Eastern Mirror’s Style Spot gives you an insider look into the local style scene, bringing you the latest news and trends in the fashion industry. Every Wednesday we offer a fun and exciting line up of artists that you won’t want to miss out on!!
We showcase Designers, Stylists, Models, Bloggers, Make-up Artists and Fashion Entrepreneurs each with their unique perspective on fashion. Whether you love beautifully layered laidback summery vibes in pastel or a bit of Edge in leather appliquéd on cropped jackets and tunics you can find Your Style Inspiration Here!
Style Spot brings you Sekuzo Sovenyi a vibrant designer that deals in both men and women’s wear. He believes in versatile clothing that transcends time and trends.
A long way from the little kid that drew inspiration from his mother’s homemade designs, Sekuzo has now been featured in both national and international magazines, and is becoming a powerhouse in the Nagaland fashion industry.
Read on to find out more about Sekuzo’s fashion journey!
One can find his designs on his Facebook Page — Sekuzo Designs and Instagram — s.e.k.u.z.o.
Eastern Mirror: A brief profile of your journey into the fashion industry.
SEKUZO SOVENYI: As a kid, clothes and colors always attracted me. My passion developed with it as I grew up. Taking part in school painting/ art competitions where I mostly came first, representing my school at state level competitions... My mother was always my biggest inspiration. She took up stitching courses then would spend her time sewing. I would always sit beside her, spell bound, watching her bring pieces of cloth to life. I drew most of my inspiration from her and she continues to do the same till today. All these motivated me to go further to pursue my fashion designing course. After passing out my P.U. from Patkai Christian College, I decided to take this field as a profession. Like any other dad, mine was also hesitant about it.
But there’s nothing like following your heart and doing what you love so without my dad’s knowledge, I went for the interview, and luckily got through. I told dad about it then things started to fall into places. That’s when and how my journey began.
I’m happy with how far I’ve come so far though I have many more miles to go, many things I want to accomplish but I believe in taking it one day at a time.
EASTERN MIRROR: What excites you about fashion?
SEKUZO SOVENYI: The creativity involved and endless possibilities it presents.
We have the street fashion scene of our people in Nagaland. There is a constant parade of genuinely fashionable people out and about our own streets, and unlike the parade of models marching down the runway, they put out their own creativity and create genuinely convincing fashion statements, which to me is eye-catching and exciting.
EASTERN MIRROR: What do you try to express through your designs? Tell us your personal style statement.
SEKUZO SOVENYI: In a society increasingly focused upon image, where the single greatest influence on a first impression is someone’s physical appearance, it is most certainly true that people make assumptions about you based on what they see. Well, every outfit I put together is a continual manifestation of my inner thoughts and moods.
The best word to describe my personal style is versatility. I hate confronting to a specific style. It’s not necessary that I wear something new all the time. I have some items in my wardrobe from my college days that I still wear. I love to mix and match to create different outfits.
EASTERN MIRROR: What are some of the biggest misconceptions people have when it comes to male designers?
SEKUZO SOVENYI: The general notion is that the fashion industry is a field suitable only for women which actually is not the case. People ought to know that working in this industry zeroes down to one’s passion and not on our gender.
EASTERN MIRROR: You work on both men and women’s wear. Which one do you find more comfortable to work on?
SEKUZO SOVENYI: In the present context of the fashion scene in Nagaland, I think woman’s wear has more options and flexibility. There’s a lot more that we can do with the design of woman’s skirt than a man’s trouser, if you get my drift :)
EASTERN MIRROR: Fashion blunders that Nagas make.
SEKUZO SOVENYI: Clothing represents each of us. Be comfortable and confident in what you wear; blunders happen when you avoid these two basic fundamentals. But if at all I have to point out, I think wearing tight jeans and stuffing your wallet in the back pocket of your jeans... What a bummer! Yes? I’ll be glad if people can take note of this… hahaha
EASTERN MIRROR: One fashion rule that is high time to break.
SEKUZO SOVENYI: With the level of fashion consciousness here, people think you have to be tall and thin, and basically have a model’s body to wear body hugging outfits, long dresses and pants. I want to convey that shorter girls or heftier girls can wear what their hearts desire. Whether it’s a long dress, wide leg- trousers, it all comes down to finding the perfect FIT.
EASTERN MIRROR: What do you find the most challenging part about working in the fashion industry especially here in Nagaland? What changes/ development would you like to see?
SEKUZO SOVENYI: With the never ending demand of garments, our people are not afraid to spend on clothes. Though there are still people who find designer clothes too expensive. People need to know that we do not mass produce clothes like the big fashion houses. A lot of hard work and time is put into making a piece of clothing from scratch. We need to do away with the mindset that local designers are too expensive without taking into consideration the quality of workmanship, the fabrics and embellishments, etc.
We have a long way to go but I am positive that with time things will change and people will start to value and appreciate the effort put into transforming an idea into a beautiful piece of clothing.
