Design and fashion has always been in Pamela Ifeneme-Nwosa's life it was no surprise that she quickly pursued studies in fashion design and marketing.  

While she had more than enough experience from her mother, Ifeneme-Nwosa sought more experience through a number of internships for work experience.

After her successful participation in a pop-up, Ifeneme-Nwosa launched her brand JIDEKA in 2017.

What is the story behind your businesses name?

JIDEKA actually comes from my middle name, Njideka, which means "the one I have is greatest" in igbo (ethnic group native to Nigeria). Fun fact my husband got the idea for the name JIDEKA, we were going back and forth on what the brand should be called, and he mentioned JIDEKA.

What inspires the themes of your designs?

My design themes are very inspired by what I am feeling and the influences around me.

Last year was a ball of activities for me, from getting married to having my first baby, it left me feeling like this world was interconnected and we all are connected in one way or another.

What I am going through in my life, someone else has gone through that, someone is going through that and another will go through that. This feeling of blending and interconnection is very evident in my Autumn/ Winter 19 collection and will carry on onto my Spring/Summer 19 collection.

What skills did you find were important for not only running your business but ensuring that the product is of top quality and consumers are buying it?

I always said if I were to go back in time, I will study Business Management first and then fashion design. As a creative, your product is nothing if you can't manage business operations, market to your ideal customers or research to give the customers what they want. Having a good eye for style and fashion is great only if your customers are buying it.

What sets JIDEKA apart from other fashion brands?

We leverage technology to provide an evolved shopping experience for our customers and making African fashion assessable.

Our key differentiation creating functional pieces you can wear to work, dressed up or casual, layer up in winter and good to go in summer.

At the heart of our operations is practicing sustainability by using ethical production and eco-conscious materials like up-cycled waste fabrics and using fair labour. 

In terms of the business, what can we expect from JIDEKA?

A JIDEKA customer is a truly unique and stylish individual, JIDEKA adds the sauce and makes you really standout. Investing and buying Africa is truly the way to empower and grow Africa.

Supporting JIDEKA means impacting the lives and rewarding the hard work of many Africans in the value chain, and also fostering sustainable practices in the manufacturing space.