We recently connected with Bonita Nkemeh and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Bonita, thanks for joining us today. Alright – so having the idea is one thing, but going from idea to execution is where countless people drop the ball. Can you talk to us about your journey from idea to execution?

Fashion has always been a passion of mine. During my P1 semester of pharmacy school I decided to start an instagram page dedicated to outfits that I styled virtually. This is something that I’ve always thought about doing but I constantly found myself making excuses. My camera roll has always been filled with a plethora of different clothes, shoes, and accessories that caught my eye and naturally the next step was to start making outfits with the pieces. One day I was looking through all the outfits I created that were just sitting in my phone and thought, “someone really needs to see these.” It started off as just a way to share my art, but once I started receiving client inquiries I began to take it more seriously. I received my first major client very early in my career. At this point I had no idea how to be a “celebrity stylist” but I knew this was an opportunity of a lifetime so I needed to learn fast. I worked for hours everyday putting together outfits. I would sit in class and look for pieces from different online stores for whole lectures. Being a stylist began to feel a full time job, but I was still a full time pharmacy student. I’m still trying to find the perfect balance between being a student and a stylist, but i’m still proud of the progress I’ve made thus far. I’ve since expanded my services from just virtual styling to in person styling, personal shopping, creative direction and photoshoot styling. My love for fashion is dynamic and ever growing. I’m always thinking of new was to grow my brand and I’m very excited to share my vision with the world.

Bonita, 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 Bonita Nkemeh and I’m a student and wardrobe stylist from Chicago. I started my styling business on instagram in the fall of 2021 and have since expanded to other services including: in person styling, personal shopping, creative direction, and styling for videos and photoshoots. I usually start each project with a video call with the client to not only gather the necessary styling information but to also get a better idea of the client’s personal aesthetic. Although I am a stylist, I’m not just interested in dressing clients but rather the client’s overall image. With each client, my main goal is to ensure that their personal style is reflected in every outfit I put together. I take pride in my ability to style clients with an array of different types of personal styles. Your creativity and uniqueness is what makes fashion so fun, it’s a form of self expression and I try my hardest to preserve the client’s personal style during the styling process.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding part about being a creative is that the work that I do never feels like a job. When I work on my craft, it feels more like a journey in personal growth rather than something I do just to pay the bills. I often think about how little me would be absolutely in love with the woman that I have become and all I’ve accomplished. Following your dreams is never going to be easy, but the prospect of being able to make a living doing the thing that I love is what keeps me going.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Being in pharmacy school, I’ve come across many people that would consider themselves as “non- creatives” and often find myself feeling out of place in the classroom setting. My notes are filled with molecules and doodles of the animals that they look like as well as silly acronyms and mnemonic that make sense to no one else but me. Before I started my styling business, I frequently told people that I feel that school is stunting my creativity. As a creative sometimes we need to sit and observe life without any defined structure to conform to in order to come up with our best ideas. My experience as a student has felt like the opposite of that. With an average of two exams a week, there isn’t much time to just sit and search for inspiration. I think that people that are non- creatives underestimate just how differently the mind of the creative works and how it effects how we complete tasks.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pureandrogyny.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/four.yoko?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonita-nkemeh-a44445202/
• Other: https://instagram.com/yokothearchitect?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Image Credits
Image 1: Boss Life Productions Image 2: TJ Cartwright Image 3: Charles Audu