Buahin is the Chief Executive of Pearl X, based in Ghana. Her artistic hand-made handbags are just exquisite, and Nigerian women simply love them. In this interview, Buahin reveals that she makes beaded fashion bags and accessories like belts, shoes, and slippers. But her main focus is on bags. Excerpts…
Here are some interviews from her.....
Why are you in Nigeria?
We came to the Lagos Fashion & Design Week to exhibit our stuffs. We were invited last year and this year we decided to come. We like the exposure, we networked with a lot of people, we met a lot of people and we felt we should be back this year because it was quite pleasant last year.
Style House invited me and they put up a very good show. Lagos State Deputy Governor, Her Excellency, Chief (Mrs) Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, wife of the governor, Mrs Abimbola Fashola and many other celebrities came to my stand. They all bought my bags, and they all bought more than one. Their patronage was a major encouragement for me. I was really motivated. They came straight to my stand, they remembered me. I didn’t even need to introduce myself.
Tell us about your bags. What makes them unique?
They’re all beaded with no leather. They are durable and of very high quality. They are universal and suitable for any event because they are beaded. They are always in vogue. You can wash them and they look new again unlike leather bags that easily wear out. They never get dirty but you could just rinse them and they’re new again.
Did you have any formal training?
I have always been a science student. I didn’t know I could get artistic until I started making them. I never had any formal training; it developed as a hobby. I made a small purse for myself and I took it out one day and everybody saw it and liked it and they started ordering. Some clients started ordering for big ones and I transformed the small purse that I had into a big bag. Now, I have different forms of big bags and now I have different shades of big bags and its very popular.
What’s your background?
I did science and I majored in psychology and sociology at the University of Ghana. I graduated in 2005. After graduating, I worked for a short time with Ghana Neurological Foundation as an administrative secretary. I was making the bags alongside as a hobby. When it became commercial, I quit the job and went into it fulltime. I have trained some girls who now work for me. Making bags is now my main business.
Are your bags affordable?
The price ranges from between $400 and $1,000 depending on the size. Some take a long time to make. The standard bag takes at least four weeks to make and the biggest bag can take between 6 and 7 weeks to make because we take the beads one by one, and we want them to be nice and durable, so we take our time.
Do you export?
We are seriously working on that but we have people who tell their friends in the United States and the UK, but because I can’t do mass production yet , it’s difficult to make. We do more of custom-made stuff.
What do you think about Nigeria?
Nigerian people are very encouraging. They make you feel good at what you are doing. They don’t look down on you and if they see it’s a good product they will patronize it. When I come to Nigeria, I feel at home a lot and I would always want to come here to do business and for pleasure. It’s a nice place, you have very nice hotels and places to visit and see.
Do you like Nigerian food?
Yes, we’ve eaten some pounded rice and eba. I found them very nice and tasty with egusi and bitterleaf. It’s very nourishing, very nutritious.
Tell us about your childhood
I grew up in Ghana. I realized I was multi-talented; I knew how to do a lot of things. At a point I was confused. I was doing very well in school, I could dance, and I was doing a lot of things. I like the arts I’m doing, picturing something and being able to create it for real.
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