By Jemi Ekunkunbor

Armed with one sewing machine and two packs of complimentary cards, Clement Mudiaga Enajemo, popularly known as Mudi, took his place at No. 3 Adebakin Street, Ikosi Ketu, Lagos, where he kicked off a budding career in the needle and thread profession. This was 1993. Loaded with zeal and a strong passion for creativity, Mudi started by undergoing practical training for nine months under an established tailor. He had named his budding brand “Mudi Clothing.”

Like the biblical grain of mustard seed, his beginning was very small and rough, while funding was low or almost nil. In 2007, help came from Nollywood veteran Richard Mofe-Damijo, who helped the Delta State-born designer get his first proper shop on Oyedele Ogunniyi Street, Anthony, Lagos. Settled somewhat, Mudi scaled up his creativity, put structures in place, and rebranded to Mudi Africa, a strategy that set the tone for one of Africa’s biggest fashion brands.

Mudi shied away from fashion shows and the glamour of the profession, choosing rather to focus on putting structures in place for an enduring brand. In doing that, he turned himself into a walking advertisement for his creativity and also used billboards and pages of newspapers to promote his brand.

In 2009, the journey to make his brand global began when Mudi Africa birthed its first international outlet in Ghana. This was closely followed by a Kenya outlet in March 2010, a South Africa outlet in August 2010, a Senegal outlet in 2011, and an Ivory Coast outlet in July 2019.

Mudi is not one given to talking; rather, he allows his work to speak for him. Over the years, his mastery and correct interpretation of fabrics have enabled him to churn out edgy pieces with interesting accents, which have attracted heads of government, captains of industry, celebrities, politicians, music and movie stars, etc. Thirty-two years of showing up at work by 7 am daily, Mudi, opens up on how he wove a global legacy thread by thread.

The Mudi brand that started like the biblical mustard seed has grown into a mighty oak tree; how does it make you feel?

Well, first of all, I must confess that it’s a good feeling; looking back from where I am coming from– no goofather, no structure, no capital, just passion. By the grace of God, I am where I am today. So, I’m very happy. I am a work in progress but I thank God for where I am today.

This is 32 years of the Mudi brand; why is the celebration so quiet?

Actually, there is no celebration. This is just a symbolism of thirty-two years. I was to celebrate 30 years two years ago, but it happened that it fell to the time I was constructing my new edifice in Lekki phase one. That took a lot of money from me and I could not celebrate. So, I made up my mind that I’ll wait for 35. 

You started small with one sewing machine and two packs of complimentary cards; as a beginner, why did you think of cards first?

I needed the cards to take round offices. When people ask me, “what do you do?” It is written there on the card and the address as well; it gives respect and recognition. It is your identity so, it was very key to the business. I did the  complimentary cards then with one hundred and fifty naira (N150). I paid hundred naira (N100) as deposit. When the cards were ready, I went to the printer, I couldn’t pay the balance. I begged the printer that I did not have the balance of fifty naira if I can pay later, he gave me the cards and asked me to go.

Let me say something here that is very touching. After many years, the very year I opened my head office at Anthony village, one of my older brother’s friend came to see me. He had kept that first complimentary card and he came to show me. That card got me emotional. I begged him to give it to me but he said I must buy it. I bought that one copy for N5,000 then. I needed that story. I was able to get other cards that followed afterwards. That first card is in my office now preserved.

Did you envisage this level of growth?

No. But I’ve always had this mentality of “it is possible.” What kept me going was my belief that it is possible. I still have that mentality.

What were your biggest challenges at that time?

I would say finance. To break through, to get my first shop was tough. Passion kept me going. There are people who enter a venture and once they don’t get Monetary returns  immediately, they pack it up. What kept me going was that mindset that it is possible. A friend of mine said to me recently that when I started fashion designing, many of my friends felt sorry for me, that I was ending up as a tailor.

Today, that same person, I made it possible for him to shake the hands of a governor. My friends thought I would not grow. I would say I took a risk then because we were under military rule and many people hardly wore Nigerian clothes. Then, nobody believed in made-in-Nigeria garments. We have fought against these odds, and social media has helped to propel our ideas. Now, our leaders in the various Houses of Assembly both state and national wear made-in-Nigeria clothes. The market is bigger now, too.

You have achieved many firsts in your career in this last 32 years; take us through it?

