By Vivian Onyebukwa
Prince Dare David, the brain behind “Afrika En’ Vogue”, is an international award winning fashion designer. He’s Best African Designer of The Year 2004 held in South Africa, and Best Nigerian Made in France 2005 award.
He started fashion in his younger years because of his flair for aesthetics (beauty, elegance and grandeur). Subsequently, he studied Fine Arts at the School of Arts, Oshogbo, Osun State. David Dare has been in the fashion business for well over three decades.
How did you go into fashion designing and why?
Before fashion was fashion for me, because it has always been what I go by.
How has it been?
It has been relatively great. So far, so good.
What kind of fashion do you do?
I do apparel design services where we specialise in general state-of-the-art African batik attires/tie and dye on guinea brocades, linen attires, and cotton materials, which can be designed into skirts and blouses, tops and trousers, gowns, etcetera.
Why?
It’s because I am thrilled having to get creative using these specific channels.
Do you do unisex?
Of course, I do unisex with all pleasure and proficiently.
Which one of them is more difficult to do?
I think it depends on the degree of design (s) you want to make.
I learnt that you do clothes for the high and mighty in this country.
God has designed that anyone with expertise in any trade would wine and dine with kings, and to that end I am privileged to be enjoying such divine injunction. I will not like to disclose their identities. It’s private.
How did you get in contact with them?
Like I said earlier, when diligence is your watchword, kings and queens would find you.
What is the highest amount you have received for making clothes for someone?
I would prefer to keep it private, but definitely you know them when you see them.
What kind of clothes is that?
I would say affordability, comfortability, suitability are the currencies.
What’s unique about your designs?
Anything along my line of specialization, which is designing of the general state-of-the-art batik attire, tie and dye on guinea brocades or cotton materials, etcetera.
How long do you intend to stay in this business?
For as long as God gives me the enablement to continue because it is pleasantly thrilling.
What are some of the challenges of the business and how can they be solved?
Finance is a major challenge. Finance houses prefer to give loans and grants to politicians instead of fashion entrepreneurs like us, or Small and Medium Scale Entrepreneurs (SMEs). Sensitization is what these finance houses need to be able to reckon with entrepreneurs like us.
How lucrative is the business?
As lucrative as the grace of God if one knows their onions.
What is the place of African fashion in international fashion market?
Africa is not where it ought to be because our environment is just coming up in terms of acceptability, but I must iterate that we are fast developing, and with more cooperation and financial injections, we would definitely be at our rightful place. Let me use this medium to appeal to our government to encourage and approve our indigenous attire as our official wears which we can wear to offices and so on. In this case indigenous designers will be well patronized.