We were lucky to catch up with Ifeatu Obasi recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ifeatu, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Well, I don’t really think I can pinpoint the exact time that I thought of pursuing fashion designing as a creative path professionally. But each time a I create dresses for my clients, the excitement we both feel is contagious during the fitting process. There is this sense of fulfillment that I feel whenever I am in my office designing and giving life to those designs and I know I want to continue doing that.

Ifeatu, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Ifeatu Pearl Obasi and I am the creator and founder of Da’Pearl, a fashion and design company that specializes in creating women’s wear. I got into the world of tailoring and fashion designing at the age of thirteen (13) after taking a home economics class back in junior high school. In that class, I was taught how to crotchet, and ever since learning to crotchet my love for threads and needles began. My dad then took me to a tailor during the school holiday at the time back in Ojota, Lagos. That was where my tailoring journey began. I’ll admit, I was not a fan of spending my time at the tailor’s shop learning a skill I never hoped to use as my goal was to become a medical doctor one day. I also wanted to be at home watching the latest episodes of Mara and Clara instead of spending all day as a tailoring apprentice. My love for sewing is a bit of a rollercoaster, the more I watched the tailors sew at the shop where I learned, the more intrigued I became. The first few projects I made were a baby yoke dress and a school uniform for my siblings and me. Over the years after moving to the States, a friend of mine reminded me of my tailoring skills, which I had not sewn for about 3 years at the time. So, I got myself a mini household brother sewing machine and began teaching myself things I had forgotten through YouTube and some mentorship by other skilled designers here in Houston. In 2021, I invested in my hobby and bought an industrial sewing machine to better cater to my client.

I currently design for special occasions such as prom, aso-ebi, birthday dresses, and wedding reception outfits to mention but a few. I am also currently working on a ready-to-wear collection and a bridal collection which will be launched soon. At Da’Pearl, we believe that every woman deserves to feel confident and beautiful in clothes that are made just for her.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist or creative is the ability to express oneself authentically and connect with others through my work. It’s a powerful feeling and gives a sense of fulfillment to see your ideas and emotions transformed into tangible creations that can inspire, provoke thought, or bring joy to both myself and those who experience my form of art.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

In my opinion, I would say one major struggle that a creative person encounters is the fear of acceptance. From the inception of an idea to bringing it to life, one major way to determine its success is by gauging its receptivity. yes, it is not made for everyone to understand but the more it is understood, the better chance it stands at validating a creative person’s points of view. Being creative often time creates a type of burden subconsciously that gears towards pleasing those on the receiving end even though we currently live in a world where everyone seems to be “woke” or have an attitude of “it’s not for everyone to understand”. This, in its own light, can be true however, the subconscious mind of a creative person struggles with that fear of acceptance and appraisal which if not well managed, could eventually lead to a feeling of self-doubt and eventually, a “creative block”. because you are trying to create a form of art that you aren’t sure would be viewed by others in the same eye that you see it. Additionally, the creative space is highly competitive, which can result in fierce competition for opportunities, making it challenging for designers to establish themselves. Self-promotion and networking may not come naturally to all designers, which in turn adds another layer of complexity to their career paths. Despite these challenges, fashion designers like myself remain resilient, driven by our passion for self-expression through clothing and the desire to contribute to the ever-evolving world of fashion.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dapearle.setmore.com/
• Instagram: da_pearle
• Facebook: Da’Pearl

Image Credits
Hakeem Instagram @keemographer