Well, let me hype myself a bit. People say I am too quiet about my achievements. I am the first Nigerian fashion designer to design for foreign heads of states, first to open outlets in foreign countries with branded official vehicles attached to each outlets, first to have purpose-built fashion houses on the Mainland and  on the Island (Lekki), first to have a street named after its brand–Mudi lane is where the head office is located in Anthony.

The head office has played host to so many prominent Africans including the king of Morocco, the Mallian singer Salif Keita, the Senegalese Grammy-award singer Youssou Ndour and Congolese singer Koffi Olomide just to mention a few.

You have consistently shied away from the glamour side of your work. Why is that so? We are in a very funny country. Normally, anywhere you go to, when you pour water on the floor, it will find its level. But here, water hardly finds its level. We are a bit too critical. Nigerians will find fault in everything you do.

What I do most is focus on my work, showcase my clothes, not my face. Has it worked for me? I will say yes. I want to be free to go to places without people looking at me. If you are out there all the time, you end up spending so much money. I do not have anything against it, but my lifestyle has worked for me, and I thank God for where I am today.

Did you learn that from anyone?

No, it is just a philosophy of life.

What would you consider the necessary building blocks for building an enduring brand?

First of all, as a designer, your philosophy must help you to grow. I say it with so much confidence. Class is  noiseless and it has worked for me. There are people who call themselves designers but are not; they are just business men and women who assemble tailors somewhere. By the grace of God and with all humility, I am a designer; so, I allow my work to speak for me. There are times at the airport I see people wearing my clothes and they do not know that this is the Mudi that designed what they are wearing. I like it that way. Don’t attach your face too much to your brand.

The professional thing is to let your brand be above you while you are quietly doing your work.

To build an enduring brand you must have these three things; you must have the talent and passion. There are people with talent but no passion. They become playful with the work. You must have the drive which takes you to another level. Then you must have the discipline which is the key. There are times when people see me come to work around 7:00 am and they wonder how come at this stage, I am still resuming so early. It has become a part of me. That is discipline. There are designers who resume work at 10am or 11am. They delegate from home. We cannot be at the same level.

What you put in is what you get. It is as simple as that.

You are gradually becoming an international brand with stores in different countries; how difficult or easy was it for you?

I get asked this question all the time, but if the passion is there, that is where the drive comes in. I do a few things to push the brand. Any country I go to, after looking at the market, I will go to the Nigerian embassy to see the ambassador, to tell him my mission, and to get his or her blessings. Most times, they back me up, give me an auditor and lawyer to help me start. When I opened my shop in Ghana, Senator Muslim Obanikoro was the ambassador. He gave me the backing I needed. When I opened a shop in South Africa, Gen. Buba Marwa was the ambassador. The same thing happened in Kenya, Senegal, and Ivory Coast; the ambassadors came for the opening, and they came with their colleagues from other embassies and countries.

How has your life in fashion been?

I breathe, drink, and eat fashion. Everything about me is fashion; it gives me joy; I am happy and fulfilled. When I see people looking good in my clothes, that alone is enough for me. In Kenya, at the Nairobi airport, I was at the immigration point. A lady immigration officer walked up to me, after admiring my clothing, and asked me if I was Mudi. I said yes. She called her husband immediately, who happens to buy my clothes there in Nairobi. I was touched, and she gave me easy clearance. People who are in Nairobi, Ivory Coast, and Accra want to wear Mudi, and I thank God for where I am today.

What would you say is one of the best things that choosing this career path has done for you?

It has made me discover myself, and I’m happy because this platform has given me the opportunity to express what I had in my head well. I am an artist.

Your designs are usually one-of-a-kind; how do you get enough to go round your various stores?

People see my clothes and wonder if they are Western or Eastern. Some tell me that when they see my clothes, they know. That is my style. There are ideas for mass market and there are ideas for exclusivity. When I come up with a design, I check if it is good for an exclusive market. I do a limited edition – two or three, and that is the end of it. I look to see if it is wearable with an elegant touch to it; I can mass-produce it. What I do is, I’ll do three sizes for Lagos, three for Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and Ivory Coast – small, medium, large – and move to another design. I can take a design I made 20 years ago and add or remove something to create a design. You have to keep thinking. The brain can give you a lot; challenge it. People don’t think, and social media has made it worse. People no longer think. They are occupied with social media.

