Singer, Ebele Aituaje Iruobe, popularly known as Waje tells Ademola Olonilua about her fashion style
When it comes to fashion, what would you say is your weakness?
I do not have an item that I would call a fashion weakness. It depends on the season. There are times when it is just shoes; the only thing I can think about is great shoes. Now, I am having the hand bag ‘orgasm’. Any nice handbag that I get, I would carry, adore it and dust it. I would put newspaper inside and it would be brand new again. I love glasses too. The kinds of glasses that I like are the ones with characters. I guess they just make me feel like a don, a boss.
You were recently made a brand ambassador, how much of the money did you spend on fashion items?
I spent very little and I mean really little. It is not even up to five per cent. I have other things to do with my money, I am a business woman. When the dividend of the business comes, then I would go to Paris and shop.
What business are you talking about?
I have a couple of businesses but they are not for Waje; it is for Ebele. Waje has a record label, Ebele has businesses.
When stepping out for an event, what are the things you consider?
The first thing I bear in mind is comfort; it is not as if I am a size six. Though I work out and try to tighten some areas, there are times when you don’t want to wear pants. I just like being comfortable so I’d probably wear a big top and maybe boyfriend jeans. Sometimes high waist also does it well for me and with that, I can look casual and classy in some ways. I think that is the most important thing. It is better that I am comfortable or else I am not going to enjoy myself.
What is your take on African fabrics?
I just like prints and not necessarily African fabrics. Sometimes I don’t wear Ankara instead I wear
something that has print like tiger or some logo. As long as it is print, I love it. Now I am going off the print phase a little. I am now more monochrome and I am looking yellow. I took a picture wearing a yellow dress and I loved it. For some reason it looked really good. I put it on Instagram and I got positive comments. Burnt orange is also a colour that complements me more. I would rather do more loud colours than prints these days.
Which hair style do you prefer the most?
Low cut but my management would not let me for now.
Why is it that most ladies are recently opting for low cut?
It is because you can shower and water would touch the crown of your head to the sole of your feet. It is also cost-effective. Asides that, it is stress free; you take care of a weave the way you take care of a normal hair. We watch movies where we see all these white people with long hair, they sit in front of the mirror to brush it; that is how we take care of all this Peruvian and Brazilian weaves. Short hair, braids, I love them.
You work out regularly, is it for health purpose or to look sexier?
Like I said earlier, I am not trying to be a size six. I just want to firm up a little, do natural surgery on some parts of the body, partially hail myself that I am fine, and most importantly, to live a healthy life.
What do you do to maintain your good voice?
I have rehearsals every Thursday, one of my back-up vocalists Ugo, is very good at vocal training so he helps me. Right now, the fact that I am eating healthy to live longer is also really helping my voice. There are certain things I don’t do that I used to indulge in before. I guess that helps my voice to get stronger.
You recently released your album, Words Are Not Just Enough, how has the feedback been?
It has been amazing. I was shocked at the reviews. I just wanted to drop an album and it was worth the wait for me because I always say that I would only bring out things that I can defend. Hearing the review from other people made it interesting for me. With regards to sales, we are still on it. We are doing so many things to push the album. Everything is working fine and I am thankful about that.
There was outburst over your I Wish video. There were complaints that there were scenes of nudity in it
I heard about it but it did not get to me. Of course people are entitled to their opinion. About 80 per cent of the people that saw that video appreciated the art, the story I was trying to send in the video and for me that is important.
Do you really wish you did not have a heart?
It is a metaphoric expression. I don’t mean it that I really do not want to have a heart. If I don’t have a heart, what would happen to the things God is blessing me with now? I was just saying I wish I was not that vulnerable to allow certain things to happen to me when they happened.
Is the song a personal experience?
Well, yes, sort of.
Share some of those experiences
No. I can’t.
How about your lingerie line?
We put that on hold because it is hard. I have to travel to China and the distance is really far, so I think it would take longer than I wanted it to be. But it would definitely be out. Many times, I had to cancel the appointments that I had booked and even cancel the flights I had booked. I am working on You recently released your album, Words Are Not Just Enough, how has the feedback been?
It has been amazing. I was shocked at the reviews. I just wanted to drop an album and it was worth the wait for me because I always say that I would only bring out things that I can defend. Hearing the review from other people made it interesting for me. With regards to sales, we are still on it. We are doing so many things to push the album. Everything is working fine and I am thankful about that.
There was outburst over your I Wish video. There were complaints that there were scenes of nudity in it
I heard about it but it did not get to me. Of course people are entitled to their opinion. About 80 per cent of the people that saw that video appreciated the art, the story I was trying to send in the video and for me that is important.
