easy to wear, durable and absolutely pain free. They are very good for ladies who are into the casual look and are often the best shoes to go shopping with; they are also good for outings where you know you’ll be spending the day on your feet.
Sandals
These are often worn when the weather is warm because they are also as comfortable as ballerina pumps while allowing a lot more freedom to the toes. The higher they are up the leg the slimmer they make your legs appear, so if you want your legs to appear slimmer especially if you are wearing a short or knee length skirt get a pair with a little extra buckles up top. They come in a variety of colours and are also good for casual occasions.
Wedges
The wedges are another famous pair with the ladies although there is also an amount of ladies that would rather not wear them. Wedges are good for people who want a little extra lift but are not very comfortable with the idea of wearing heels. This can be worn with just about anything they are also very comfortable.
Kitten Heels
These barely there heeled shoes are great for people who are just learning how to wear heels, they do not give as much of a lift to the person and are often not as attractive but are very comfortable for a long night, it is worth having a pair as they can come in very handy.
Stilettos
These are often said to be the best of the lot, why, do I hear you ask? Because unlike all other types of shoes a nice pair of high stiletto can dramatically change the way you look. They are not as comfortable, but hey whoever said beauty was pain clearly knew a thing or two about what was going on. They are worth investing in, can be worn with any type of outfit and if you are a Shorty they can give you a major height transformation. They should mostly be worn when going out for an event or to the office as they are much more appropriate for such events but for some people they are everyday attires. Hey if Victoria Beckham can do it why not you. If you know you are going to be on your feet for a long time rounded toes, open toes or sandals are much better as you will have to deal with less pain which is often more likely with pointy toed heels. Wearing the right shoes for the right occasion is not only necessary it is also appropriate as it can make or break an outfit just ask Carrie Bradshaw and I’m sure she’ll tell you a thing or two. And if there is any lesson we have learnt from Cinderella it is that sometimes a pair of shoes can change your life, for all you know you just might find Prince Charming.
Writer: Yemi Babasanya blogs at http://yemibabasanya.wordpress.com
From Africa With Exotic Beads ~ Duaba Serwa
Posted on 21. Aug, 2010 by Lounge Lady in She
Nana Serwa Hagan Aboagye is on a mission to re-entice the world to the beauty of African Beads with Duaba Serwa, a Jewelry Line with Traditional and Contemporary Neckpieces and Bracelets made from genuine Ghanaian Glass beads, Middle Eastern Metal and Ceramic pieces and Finishes from Sierra Leone and Togo. Duaba Serwa is currently stocked in Ghana, in the United States and also in the United Kingdom with more expansion into other countries in the year 2010. Femme Lounge talks to Nana Serwa.
You?
My name is Nana Serwa Hagan Aboagye I’m 24, I studied textiles graphic design and general knowledge in arts for three years in Achimota School and made the change to science (Nursing) in University. I am building my brand by looking at my talents the things I can do with ease that others can’t. This has served as a source of guidance, motivation and the driving force behind my brand.
Duaba Serwa?
Duaba Serwa is as a result of a dream I’ve had for a few years now. As with some things in life, it came into being rather unexpectedly. It was driven by a deep desire to express my creative talents and satisfy my entrepreneurial hunger. A jewelry line may seem like a strange choice for some but it made perfect sense to me from both a creative and financial standpoint. The line consists mainly of local glass beads melted in the eastern and Volta regions of Ghana with a fusion of other elements from Nigeria, Togo, India and Mali.
What Does It Mean?
Duaba Serwa is in the native Ghanaian language Twi. Duaba simply means seed. Serwa however, is my middle name. The name was inspired by a number of people and events. It is characterized by its meaning and will remain a bold and dominant name to those who truly understand it.
Sacrifices You’ve Made?
As with most things in life, Duaba Serwa came into being rather unexpectedly, everything good in life comes with a pocket of sacrifices and indeed I’ve had to deal with a few of those.
Training?
I was in art school for three years so all the techniques I use to make the jewelry were derived from there
Challenges
Sourcing of materials has been the toughest challenge for me. I try to keep the line traditional yet with a touch of modern contemporary spark with the help of Swarovski element. Also combining working at the hospital with the jewelry making. The hours in a day are simply not enough!
Memorable moment
I was in a crafts shop with two of my friends looking for new materials, shapings and finishes, a lady recognized and approached me with so much excitement and started talking about her favorite out of last year’s winter line. It was amazing, in that moment I actually felt I had made it and then reality hit me ! I had so much more work to do
People’s Response
The response has been overwhelmingly positive and unexpected. I have taken great encouragement that has served as a source of motivation and given me the confidence to diversify my brand. The look on potential customers faces when they see the pieces for the first time. It’s fantastic!
