Encomium
RECENTLY, fashion and lifestyle brand, Ouch! churned out its latest collections and also unveiled its brand ambassadors. The brand owned by Uche Nnaji unveiled these new collections in a special way as its new set of ambassadors, O. C. Ukeje and Bryan Okwara modeled the new collections which are casual polo wears for men and women. Also in the new collections are specially made blazers with customized buttons.
Uche spoke about this latest efforts and where he is taking the Ouch brand to.
What is the name of your latest collections?
We have Spring/Summer collections which featured polo wears. We also unveiled our brand ambassadors in the persons of O. C. Ukeje, Bryan Okwara, Dabota Lawson and Yolanda Okereke. Apart from the polo collections, we also have our new line of blazers which come with a collection of customized buttons and there is the shoe collections.
What inspired these new collections?
There is a need for us to expand. Our customers have come to identify us with quality like blazers and other accessories, so we need to satisfy their yearnings for quality products. The demands inspired us with the new collections, especially the polo wears. We have been providing polo wears for the past five years for organizations and for events, so we thought we should take it further by making it available for all in all colours and range.
What did it cost you to get those stars as your brand ambassadors?
The brand ambassadors are amazing people. O. C. Ukeje has been with us when we launched our outlet in Maryland, Lagos. He was the first person to model our products. He obliged us when we called him this time around. I can’t tell you about figures or arrangement we had with them. However, we are not a telecommunications company that splash millions on their ambassadors. All I can tell you is that we are working with the best people as ambassadors. They are some of the best Nigeria can offer in terms of character. We at Ouch! are proud to have them with us.
Do you intend to increase the numbers of ambassadors in years to come?
Sure, we have plans to accommodate more celebrities. We can’t have all at once.
Are these new collections within the means of ordinary Nigerians?
The services we render are open for all discerning individuals. We have spaces for the low and the high. I am sure you can afford a N5,000 wear.
How many outlets do you have now?
We have three operational now and then we have an online store. So, in total we have four outlets.
How does the online outlet operate?
This is our new way of reaching out to millions of our clients. We are doing payment on delivery for now. I believe we have a future in terms of the online store.
How would you describe your kind of business as it concerns 2013 and 2014, what are the challenges?
The challenges are still the same – having Nigerians to accept the brand. The brand may be Nigerian in terms of origin and its people. We also have others who are not Nigerians who help us churn out our products branded by us. However, Nigerians have come to accept our brand because every October 1, we always have a rush in our stores. We brand polo T-shirt for our independence and people buy them. That’s how it’s done all over the world. Ralph Lauren does that too. He is my inspiration. I believe Nigeria is our country in spite of all the challenges, we don’t have anywhere to call our own. So, we need to celebrate our own. Celebrating Nigerian independence with Ouch! polo wears has become a tradition for us. We do it every year. With our online stores now, more people will have access from all around the world.
Would you say business has been very good for you?
I always have that notion that business has always been good to us. For me, success is all I see.
So, how do you measure success?
The brand will be successful when I am no longer there. Then we can pass the baton to other generation. In terms of money, I am not yet a billionaire. The road is still ahead. I don’t measure success with physical things. I won’t measure my success with the car I drive, the house I live in. Bill Gates with all his billions still appears simple outside and you have some who drive latest cars and live in luxury yet their account balance is nothing to write home about.
Presently, how rich is Ouch!?
We are still struggling, looking for banks that will assist us. My prayer every day is that God should send help. To run a fashion and lifestyle brand is not a joke. I have the option to just follow music squarely but I did not, I decided this is what I want to do and make a success of it. Having global celebrity to wear your brand requires a lot. If you are entering Rome, Italy the big billboard that will welcome you is that of Armani, Ferragamo. In Nigeria, you see banks and telecoms. Those there understand the business. They know how to push a brand. I look forward to that time when our brand can be like that, when Ouch! billboards will welcome foreigners into the Nigerian airports. Every growing business suffers multiple taxation, poor infrastructure and the likes. I believe we will overcome it. However, Nigeria is improving, because 10 years ago it was not like this.
Would you say you are moving in the right direction with the vision of your brand?
By the grace of God we are evolving. We are fine-tuning everything we are doing. We are just some steps away from our vision and mission which is to become a globally respected fashion and lifestyle brand. From the way we operate in our outlets, we try as much as possible to make it reflect a global outlook.
– FOLUSO SAMUEL
