Vivien Anyaduba Agbakoba
International Couture Designer
PART I
By Rodney Wayne Branche,
Publisher/CEO, Copa Style Magazine
Copa: Where are you from?
Vivian: I’m from the beautiful country of Nigeria in Africa. I’m from the proud Ibo Tribe.
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Copa: What is the language spoken there?
Vivian: There are over 200 languages spoken all over Nigeria but most of the people communicate in English.
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Copa: What schools have you attended?
Vivian: I attended the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and received my Bachelors Degree. Later I earned my Masters Degree from University of Ibadan. Finally, I studied several courses at the University of Maryland. My Husband received a position working with the International Monetary Fund and that’s how we moved to the Washington, DC area. Copa: When did you develop your skill for fashion design?
Vivian: As a child, I was a quiet little girl that played with dolls. I realized that I had a gift with sewing several things, such as stuffed animals and clothing for my dolls. I was completely in my own zone when creating these items. Later at the age of 11 I moved on to making my own clothing and loved the way they looked on me. At that time my father was extremely proud of my creations and began to share the news to neighbors and friends. This helped build my confidence greatly. |
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Copa: At what time did you seriously decide to establish your business?
Vivien: When I started college I began making garments for my siblings and myself so when I got married I began making clothing for my husband’s colleagues who worked at the oil company. Things picked up at the small studio where I created and constructed clothing for my new clients in Nigeria.
My husband’s job gave us opportunities to move to various locations. From Nigeria we moved to Venezuela, South America. At that time we had started our family and we had young children so I placed everything on pause and focused on their needs. Later on we moved to the United States, at that time my kids were getting older and advancing into high school so now I could get back into working on advancing my clothing business. As we continued to travel to new countries around the world I started to look into branding, production and moving everything up to the next level. So I eventually hired seamstresses and opened a showroom.
Copa: How would you describe your fashion designs at this stage of development?
Vivien: I would simply say that I designed articles of clothing that would be beautiful and people would say things like, “ Wow, where did you get that from, you really look amazing.” I aimed for sophistication and very chic styles. Everything had to look flawless and beautiful! Later I acquired even a greater taste for Haute Couture. As I learned more I began integrate styles to develop completely different looks from my international travels. This is the look you see now today.
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Copa: Please tell us more Vivien.
Vivien: I was hoping that people could see the versatility that I put into my collection. As I stated earlier, I’m of African descent and always will be proud to showcase my culture and style of my people. Nigeria is a country full of many fashion conscious people.
When I travel around the world I look at the textiles and various print designs and cherish their beauty. I’m always inspired by the many cultures of people of the world so it’s all incorporated into my designs.
Vivien: I was hoping that people could see the versatility that I put into my collection. As I stated earlier, I’m of African descent and always will be proud to showcase my culture and style of my people. Nigeria is a country full of many fashion conscious people.
When I travel around the world I look at the textiles and various print designs and cherish their beauty. I’m always inspired by the many cultures of people of the world so it’s all incorporated into my designs.
Stay tuned for PART II TOMORROW EVENING!
AnyabyVivian.com
~Copa