Word Of Advice
A great Idea will quickly die. People have to buy into your vision and support. For the most part your passion and enthusiasm can help encourage this but the work will have to speak for itself.
Funding?
My entire life savings so far has funded the line but on a good tangent I’ve reinvested everything I’ve made so far and now Duaba Serwa funds Duaba Serwa.
Role Models
I’ve got quite a number but those that clearly stand out for me are of course my mother and a lady by the name Constance Swaniker CEO of accents and arts she’s a one woman business power house in Ghana. She inspires me so much; I had the pleasure of meeting her a few months ago. It was equivalent to a young fashion designer meeting Coco Chanel.
Best Part Of It?
I am personally invested in each of my pieces. I conceptualize, design, and create each piece myself and I put a lot of love into my work.
In few years time
Growing the brand more through select line extensions, expanding its global reach and presence and continuing to develop and maintain a world class brand.
Attribute That Has Been Of Help?
Passion, tenacity, diligence, a good work ethic and a clear understanding of the business side of things.
What You Know For Sure
Nothing in this world worth having comes easy; it takes God hard work diligence and persistence to make it
Contact info
Duaba Serwa PMB Tema Comm 1 Ghana
Phone – Ghana + (233) 243101656/ (233)262101656
UK – (0044)7983329897/00447931934676
USA – 0016466715222/0012024607984
Pictures: Duaba Serwa
Love; What Money Has To Do With It.
Posted on 21. Aug, 2010 by Lounge Lady in Pillow Talk
Overwhelming financial concerns sometimes create strains that affect the expression of our love, not always because we want to be materialistic or selfish, but because we innately desire an all round stability in our relationships. The extent we can go to meet this need and the maturity at handling associated issues however differs. Various statistics are showing that financial concerns rank one of the five top reasons for divorce and one of the top causes of conflicts and disputes in marriages.
More than ever before, money plays an important role in marriages, today’s world is fast paced and the status of an individual and the opportunities available to them is increasingly being determined by material wealth. There is a strong pursuit for prettier, bigger, flashier and costlier things of life, and a lack of the ability to keep abreast with peers in this regard may cause unnecessary stress on the married life of any two people.
When financial needs becomes unmet and expectations do not match up, it could cause persistent personal conflict and resentment that could then inspire a pursuit of independent dreams, without regards for what the other person feels or how it affects their relationship. Because one wants what the other doesn’t, there will be dissatisfaction and frustration, and love will become sour.
In such situations, whether we choose to independently pursue our dreams or decide to stick through the financially challenged relationship, the truth is we will have to make choices that demand sacrifice. There may not be the desired financial buoyancy now, but is there love, teamwork, focus, determination and hard work towards success? Is it possible to hold up faith for a breakthrough?
If you think your relationship is worth rescuing from the claws of financial tension, here are five recommended ways you can work it out;
Be On The Same Page
Communicate clearly to each other about your fears and concerns for your finances and together analyze your financial situation and agree on the financial future you want for yourselves. It is important that you both understand each other’s financial expectations.
Have a Game Plan
Strategize on how you want to achieve your financial dreams, don’t just wish and desire, you need to map out a practical and realistic way for you to make enough money for the kind of life you desire and to stay out of debt. Devise ways that can work best for you both. For instance, you can decide to work two jobs instead of one, or you may decide to relocate to another state where you can have better job prospects.
Make No Room For The Lazy One
It could be really frustrating to have a laid back partner who isn’t giving 100% commitment to your financial future. You both have to get out of your comfort zones and take actions to make your dreams become reality, discuss and agree on what each person’s contribution to your financial success would be and be committed to it.
Don’t Bite More Than You Can Chew
You will need to curb unnecessary spending, and together set financial priorities, make periodic budgets and stick to it. Don’t accumulate debts and put your financial future in jeopardy because you want to keep up with The Jones’. What is more important? Is it buying a new house or saving up your child’s education? Ask yourselves important questions, be realistic and stay on course.
Let The Owl Do The Night Watch
While both of you should be actively involved in your financial decisions, it is important to let the person who is more competent at handling it take charge. Don’t take it up if you are not disciplined with spending or if you find it difficult to keep account and balance the sheets.
When Lost Ask For Directions
Don’t hesitate to seek professional help and counsel when you think you need to. Remember you are not alone in this situation, there are couples who have been in and out of the financial mess you are. Don’t go through life trying to patch things up when you can get people to help you out. No matter what you are experiencing you can find help somewhere. Never wait till when the things eats you up and gets out of control before you call out for help, it might be too late. Take the bull by the horn, be equipped with the right knowledge and support from people who know about it. You don’t have answers to everything.
Writer – Shola Okubote
Photo Credit – Ojo Images