Social media has its good side, and it has helped. As a designer, create your content and upload. When I create, I upload just a few because people copy; they copy outrightly, no shame, no conscience. Even abroad, they copy. We just try to manage the situation.

Is that why you shy away from fashion shows?

I don’t shy away from fashion shows. I’ve done shows, but I advertise more. After the show, what next? There is business after the show. But some of the people who come to those shows come to copy your style. I have shops in other countries, and that is more than a show.

What is it like doing a luxury brand?

Luxury is a signature of a particular brand. For example, Toyota has Camry, Corolla, but Lexus is the luxury. It’s the same for some other products. With fashion, a designer who has been making clothes can pick an item and decide to make it exclusive. You put a price tag on it. In doing that, people must have known you for quality. You need quality to shoulder that tag. To market luxury, you need to create an ambiance for it. Mind you, there will be less traffic. Luxury is luxury. A luxury product may be there for a long time. Not everybody will buy it, but that one person who will buy will come. It is not designed for everybody.

What is your experience like in styling?

These days, everybody wants to express themselves through fashion. They call it street style. I still believe in wanting to express yourself; there are style rules you must follow. Men these days wear agbada with an English hat instead of wearing a traditional cap. Some wear a bow tie, jacket with sneakers, which is not proper dressing. If you are wearing a suit, wear proper lace-up shoes. I correct people politely when I see them dress poorly. But you have to be careful so that they don’t feel offended.

Share with us your background and how Mudi the tailor became this Mudi Africa?

I grew up in a polygamous home. I am an Ughelli boy. I came to Lagos in 1990 and learned a trade under an established tailor. He is still alive, and we still communicate. After nine months, I ventured into professional tailoring, and by the grace of God, this job has taken me to so many places, met several people. My life is open, not perfect; it’s like an open book that you can read.

How do you juggle family and work?

You should plan yourself. I leave home by 6:45 am, get to work by 7 am, and close by 5:30 pm, and I go back home. Once in a while, I go to enjoy a live band and go back home. I am always home on Sundays. Saturdays, there is no production, so I’m always at my Lekki shop or travel to my outside stations. We try our best to create a balance; family first, but the job is very important. My first wife is my work, and it is known.

If there is one thing about your life that you would change, what would it be? Nothing. I have no regrets. I grew up well, well brought up. When I see my elders, I greet them. I extend courtesy to my juniors. I am happy. People see me and say, ‘Mudi, you are so humble.’ Humility for me is a way of life. Why must you be arrogant?

Was that born out of something or your upbringing?

The first thing is upbringing. Second is self-esteem. If you know your worth, it wouldn’t make you arrogant; that should keep you calm and humble. When people say to me that I haven’t changed, I wonder why. Why must I change?

Where is your favourite travel destination?

Nigeria – Uyo, Enugu, Jos. I am a true Nigerian; I travel out, but we must begin to treasure our own and hype it. Sometimes, I go to Ughelli to be with people I grew up with. I travel to other countries, but we need to promote our own.

As a designer, which other designers do you admire who have inspired you? There are people I respect, but they have not inspired me. The likes of Kesse Jabari, Dakova, Sophisticat, Vivid Imagination, Deola Segoe, late Remi Lagos. These are people who started before me. I always accord them their respect, but unfortunately, the junior ones coming up these days, at times, the fame gets to their head. This is a complex question, but I would rather promote Nigerian designers. Somebody like YSL, I like his lifestyle, not his creativity.

Busy men, they say, don’t have time for TV; when you do watch TV, what programs do you watch?

I like Discovery Channel. It is my favourite station because I get inspired when I watch it while looking at nature and animals.

Your favourite football club? Warri Wolves, Enyimba.

What advice would you give to young designers?

A lot of young designers are confused; they put packaging before the work, which is wrong. Social media is good, but in doing that, have a structure first. You see many of them on social media, no platform, no structure. They can’t deliver 10 kaftans in a day. But the image they create on social media is an illusion. It has its disadvantage; it can consume you. Many of them don’t have the structure to withstand the pressure. When we started this work, there was no social media. We grew in the name of good works. Hype is good, but you must hype what is real.

What do you look forward to now?

Mine is to keep working, pray for God’s blessing to take me higher, and keep being consistent.

Any specific dream?

Dream is a personal thing; you have to keep it to your chest, work, and let your success do the talking. When you discover your dream, keep it to yourself and pray for it.