Mrs. Blossom Gabriel is multi-talented. She’s a fashion designer, beads maker, singer and a motivational speaker. Interestingly, she combines all of them very well. The front woman of Kraftitude Afrique, she shared her story with YES INTERNATIONAL!’s JENNIFER ORJI. Enjoy…
What does Kraftitude Afrique stand for?
It stands for African fashion, Africa craft. I am always in the attitude of making one thing or the other with my hand and that was how the name, Kraftitude Afrique came about. Always in the attitude of doing craft work, but craft work that is connected to the African fashion. That is Kraftitude.
How long has Kraftitude been in existence?
Let’s say since 2001. Professionally, yes, 13 years ago.
Aside dress making, what other things are done at Kraftitude?
Apart from the dress making, I also do beaded jewellery and wireworks, hats for all occasions. African hats, turban hats, English hats, just anything. I play with fabrics, I play with African fabrics when it comes to hats. I design bags, souvenir bags, Ankara bags. These are the things I do, as well as men’s fashion. Men’s English/African combination. I do group and personal trainings also. Like of recent, I trained some youths for the Senator Ganiyu Olanrenwaju Solomon Foundation; youth empowerment programme. I was one of the facilitators. I trained a few people on wire works, beaded jewellry.
What distinguishes Kraftitude Afrique from every other fashion outfit in Nigeria?
Okay. Kraftitude Afrique CEO is Blossom Gabriel. And there is only one Blossom Gabriel in Nigeria. So, I am distinguished already. And my designs are from my bowels, they are from my natural talent. So, I don’t copy anybody. I just focus on the designs God gives me and do my best with them. So, I am different, I am unique. This is what distinguishes me and also I promote modesty. I don’t promote nudity. I don’t promote nudity for an average African child. I promote dresses they will wear and they will say wow! I don’t welcome some designs when customers bring them. I just do something I know is good enough, but it must have a touch of moral value, an African touch. You know we are not westerners, we are not from the western world and any place we find ourselves, let’s promote the culture of that place and that is what I am doing.
Why do you prefer making dresses for men and not women?
(Laughs) I started my fashion outfit with both male and female designs. Which one pays me more? Men’s wears. Men are not troublesome, they just come, take measurement, make their dresses for them, deliver it and the next thing you will hear is wow! Or cute. I love the finishing. You get paid and you go your way. It’s not like making for a woman. Everything you make for a woman, you are making for a character. You are making for the person’s attributes. Everything that makes up that very personality is what you are designing for. And so most of them don’t understand the right thing. Okay, you have a slim figure and if someone sees a design on you and says I want it and the person is very fat, the style will not come out fine on you and the person still insists on the same design and you make it and it doesn’t come out fine on the person. That is a problem. Or some fabrics. You know there are some fabrics that you cannot use to cut eight-piece skirt, you cannot join them. But they will tell you that’s what they want and when it doesn’t come out fine, they complain. I don’t usually get troubled over female customers because I know that my work fits. But because I’m gifted on several things: hat making, beads, dress making, motivational speaking, music and I am a mother, I just have to choose which one benefits me more: men’s wears.
How do you manage your work in the office and at home?
I have a workshop at home. I also have here in the office and I have a showroom. It makes it very easy. Wake up in the morning, take care of my children, make them go to school early and face the work. I am my own boss; that is where it becomes easy. It’s easier that way. So, it doesn’t give me stress at all because all the work I am doing are my natural talents. I am naturally gifted in the things I am doing. They are my hobbies. I enjoy everything I do, I respect my hobbies a lot. Working with my hands and singing with my voice are all under creativity.
What is your definition of creativity?
Creativity is about colours and good sense of finishing. Understanding the choice of colours and good sense of creativity; final finishing. These are the things I call creativity. Ability to have the skill and be bold enough to let it out, bold enough to face it and feel you can do it. That’s creativity. Not every carpenter can be called to a hotel to come and do hotel job. When you enter that level of creativity, you will know that you are in it because the final finishing tells. I believe in the combination of more than one colour to call it creativity, I believe in the right combination to create creativity. My best colour is red, I love red naturally, I also look good on purple. I have more green outfits in my wardrobe, but I love a combination of red. There was a day I combined red with animal skin. Everyone was like wow! I don’t want to do what everyone is doing. I am crazy in my world and I love myself like that. I just love red. One of the best, brightest colours ever. One of the strongest colours we value.
