The Chief Executive Officer of Modapet Fashionist and Fabrics, Mrs. Modupe Bello, has disclosed that young Entrepreneurs aspiring to become a Fashion Designer in Nigeria, don’t need millions of naira to begin the craft, stating that three, if not one machine, is just needed for the business. Bello, who joined the fashion industry 18-years ago, made this known while reacting to the importance of Federal Government’s support for the Fashion business within the country.

In a chat with VWS, Bello stated that she would prefer the Government financially support agriculture business, rather than giving Fashion designers loan, as all they need is constant electricity supply to enable them work with their machine.

“They can help by giving them (Fashion Designers) loan, but how are they sure that they (Benefactors) really want to venture into it. But you know, when you are really talking about Fashion, with one machine, you can start a business. I prefer Government helping people to Agric because we need food. So many people are into it (Fashion designer). It’s not a business that needs so much money. Government can assist unless they are ready to give us light. If you don’t iron, the beauty of a clothe will not come out. Even all these machines that sew shirt, they can’t use generator. There are some machine that does not use generators, if you want to use them, you will have to use a generator like Mikano.”
Though, she stressed that, to have a decent Fashion business with shop and tools to work with, certain amount needs to be on ground, “You can have two or three machine, though, I don’t know the price now, but at least, to start something good, with house rent and everything, maybe like N500, 000.”

The ex-banker reflect on how she began her career in the Fashion Industry, revealing that she began the business without any experience and also risked losing her bank job because of it, “I can’t remember (How much she started with). I just know I bought all the machine from a friend, get a shop. I’ve been here for more than 18-years. But when I first started, I was in the bank. So I visit on weekends, supervise my tailors, look at what they are doing, but when I realise they were just sewing for themselves, so I called one of them to teach me how to take measurement, so when I get to the office, I can tell my friends.

“I felt so good that I was doing something else apart from my normal Bank job. So when they see something on me, I say, ‘my tailor’. So I started learning how to take measurement. My tape-rule was always inside my bag, I will take it to the office, they bring cloth, you know this social media was not here then, and our oga must not see the catalog with you; you be hiding.”

Bello revealed to our correspondent that she took interest in sewing because of her daughter who needed http://vwsng.com/business/198-all-you-need-is-a-machine-to-startup-not-millions-ex-banker-modupe-bello-counsels-young-fashion-designers