Egypt Ufele is a 5th grader. She sought refuge in sewing after she was bullied at school. And this week, she can say she’s a fashion designer who debuted her line at New York Fashion Week.
Ufele is far from your average 5th grader. The 10-year-old designs a clothing line, Chubii, which caters to all ages and body types.
Ufele decided to start her clothing line after other kids at her school started making fun of her.
“They would call me all types of names,” Ufele said. “They would shove my school lunch on the floor.”
Her family said the abuse became so bad, Ufele didn’t want to go to school anymore. But, the straight-A student found refuge in sewing. Today she creates clothes for children and adults in a wide range of sizes.
Ufele made her New York Fashion Week debut this year. Her clothes were featured in a small boutiques show.
Ufele’s family supports her dreams of becoming a fashion designer. Her grandmother taught her how to sew and her mom is her manager. Ufele also works with Strike A Pose Models and Management to highlight her creations.
See her on the Today Show® here:
“Egypt Ufele known as Ify, 10, premiered Chubii Line at this year’s New York Fashion Week, becoming the only child designer to dress plus-sized models.
It’s a major accomplishment for anyone, let alone a 5th grader. However, Ufele’s success story stems from a rough period of being teased, often about her own body.
“I was bullied and they called me all kinds of names. One time, I got stabbed with a pencil,” she told the Today Show.
Ufele did not let her peers define her. Instead, she began sewing doll’s clothes using a basic needle and thread. Soon she was sketching, designing and using her grandmother’s sewing machine to make garments. Her perseverance birthed Chubii Line.
Her line features clothing for all shapes and ages, even menswear. Many of the patterns are ankara or African print. On her website, Ufele describes the uniqueness of her clothes as “Seeing what other designers won’t, capturing what others can’t.” Talk about confidence!
Not only is Ufele now an internationally recognized fashion designer, she is using her platform to bring attention to bullying, using the hashtag #bullychasers on social media.
“I turned from negative attention to positive attention,” she said.
Read more: http://blog.therealrickeysmiley.com/blogs/this-10-yr-old-designer-just-debuted-her-plus-size-fashion-line-at-new-york-s-fashion-week-standingovation#ixzz4D2QdLQwlˮ
Many kids are being bullied in school these days. Sadly there is not an abundance of options for them to cope with this. Many of them tell nobody and keep it to themselves. However, in some cases it can turn out to be a learning experience. Especially if the parents give the child their full support. This 10 year old girl decided to take the bull by the horns and do something about. I think she will become a successful entrepreneur and we will see more of her in the world of fashion.