How long have you been into gospel music?
Have been in it since I was 16; started by writing. Before then, I had been known as a child that loved music by everybody in the family. They knew. Once I am crying and there is music being played somewhere, I clean my face and start dancing. They knew it right from when I was a young child. I started writing and singing at the age of 16. I kept doing this till I got married, and I just had to wait for my husband’s approval. 2009 was when I released my first album. I was not actually in a hurry so much to come out. I was singing in churches underground, from one church to the other, one ministry to another. But professionally, releasing an album was in 2009, titled Never Let Go. And it was rated number one on Africa Magic chart some time in 2010. T.V Africa also came with their crew to interview me based on what they heard. It was very motivational, very inspiring. Never Let Go was the first single I promoted. Right now, I’m trusting God for more jobs and working on the video of my wedding single. I have a wedding single and it’s very prophetic. It’s so prophetic that it talks against divorce. A prophetic word for people in love that once you are there, just stay there, there is no going out and coming in. You say yes you love, you keep saying you love. Whatever you see, you take it like that. My songs touch lives. You must see the wisdom in my songs that will touch your life. The messages in my songs promote good character and understanding.
What inspired you to tow the path of motivational speaking?
Motivational speaking is a natural talent. I discovered myself way back, even when I was still a teenager. I’m gifted in talking, it flows like that. I didn’t really work hard enough to begin to do it. It was just something I saw in me and I found out that whenever I speak, people listen, you command respect, and you make sense and I keep touching lives. I have touched lives and marriages. I do more talks on women, children and youth. When it comes to the girl child, I do talks without limit on nudity and modesty. I talk on self realization for the youth, for the men folk. I put moral values into people’s lives.
What is your initiative about?
The ministry for the poor. We started that initiative in 2008. It is called Blossom Ministry For The Poor. When I mean poor, it doesn’t really mean people who do not have money. When your wisdom level is low, you are poor. Money doesn’t make a man, does it? If it does, all the past dead presidents won’t be dead, because the money they have will make them who they want to be and they can command. You can command everything with money. Wisdom tells it all. So, ministry for the poor involves giving food, clothing and gift items to the poor. I don’t like a situation whereby injustice is being practiced. I speak against injustice. In 2002, I took one of my neighbour’s children to Alausa. I went to report that the woman was maltreating her children. With heavy, heavy blows on her face, bruises everywhere. A child of 12 years. They came with me from Alausa to meet the woman and forced the woman to return the child to her parents. That’s how dangerous I can be because I hate injustice. It is good to have a heart to help others. It is not good for a woman to say because this child is not mine, I can’t help. You can help because it is what you have given out that truly belongs to you, because that is what God will use to measure and give back to you. I focus on giving more because it is the measure I have given out that will be used to measure what God will give me back in return. So, I say “that what you give out is what truly belongs to you; it’s not the one you are holding back”. So, it helps me. My ministry is broad and is just beyond helping the poor. So, I pray that one day God will bless me so that my ministry can blossom and be known worldwide. In my ministry we also distribute Bibles.
When was your happiest moment?
Outside fashion was when I gave birth to my daughter in 2002. I was so happy. Her name is Jessica Gabriel, my first child and then when God gave me a son was also one of my happiest moments. When I received an award in 2009 in fashion as the Best Accessories Designer, Nigeria Television Fashion Show (NTFS). I was so happy. I started my fashion from the cradle, from the scratch. I started with nothing and God was just helping me. I was so consistent and I’m sure if that gift wasn’t a natural gift in me, it would have died long ago because money was not really coming like that, but I love designing. It’s something I cannot stop. And then September 14, 2014, I received an award at City Pride Achievers Awards as the Best Innovative and Creative Designer of the Year. I was so happy. I was celebrated that day. So many happy moments. When I minister to people, and they give their lives to Christ and I see them turn a new leaf, it makes me happy. Everyday is my happy moment because I’m involved in creativity.
When was your saddest moment?
My saddest moment was when I lost my showroom; it was as big as a flat. I lost that space due to some financial reasons. That was the worst moment in my career. But God has restored me.
God has done a lot for you in your career as a fashion designer, what more do you still want Him to do for you?
Long life. I know He has signed that. He promised me that I will live long and my faith is on that. I also want more finance to raise my ministry and my fashion outfit. I also want Him to help me work on my video and do more promotions on my song so that my voice could be heard, both home and abroad.