HER name is Ebony Okosuns and she is the first daughter of the late Evangelist Sonny Okosuns and Stella Monye. A rebel from birth, Ebony craved to be different. And that rebellious attitude has come to the fore in her chosen profession, fashion designing.

Today, Ebony's designs as weird looking as the creator's rebellious lifestyle, is fast attracting the attention and patronage of some of our top celebrities.

In this interview, the petite bombshell who at a point in life wanted to follow in her father's musical shoes, expresses herself.

What kind of name is Babugee?

It's my nickname and it was given to me by my baby niece. I think she was trying to call Ebony but in her baby tongue, she ended up saying Babugee and it stuck and now, everybody calls me Babugee

Are you the owner of this Fashion House?

Yes I am. I know you will be surprised.

Is that what you studied in school?

No, I went to school to study Computer Information but I don't like computers. Anytime I touch the laptops, just know that I'm working on fashion pictures and music. I didn't want to be the one processing data, networking and doing all that web designs and so on.

How did this all start?

In the first place I didn't want to be a fashion designer, I wanted to be a nurse, a photographer and a musician. I didn't want to be a nurse because I wanted to treat people in the hospital and all that, no.

I just liked their fashion. I equally wanted to be a musician because they are very fashionable people so in all these careers, it was just the fashion aspect of it that I was only interested in.

As a little girl, I used to make myself dresses with needle and thread from the left over of my mother's clothes. I sew skirts for myself, shape my clothes in one direction or the other and they were fine on me.

I never thought of making a career out of fashion design, I only knew that they were cute on me and I loved them. Also when I wore them abroad, I looked different in those weird dresses I made.

What are the reactions of people when they see you in such weird dresses?

Really, I make weird dresses but I tell you what, everybody likes them and they will ask me where I got those dresses from. People didn't know that I am a tailor and when I tell them I made them, they usually ask me to make the same for them. At the beginning, I was doing it for free until it got to a point when I was like maybe, I should start charging them some money and I began to charge them but it was peanuts.

So how much was your first charge?

It was 20 dollars, but I always told them to appreciate it because if I take it to a shop, it could go for 200 dollars.

So my friends just sort of paid for the needle and thread. I made so many designs that people started advising me to sell them, that was how it all started, it went on like that until I did a fashion show which took so much of my time and I told myself that if this is what I am really passionate about, then everything I want to do should be put into it.

I got jobs to do for people and I increased my efforts and price as well, so I took it seriously and told myself that I could always do music if I wanted, after all, it's right there at the backyard.

How were you able to source for materials since you were more interested in using African fabrics?

My mum sent them to me, not directly, but she makes me BouBou and when they come, I will loosen them and make them into something else just like that. When she sees them she will say this wasn't what I sent you and I will tell her that it was the material I needed not the style.

You didn't ask for materials directly...?

No, not in the beginning. In the beginning I was just making do with whatever she will send to me, I will split them to pieces and make what I like not because they were cute, but because they weren't mine. I just wanted to wear my own designs, if she sends me trousers, I will simply reconstruct it into a skirt.

Did you think if you had told her earlier she would not have allowed you to do it?

No, I wasn't thinking in the direction of becoming a fashion designer, I was still in school and I was doing all these for fun, not for money yet. Instead of lazing away after school I engaged myself with dress-making.

What about your father, how did he take it?

My father wasn't a very strict person, he allows you to do whatever you wish to do best, after all, he didn't go to school - I mean he didn't finish primary school. But most people wouldn't believe it because he was very well spoken.

He will only advise you to work hard on anything you chose to do, he wasn't too hard that you must go to school, finish college and so on. He will always tell you that it is true that school is great, but it is not for everybody, “ I didn't go to school so it will be hypocritical of me to force anybody to go to school.”

Were you able to make clothes for him? Continued   

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