Wendy Oduor discusses “desiring to honor God while being fashionable” with Heshima
Today we are going to play a guessing game. I am going to give you three words and you have to try and collate the three. Fashion, Comedy and Media. Now I am pretty sure you are asking what those three words have to do with one another. Well I am going to tell to you. November is close, and I am calling it a Triple threat month, which means, I am bringing you 3 different interviews from three different young people. Each of them has backgrounds in these areas. The first one on the list is Fashion.
Now if you know Africans, we like to dress up and look nice – weddings, baby showers, parties, etc., Africans dress to impress. For example, La Sapologie is a style well noted in Francophone Africa; those who adopt it are known as Les Sapeurs. Les Sapeurs there is no missing them – they are dressed in bright colors, fancy suits, hats. Fashion has become a part of the lifestyle for Africans.
On YAotM (Young Africans on the Move) we like to showcase brilliance, talent and creativity. Here is the second part of the game, what does Fashion and Christianity have in common? I had no clue until this first interviewee connected the dots. I met this particular young lady; it seems like forever ago in high school. She was very into fashion and had her own style and as we got older, her style became much more chic and very Parisian. Well she took her love for fashion and her love for the Lord and here Heshima Couture was born. The song is “I’m bringing sexy back” by Justin Timberlake; well in this case she is bringing modesty back through her modeling agency. Well I can’t tell you all the details, you have to go read. Here is what Miss Wendy Odour and Heshima Couture are up to:
Name: Wendy Oduor
Age: 21
Origin: Kenya
Educational background: Bachelors of Science in Biology and Psychology
Occupation: Intern at Flourish Boutique
1) What is your story?
Born in Thika, Kenya. Lived in Ruiru, Kenya when I was little but lived most of my life in Makongeni, Kenya. I then moved to the United States in the year 2004 and came straight to South Bend, Indiana and I have been here since.
Most people usually ask me why South Bend, but that’s just how God planned it. Our hosts when we first moved here lived in South Bend, and that is how my family and I ended up in the city. I came to the United States for the so called “American dream”. In Kenya, I always heard that America was where dreams come true, so coming to the United States was definitely exciting. Of course it wasn’t everything I thought it was as a child, but I am blessed that I can be here and have countless opportunities to chase my dreams.
2) 3 words to describe yourself.
Driven, Leader, and Different
3) What does fashion mean to you?
Fashion to me is creativity.
4) How did you get started into fashion?
I started getting serious with fashion during my freshman year in college.
5) Who is your favorite designer/model?
I don’t really have a favorite designer. I like a little bit of everything in designs. It just depends. For example some of Deola Sagoe’s concepts are so unique and different, same thing as Givenchy’s collections. It just sort of depends. I love being different, so it’s hard to choose just one designer.
6) How would you describe yourself – model or fashionista?
Definitely a fashionista. I definitely want to get into professional modeling, but until then I describe myself as a fashionista.
7) Heshima Couture, what is it and how did it get started?
HC is a fashion and a modeling agency for now. It got started with the idea of loving both fashion and desiring to honor God while being fashionable. So I put the two ideas together (well God helped me put that idea together) and Heshima was born. Couture is part of the Heshima concept because I want to start a clothing line that will embody the whole modesty idea.
8) What does Heshima mean?
Heshima means respect in Swahili.
9) What inspired you to want a Christian based modeling agency?
What inspired me to start Heshima is my desire to change how people look at fashion. I want to bring modesty in fashion. I want people of all ages to understand the importance of valuing their bodies and still able to remain fashionable. My heart also goes out to the younger generation. I want young people to look at the media and know that they don’t have to expose all their “goodies” to feel accepted or beautiful. There’s a lot of class in modesty and I want people to not only embrace that but also practice it. Besides having the desire to change the game in fashion, it all goes back to honoring and living my daily life knowing that I’m pleasing God.
10) I did some homework on you; I found your tag line is Modesty, so as the founder Of Heshima, what does modesty mean to you?
Modesty is more than decency. It is an opportunity for me to honor God. God clearly states in Corinthians 6:19-20 that our bodies are temples and we must honor Him with our bodies. This is a command that portrays how sacred God views our body. Therefore, I take pride in modesty knowing that it is deeper than how I dress, but rather it portrays daily respect to my GOD.
11) What vision do you have for Heshima Couture?
Have HESHIMA recognized on a different scale. Yes social media helps market the idea a lot, but I want to host grand fashion shows, host conferences to teach about topics that relate with fashion, beauty, loving your body, etc; all in a bigger scale not only in my city.
12) What does 5 years from now look like for Miss Wendy?
Well I want to go to grad school so hopefully I’ll almost be getting my second degree (still deciding what program I want to get into).
13) What is your favorite thing about being Kenyan?
My favorite thing about being Kenya is the food and of course how can I forget about the great people it has produced. Lupita is my girl. I know she’s technically Mexican, but she’s a product of Kenya.
14) What advise do you have for our readers and young people in general?
If you have a dream you want to make a reality, go ahead and take the steps needed to make it happen. Don’t let fear and doubt prevent you from starting. Never let the fear of failure prevent you from chasing your dream. If you fail, at least you tried.
Always put GOD first in all you do and tell your dreams to the right people (this can make or break you).
PHOTOS
SOCIAL MEDIA CONNECTIONS
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HeshimaCouture
Twitter: www.twitter.com/BlessedAtoti
Samandu Tshimanga, who goes by Samy, is a college graduate from Indiana University South Bend with a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Sociology. She loves the study of people. She is a freelance analyst and talks about politics, human rights and whatever else floats her boat. Her column Young Africans On The Move with Samy showcases exceptional young people making a difference in the community and in their countries back in Africa. Originally from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Samy currently resides in Indianapolis. Twitter: @chic_cocobelle
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