Do you really wish you did not have a heart?
It is a metaphoric expression. I don’t mean it that I really do not want to have a heart. If I don’t have a heart, what would happen to the things God is blessing me with now? I was just saying I wish I was not that vulnerable to allow certain things to happen to me when they happened.
Is the song a personal experience?
Well, yes, sort of.
Share some of those experiences
No. I can’t.
How about your lingerie line?
We put that on hold because it is hard. I have to travel to China and the distance is really far, so I think it would take longer than I wanted it to be. But it would definitely be out. Many times, I had to cancel the appointments that I had booked and even cancel the flights I had booked. I am working on something now that would make me more efficient. It is in the first phase and very important. It is important I get schooled in what I am doing instead of contracting it to someone else and letting them handle it. I want to see how it is so that I can make it better.
Plus ladies complain about getting what they like in Nigeria. If you do your lingerie line would you cater for plus sized ladies?
It is basically for the ‘boobiematrics’ of this country. It is for the women who are well endowed. I am busty and to be honest with you, anytime I have a very good bra, it is either from Omawumi’s elder sister or I buy when I travel abroad. Omawumi’s elder sister has a place she gets amazing bras and she brings them down whenever she is coming. There is no provision for the plus sized. I don’t know why. There are few places, a few shops here but it is not like what you would find in the streets of London. Definitely, my wanting to have such a thing is not just to cater for women that get their sizes everywhere but to have something you are comfortable in your own skin and not something that would cause you back ache. I think it is the same thing with every market. Most fashion designers would want to do smaller sizes because it is convenient but for plus sized women, it is not the case. So it is something I would definitely want to cater for.
How many bags and shoes do you have in your closet?
I don’t have that many, I am very stingy. I am too much of an Igbo woman, I would be thinking about my market and how to replenish it. I have enough but my shoes, I have lost count. There are some that even had to be given away.
When you were growing, who used to do the shopping for you?
It was my mother. It was so bad because my mum knew how to sew. Sometimes when other kids said they were going to buy their Christmas clothes, my mother would be in the house sewing our own. When someone said, she got her clothe from Kingsway, I would say my mum made my own.
When she was sewing for you, did she meet your fashion taste?
Yes she did. I grew up in an era where we were really into watching Cinderella and Mary Poppins. Back then, you would see us in all those ball gown, panty hose with red shoes heading for church. There was one I had; I wore that dress from when I was 11 years old till when I was 16 years old. My mother really tried for us when it comes to fashion. Unfortunately I don’t know how to sew, she never taught me.
Does your mother still buy you gifts?
Yes, she does, she recently just bought me pots, different sizes of big pots. She knows I don’t like loads but she told me she bought pots for me. I told her to still keep them for me that when I need them I would come and get them.something now that would make me more efficient. It is in the first phase and very important. It is important I get schooled in what I am doing instead of contracting it to someone else and letting them handle it. I want to see how it is so that I can make it better.
Plus ladies complain about getting what they like in Nigeria. If you do your lingerie line would you cater for plus sized ladies?
It is basically for the ‘boobiematrics’ of this country. It is for the women who are well endowed. I am busty and to be honest with you, anytime I have a very good bra, it is either from Omawumi’s elder sister or I buy when I travel abroad. Omawumi’s elder sister has a place she gets amazing bras and she brings them down whenever she is coming. There is no provision for the plus sized. I don’t know why. There are few places, a few shops here but it is not like what you would find in the streets of London. Definitely, my wanting to have such a thing is not just to cater for women that get their sizes everywhere but to have something you are comfortable in your own skin and not something that would cause you back ache. I think it is the same thing with every market. Most fashion designers would want to do smaller sizes because it is convenient but for plus sized women, it is not the case. So it is something I would definitely want to cater for.
How many bags and shoes do you have in your closet?
I don’t have that many, I am very stingy. I am too much of an Igbo woman, I would be thinking about my market and how to replenish it. I have enough but my shoes, I have lost count. There are some that even had to be given away.
When you were growing, who used to do the shopping for you?
It was my mother. It was so bad because my mum knew how to sew. Sometimes when other kids said they were going to buy their Christmas clothes, my mother would be in the house sewing our own. When someone said, she got her clothe from Kingsway, I would say my mum made my own.
When she was sewing for you, did she meet your fashion taste?
Yes she did. I grew up in an era where we were really into watching Cinderella and Mary Poppins. Back then, you would see us in all those ball gown, panty hose with red shoes heading for church. There was one I had; I wore that dress from when I was 11 years old till when I was 16 years old. My mother really tried for us when it comes to fashion. Unfortunately I don’t know how to sew, she never taught me.
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