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PMM Exclusive Interview with 10-Yr Old Fashion Designer Egypt “Ify” Ufele

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Egypt “Ify” Ufele

You have to be hiding under a rock not to have heard of Egypt “Ify” Ufele, the 10-year-old founder/owner of the body-positive clothing company, Chubiiline.

Not only is she an entrepreneur, but an anti-bullying activist as well. Through her clothing line, Egypt wants to share her fashion sense as well as her message on how to overcome bullies and succeed in life regardless of age.

I had the privilege to chat with this young lady and I was blown away by her maturity, personality, and dynamic spirit. She is definitely showing the world what the future of fashion really looks like.

Be ready to get inspired by Egypt! Check out my Q&A with her below:

Natasha: How old were you when you were first bullied? 

Egypt: I was first bullied when I was in the 1st and 2nd grades. It happened in school. I tried to ignore them and pretend that they were not talking to me. The teacher just brushed it off and she didn’t really get involved.

Natasha: What motivated you to start making clothing for your dolls at 5 years old? 

Egypt: I liked making clothes as a hobby. I learned to make clothes by watching my grandmother use her sewing machine. Once I tried it, I loved it.

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Natasha: What do you love about fashion?

Egypt: Fashion deals with different types of people. You can design for everyone.

Natasha: Are there things you don’t like about the current fashion industry?

Egypt: I don’t like that designers aren’t making clothes for plus size people or fashionable clothing for plus size kids.

 

Natasha: Tell me about Bully Chasers?

Egypt: Bully Chasers is an anti-bullying program where I go to schools to talk about the effects of bullying on people’s mental states. Bullying brings about depression and makes people feel like they have to be like everybody else.

Natasha: How did you confront your bully?

Egypt: I told them how it felt and tried to make them understand how it felt to be bullied. Then they stopped.

Natasha: What are your inspirations for your designs? 

Egypt: My dad is Nigerian, so I like African prints. And, I get my materials imported from Africa.

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Natasha: What are some challenges you deal with as a designer?

Egypt: Menswear is difficult because they have a different structure than women.

Natasha: What designers inspire you?

Egypt: I like Franklin Rowe and my big sister’s company Misperri Fashions.

Ify working with her lead house model Niara

Natasha: What are some things you want to achieve in media?

Egypt: I would like to appear on the Kids’ Choice Awards and I would like to meet Oprah and design an outfit for President Obama’s daughter.

Natasha: What advice do you have for other young people being bullied?

Egypt: You should always tell an adult when you are being bullied. If you don’t tell them, then it won’t stop.

Natasha: What are your plans for your fashion line and anti-bullying efforts?

Egypt: I want to bring fashion production around the world, offer classes, talk about bullying at all different types of schools across the world, and publish my upcoming book about how to deal with bullying.

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Natasha: What do you do to have fun and relax? 

Egypt: I like to read and draw.

Natasha: Tell us three things people don’t know about you?  

Egypt: 1 – I like to crochet, 2 – I make balloon animals, and 3 – I like to draw a lot, mainly cartoons.

Natasha: What should we expect from ChubiiLine?

Egypt: My clothing will be in seen in retailers and I plan to introduce a clothing line for pets.

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Want to find out more about Egypt? Feel free to check out her Website!

And, you can follow her on:

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter

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