Elohor Eisien is the president of a top notch Lagos modelling agency, BETH Models, the organiser of one of Nigeria's most glamorous pageants, Elite Model Look.
The 2014 edition of the pageant was rounded off with much fanfare at the Eko Hotel and Suites a few weeks back. The fashion enthusiast and entrepreneur shares her success story with ThisDay Live. Read excerpts of her interview below:
How it all began… I wanted to take the Nigerian Modelling industry internationally and also work with a brand that's well recognised. So, I got the franchise for Elite Model Look in 2007. We did our first show in 2008. For us, Elite Model Look is recognised around the world as one of the most glamorous events ever. And it's also an opportunity for me to discover our own super models which we didn't have. But today, Elite produces all the super models in Nigeria.
I wanted to be a wedding planner… Actually, I wanted to be a wedding planner. I remember that I had bought so many books in 1999. I even bought so much wedding videos and I said to myself, this is what I want to be. But when I went to the university, everything changed and I said I was going to go into Computer Science. When I graduated, I forgot about the 'wedding planner' obsession. But in 2013, I embraced wedding planning which I'd always wanted to do.
Joggling roles between wedding planning and modelling… It's very easy. I have a good team for my modelling shows and for my wedding and event planning. When we have project like the Elite, we all put heads together, my whole team comes together and we deliver something exquisite. This is the 10th year I founded my agency and we're changing and rebranding. We've learnt from our mistakes in the last decade and we're trying to make it bigger with more international visibility. For my events company, at the end of the day, it's going to be like a one-stop shop where you approach us and we do everything for you.
What I'm bringing to the table in wedding and events planning… What I'm bringing new to the table in wedding and events planning are luxury and simplicity. And this is because I realise that not everyone wants colourful weddings and events. I'm British and keeping things very simple and unique is the way I think and I've had events where I had to tell people that you really don't need to have all the flowers to stage a good wedding. There are times when so many flowers at an event make it look like a floral centre. I love flowers; you can work with flowers but at the minimal degree. Look at what we did with the just concluded Elite show. How many people will believe that we actually built that in five days? The plan we had previously was totally different. We changed everything in the last minute.
I'm truly the opposite of what people think I am… I've truly lost count of how many newspaper or magazine covers I've graced. But, I'm truly the opposite of what people think I am. They think I love the covers; that's not who I am. I just realised that it's my job and career. So, I have nowhere to hide. I'd rather push my brand than my face. Even for this interview, I would say my models need it more. So, it was tough for me to finally agree to have it.
Style is everything… I'm a simple person, but I'm becoming boring nowadays. I love fashion a lot and for me, style is everything. Style is the way you dress, the way you carry yourself, the way you speak to people and the way people see you. It has a million and one definitions.
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