How I Have Sustained My Fashion Brand

• Fashion Designer, SEXY STEEL, Needles & Stitches CEO

Abbey Chile Abuede, professionally known as Sexy Steel, is a Nigerian fashion designer, stylist, actor, musician, and entrepreneur. In 2012, his song Bebedi Alhaja won the awards for Best Video of the Year, Best Video Director and Best Indigenous Concept at the Nigerian Music Video Awards (NMVA).

A few weeks back, he spoke to City People Journalist, BENPRINCE EZEH (08068599879) and revealed how he has been able to sustain his fashion brand over 25 years. Below is the excerpt from the chat.

Are you a footballer, an actor or a musician because I overheard you call the celebrant, Tata Sly, your colleague, and I know he is a professional footballer, so can you explain to us your profession?

Yes, I will call myself an all rounder, I play football but I am not a professional footballer, but I play football. Basically what I do is, I am a musical artist, a well known musical artist, actor, designer, I have a clothing line called Needles and Stitches. And yeah, that’s it, I do a lot , but let me just stop there.

How long have you been singing, because I heard when you were singing, and it flows with your name, Sexy Steel, so how long have you been in the industry?

I have been in the music industry for over 25 years, and at the same time, I have been in the movie industry longer than that, longer than 25 years. My clothing line, I have had it for over 25 years as well.

How have you been able to sustain your fashion brand?

If you have passion for something, you’d put all your interest in it. I love music no doubt, but my fashion has been the all to go business and I’ve got workers, but I manage it myself because if you want something you love to be great, manage it yourself. Needle and Stitches is a brand I would love to pass on to my children and their children’s children as well because 25 years in that business is not easy.

So how do you combine the three?

These three are things that I do, they are things that I grew up doing, things that I have got love and passion for. I have got love for music, got love for movies, and I’ve also got love for fashion. I grew up in the family of entertainment, like all rounder, you understand? I studied Fine Art in school, decided to apply my art skills in everything I do.

What actually inspired you to go into music?

I love music, I love music so much that it gives me joy, it’s gives me life, it gives me everything. You know, back in the day I used to be one of the free stylers in school, I like to play with words, and everything. My mentor used to be King Sunny Ade then, before I had the voice.

What genre of music do you do?

I will still say it’s Afro beat, I mean, you could tell from one of my biggest songs, which is Bebedi Alhaja, that I actually won like six awards in one night at the Nigerian Music Video Awards (NMVA) and I am still in it.

That actually means music has always been your thing, but why didn’t you further your football career as a profession?

Like you said, I can’t do everything at the same time. Football takes more time, I can’t be singing and playing football professionally at the same time.

That was why I asked in thE beginning, how you combine the three?

Its the reason why I was able to choose music, fashion and movie. Those three things are things that I could still work around with, because when I’m playing football, I have to always be on the pitch at least like four, five times a week, which is going to take a lot of time. I won’t be able to work on other stuffs. So I just had to let go of football and face those other things.

Finally, what are your words of encouragement for the upcoming artist, and what are the things you think they should actually do to be successful like you?

Honestly, what we are seeing in the Nigeria music industry right now, some people are just trying to copy what the people have always been doing, instead of trying to create their own path.

So, your advice to them?

For me, the advice I will give to the young generation artist, is to always be yourself, be real, be original, carve a niche for yourself, do not try to sound like any other person, be yourself, be you and the sky is the stepping stone for you.