There is power in having a skill – Blessing Ugwuodo

Blessing Ugwuodo is the Founder and Creative Director of Springfield Fashion House. She has about two decades of experience in the fashion industry, with a strong background in fashion start-up. In this interview, she talks on what brings her satisfaction

What triggered your inspiration for fashion design?

I grew up in a community where I watched young girls stay home and not further their education because they couldn’t afford to. I also observed how young beautiful women would get married and some months or a few years down the line, with pregnancy and babies in tow, they would become a shadow of themselves. I was only about three years old and can remember vividly how I so much wanted to be a fashion designer. As I sat and watched my beautiful cousin Elizabeth sing and sew, I knew that was what I wanted to do in life.

So, I run a fashion academy that trains students between the ages of six and 60. Springfield Fashion Academy is uniquely positioned to transform lives through skill transfer.

If fashion has been your goal, why did you practice journalism?

Well, I had a path actually mapped out and written down when I was in school. I wanted to practice my profession and the experience I gained doing so has been invaluable in what I do today. I love journalism by the way. It’s empowering to not just have a voice but use it. It empowers others also when you can give voice to others who ordinarily wouldn’t have one. And let me tell you something, fashion is also a form of communication.

It communicates culture, life, love, peace, style, individuality. Presently Springfield publishes an In-house magazine so my journalism background balances us out.

How did you develop your fashion talent?

I did and would also recommend this to anyone whose dream is to start a fashion brand or fashion business. You may have the talent that comes to you naturally, you may also have all the money but putting skill into that talent is key to your success. A man cannot give what he does not have. How would you manage your team if you lack the requisite skills? And let me quickly add that having business skills have also gone a long way in helping us stand out.

What are you doing differently in your fashion school?

Springfield is a community of creatives. We are raising an army of productive people who are taking charge of their own lives and rewriting the narratives of their journey. Our environment is conducive and friendly. We make learning fun because we have broken down the entire complex process and our students learn with ease. We pay individual attention to each student and the result we have is extraordinary.

What hurdles have you crossed in your fashion endeavour?

Our environment is tough but I am tougher. The challenges range from lack of access to funds, and epileptic power supply, to even the mindset of people. Some of our students had to fight hard for their parents to allow them to get the skill. Many people still don’t understand the power of having a skill so it is like why do you want to finish university and be a tailor... What they don’t know is that there are 15 or more things one can do with this skill without sewing. Fashion is a money-spinner.

Do you think creative experts are competing well with their foreign counterparts?

Nigerian designers have dressed the American first Lady, world celebrities. You see them in major fashion shows in the world. Springfield has students in the UK and USA who discovered our greatness and wants to learn from us. We however need individual and governmental support. If we have access to grants, and funding, we would take over the world, especially in areas of manufacturing and production. Our textile production for example is almost non-existent. The government has to understand the worth of this industry and pay attention; see how our Adire and Ankara have taken over the globe.

How do you think the local fashion industry can be strengthened?

We need fashion tech. The world is digitalized. If you had doubts before; the pandemic showed us the reality. We need to leverage technology to grow the industry. Nigerian fashion can contribute much more to the national economy than it’s doing right now. The potentials and the possibilities are endless because we are just scratching the surface. The government should know what they are going cap-inhand looking for outside, we already have here if we develop this sector of our economy. Let’s look inwards. Let’s make Nigeria Great by creating the enabling environment for our people to thrive and not just be hustling for survival from generation to generation. We should do better because we can!