After her studies in Canada, Chief Chinwe Florence Ezenwa worked with the Federal Ministry of Transport where she retired as a director of maritime services. At a point, she was acting managing director, National Inland Waterways Authority. But it is in fashion that her name resonates the most as the Chief Executive Officer of Le Look Bags. She is credited for popularizing the African print bag that has become today’s fashion vogue. Her Ankara bags have graced major exhibitions around the world. In this interview with Chibuzor Cosmas, she explains how setting up a boutique to give a sense of livelihood to a physically challenged brother metamorphosed into a vibrant enterprise.
Give us an insight into how Le Look all started?
I wouldn’t say I am the owner of the business but a tool God used to drive it. The business was founded because of the need to rehabilitate a brother of mine who is disabled. That was how we came about it. I have a brother who is a deaf mute. When I came back from Canada, he was unemployed and there was no opportunity to get him engaged. I enrolled him in a hairdressing school and I said to myself that if he cannot talk and hear, at least he can see, and that was what brought about Le Look.
When we opened some 35 years ago, my brother did not know how to book appointments with people. So, I had to employ some hairdressers who were working with him to do some of these things. But my brother has moved on. He is now in the United States of America doing great things with hair. I had to take over Le Look when I retired from the Federal Civil Service and it has metamorphosed into what we are seeing today.
What brought about the diversification because Le Look, which started out with hairdressing, is today known more for bag-making?
When we started, it was a hairdressing outfit at my house at 1004 Estate, Victoria Island. But the neighbours complained that we were disturbing them. That was when we moved to our present premises. In 1995, we ventured into bag-making.
This is also as a result of my younger sister, who actually has a challenge. In my family, we are seven, and two of us have challenges. That was how we came into the business of making bags. I promised to make that one great also.
What has been one of most recent achievements?
Empowering the youth and creating jobs for people who would otherwise not have had anything to do. And promoting Nigerian-made products is my priority.
In the first place, why the choice of African prints for the bags?
I have always known that most people never liked to wear it in those days, but I said, if you cannot wear it, then, at least, carry it. And carrying it has become a fad.
When you first started, what was the acceptability of your initiative?
They never liked it. Thzey still preferred to use foreign-made products. They preferred to carry around their “Made in Italy”, “Made in Germany” among other foreign-initiated bags at that time. But we were quite resolute. We kept enlightening, kept pushing, letting them realise the need to patronise our own. Today, we have establishments, corporate bodies and schools that have been patronising us, that we have been supplying some of our products.
Today, we have bags specially designed for students of Kings College and Queens College, Lagos, among other schools. Some parents now ask us to supply bags, both within and outside Nigeria. Their idea is to make their children become acclimatised to their culture, because those bags you are seeing, showcase our culture.
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How would you describe the entrepreneurial spirit of the Nigerian youth?
It has been quite commendable in the past few years. I think the youth have embraced entrepreneurial skills. The environment has been made conducive a bit. The lack of employment in this system has made it mandatory for everybody to want to create and develop employment because government can no longer provide jobs for the teeming population. This is evident in today’s Nigeria and the consequence is that the youths must rethink their focus about looking for jobs.
Has there been patronage or support from the government?
Yes, there has been some support now, but the government agencies meant to offer us assistance are still demanding for things we cannot provide.
Like what?
They are asking for collaterals, which have remained tall orders.
What is collateral?
For me, I think that your idea should serve as your collateral. Your skill should stand as collateral but they do not factor that in.
But are there no associations you belong to that serve as pressure groups on the government?
I am a member of the Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria (FADAN) as well as African Women Entrepreneurship Programme (AWEP) USA, Women in Shipping and Trading (WISTA), Women in Logistics and Transport (WILAT) and Global Artisans Network, among others. Indeed, FADAN got a one billion naira loan from government. Some of us, who are members are trying to access that now. But even at that, there are conditionalities attached. Le Look can meet them but what about the others?
What of getting government to make banks give loans to private establishments like yours?
Banks have been given the opportunity to develop Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) but they have not. They have SMEs policy that requires them to reserve 10 per cent of their earning for the private sector to access, but how many people have accessed that? There is nothing like that. I dare say it is not there.
What is the greatest achievement of Le Look so far?
Le Look’s greatest achievement is not just its popularity, which has transcended Nigeria. It is its empowerment of youths and women. Its creation of jobs for people who ordinarily would not have had anything doing and its promotion of Nigeria and its many potentials and resources. It gives me joy today that as much as these bags are all over the world, anywhere you find them, you will found printed on them: “Le Look… Made in Nigeria.”
What is your appraisal of the entrepreneurial interests and skills of young Nigerians?
In fairness, I can tell you categorically, based on my interactions with Nigerian youths, that their entrepreneurial zeal and skills are quite great. And I may say the environment has also been made a bit conducive for them. Note my emphasis on the words, “a bit”. Lack of employment had actually made many Nigerian youths and women to rediscover themselves. The fact that there are no jobs has forced many to start thinking on their own.
What has been the challenges of your enterprise so far?
It has been rough. Challenges are there. The greatest challenge we have been facing is irregular power supply. Energy is a big problem. We run on electricity generator 24/7. Even as we speak, we are running on generator. Imagine, 58 years of Nigeria’s nationhood and everybody still runs on generators.
How much of the materials being used for production is sourced outside Nigeria?
None. All are Made-in-Nigeria products. We are the ones exporting. The market out there is quite excellent. In fact, they appreciate these things better than Nigerians do. Germans love them. Parisians love them, so do Americans. Anytime they are doing anything at the American Embassy, Le Look is always invited. The Smithsonian Institute had come all the way from America to visit us and even handed me a medal.
You spoke passionately about having Nigerian-made products sold to the outside world. To what extent has your work been celebrated outside the shores of Nigeria?
We have attended several trade fairs and exhibitions around the world and have made statements in fashion. We were at trade mission/exhibitions in Washington, Atlanta, Detroit and Pittsburgh in 2013, trade fair/exhibition in Dubai, UAE in 2013, Nigeria-Canada Investment Conference /Exhibition Toronto in 2013, Lagos International Trade Fair, 2014, Ghana International Trade Fair, Accra 2014, Magic Fair at Las Vegas, among others.
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You started Le Look for your physically challenged siblings and at a point you got involved and became passionate about it. What was the driving force?
The driving force mostly was, and is still, the fear of poverty. The fear of not having. The fear of the condition that the Civil War left us was still haunting for me. I knew the condition under which we lived. I didn’t want a repeat of that for anybody. Poverty is something to fear because it can lead to many evils. Again, I wanted to put food on so many tables. I want to be able to beat my chest that I tried my best while I lived; that I encouraged people through this work to put foods on their tables and train their children, and that is what I am doing.
What does style mean to you?
Style for me means that my body must not be exposed because I’m a very shy person. I don’t want anything that will draw much attention to myself. I like to be trendy. I like colours. I am in the fashion business and looking good is our business. Any time I travel overseas, people see my bag, they love it and ask where it is made. When I tell them Nigeria, they are surprised. Some of them would even offer to pay and collect the bag. I would agree.
How did you come about the name Le Look?
‘Le look’ is a French word that means ‘The Look’. When I looked at that circumstance of my brother – he does not hear nor speak but can only see – I felt that despite his challenge, with his eyes, he would be able to know what to do by merely looking at things. So, I started calling him Le Look and so, the business was named after him.
