Valentina Utoh, When creativity meets luxury, excellence is birthed
Her attires speak class, engage the eyes and turn heads wherever and whenever they are spotted on women who are discerning about elegance and have a desire for style. If you call her designs the modern version of outfits worn by the upper class during the Victorian times, then you have spoken correctly.
Unusual outfits from her Mi Regalo-The Vintage Collection bear names like Jovana, Zanna, Florentin, Esmeralda, Aurelina, Belita, Zanna, Fonda, Mercedes, Elvera, Hermosa, Nina, Estefani to mention a few, all look outstanding in their own way.
Her name is Valentina Utoh and she is the CEO of Onyx by Valentina, a luxury female clothing brand bringing art to life through their handmade beaded pieces.
She is known to dress distinguished dignitaries, First Ladies, Nollywood icons, female CEOs, entrepreneurs and others from different works of life.
It isn’t hard to spot a woman wearing an Onyx by Valentina outfit even from miles away. Something about the outfit will announce itself and you would have guessed right because the outfit will certainly be made by her.
To think the business started only few years ago and she has carved a niche for herself is truly worthy of commendation. According to her, “The business was conceptualised three years ago out of the love for pure art, the love from creating something out of the ordinary solely inspired by the Almighty God. It has been an interesting journey so far and I am grateful to God for the impact the business has had and is having till date.”
Sharing further on how each dress is made and why the name of her label, she says “We put this creative art into wearable form through the use of handmade beadwork to tell the story in every piece. We called her Onyx by Valentina as Onyx is a black precious stone, symbolizing the black woman adorned in her bejewelled piece all created by Valentina. It’s been a worthy walk as each outfit is an inspiration by God because by my strength, I can do nothing”
Speaking on how growing up was for her and how it has helped to influence her till date, Valentina says “Growing up was beautiful, truly beautiful! There was just too much love. My dad is a chronic art collector and my mum, a very classic fashionable woman. I grew up around so much art and it has reflected in my fashion and lifestyle.” Obviously, we now know where Valentina got her creative juice from. We wonder no more, puzzled solved.
Valentina tells me she started the clothing line in Dec 2014 out of love for designing her own pieces and she defines her style as exotic, unique and glamorous. These words truly encapsulate what her brand stands for and tells a lot about her love for the uncommon “I’m a very detailed and meticulous person. I like the unusual. My creativity just pours out uniquely.” She says.
Asked about what inspires her and her response says it all. Hear her “Everything inspires me. From art, to nature, to abstracts, to shapes, to everything imaginable at that point and the pieces are premium”.
On her clients, she has this to say “My clients are premium clients from all over the world, who are particular about the uniqueness, detailing and artistry in their pieces but bringing it back home, I have amazing Nigerian clients who love quality, style and class. Nigerians in Nigeria and all over the world have responded in an overwhelming way that is very humbling. I cannot complain.”
Giving her view on the typical Nigerian woman, Valentina says “Nigerian women are very fashion conscious and fashion forward. When you are at an event outside the country, a Nigerian woman stands out. We are proud of our culture and heritage and we never cease to let everyone know we love our culture. That is why someone from a tribe can get married, wear their tribe’s traditional outfit and still wear the traditional outfit of another tribe as their second or third outfit. We love diversity, we love style and we appreciate culture.” She says.
Looking at each outfit, it is easy to tell it is intricately detailed. I then asked Valentina how long it takes to prepare an outfit and she says “it takes three to four weeks. We do not rush our work, it isn’t even possible to rush it because they are not outfits you rush while making. Each one has a different design and are carried out with concentration and preciseness”
With every business comes its peculiar challenges and in Nigeria, most businesses suffer setbacks due to power shortage or lack of it. Valentina echoes the same line of thought. Again she speaks “Power has been a challenge. We use different alternatives to mitigate this challenge. When a client tells you what they want, it is your duty to respond to their request and deliver. It isn’t even unprofessional to be complaining about your inadequacies to your client. Yours is to meet their needs. No one loves to be disappointed by their tailor and at Onyx, it’s not our thing. We try our best hence the need to have other alternatives for power on stand-by. If power can be rectified in this country, half of our problems will be solved, businesses will survive and new ones will spring up.” Valentina advises.
We cannot deny the fact that the names of her dresses are unique. Valentina has a more detailed explanation for this. She says “Every collection speaks to me solely through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The names come divinely and it all falls into place even as I scrupulously carry out a lot of research while working.”
Quite often, you hear various designers who say they wish to dress certain dignitaries both within and outside their country of residence so I asked Valentina and her response couldn’t have been more apt. She says “I have no one in particular. I am about the confident, elegant woman who understands the artistry and passion that she is adorned with in Onyx by Valentina.”
We all have that day in our lives that we cannot forget. For Valentina, “It’s my personal encounter with Our Lord Jesus Christ and that was on the 20th August 2014. I can never forget that experience…ever!”.
Valentina is enthusiastic about her new collections and we certainly can’t wait to see them. Here is wishing her the best in her craft as she keeps raising the bar and taking her creativity to a whole new level.
Kemi Ajumobi