Interview: I once gave out 85 pairs of shoes and still had 200 left -Empress Njamah

What does fashion and style mean to you?

I think they are everyday life. Your fashion is your
style.
Do you think you are a fashionable person?
It is not for me to say. My style might be different
from what the other person calls fashion. And my
fashion can be different from what another
person calls her style. I don't think there is
anybody who will say she doesn't like the way she
looks. But basically, it takes a good eye to know
good fashion.
Do you have that 'good eye'?
I don't go out of my way for fashion. My fashion,
in a simple word, is comfortable.

Are you daring in fashion?

I will not say I am not daring. As an actress, I have
to be versatile. But you have to be daring at the
right function. What I wear in Nigeria is different
from what I wear abroad. It might be fashionable
to you and an eyesore to some other people.
Basically, I dress for the event and the country.
Sometimes, you need to make a statement but
you have to be comfortable while making a
statement.

Have you made a fashion flop before?

Everybody at one point or the other has made
such mistake before.

Is there a particular event that comes to mind
easily?

I went for a pre-award party one day. I was one of
the nominees. I think I was over dressed for the
event.

Can you remember what you wore?

I wore a bandage hugging short dress. I was too
dressed up. I stood out. It is always good to stand
out but it is not good to obviously stand out. I
don't have any regrets though.
Empress is known for her hairstyle.

How come
you don't make it simple when it comes to
your hair?

A lot of people always talk about my hair before
my name while trying to introduce Empress. It is
not a logo. It is just that everybody has one thing
they are used to and they like doing. Over the
years, I was one of the few that started wearing
expensive Brazilian hair before it became a craze.
I like to wear very full hair. Most times, it takes
two people to make my hair. I wear what three or
four people can wear. I am a hair person.
Sometimes you make your passion your
profession. I sell human hair but I started wearing
it long before I started selling them. For a lady,
your hair should stand out.

What else should stand out apart from the
hair?

Your hair, your bag and your shoes should speak
volumes. It is not necessarily your dress. If you
have a good bag and a good shoe, it covers your
outfit.
You also wear different colours of hair
extensions...
I am adventurous when it comes to hairstyles. I
have worn all the hair colours that anybody can
think of but I wear them in a subtle manner, as
such, you can't fault the hair. I do not like people
who criticise what they do not have the courage
to do. Most people want to be adventurous. If you
listen to what people have to say, I think you will
go the wrong way when it comes to fashion. I am
very colourful in all ramifications. I like bright
things. It takes a lot for me to wear a black outfit
for a burial ceremony. I try to put a colour to it.
Fashion is a thing of the mind.
You also have so many footwears
I was able to give out 85 pairs of shoes to
orphanages in Abuja and Lagos. I was left with
more than 200. You would feel you have given out
enough but at the end of the day, when you go
back and count, you will find out that they are still
there.

Have you stopped buying?

I sell shoes. I have been a shoe lover for a long
time. You make your passion your profession. I
have been into it long before I started the
business, and that is why I enjoy doing what I do
now. People call me to advise them on the
footwear to use for a particular occasion.

What is the most expensive fashion item you
have?

If someone spontaneously tells you something,
then it is not true. If you can afford something
very expensive, then you can buy other things at
that same price. You cannot just possess one
expensive item and you have that thing on your
head. For security reasons, I might not want to
mention them, but I have quite a lot of things that
I bought and my friends ask me if I am crazy. It is
my passion. I work hard so I can be able to spend
my money.

Do you love perfume?

I am a perfume person. I have bought a perfume
that is worth over N300, 000. I have over 200
bottles. It is either you are into something or you
are not. It doesn't mean that there is no cheaper
perfume that smells better than that one, but it is
something you like and you want to pick it.

Are you driving your dream car at the
moment?

I am blunt. Cars come out every year. Each time
you buy your so-called dream car, another one
will come out. But I am driving a comfortable car.
I'll hit my hand on my chest and say, 'I love my
ride'. But it is not my dream car. I don't want to
read this piece in two years time and feel stupid.

Do you wear tattoo?

A lot of people see me and they feel I must have
tattoos all over my body. But I don't have any. It
takes a close friend to vouch for me. I don't have
anything against tattoo, but it is not my style. It is
a fashion but not my kind of fashion.

What of body piercing?

It takes 30 minutes for me to take an injection in a
hospital and they even use baby needle to inject
me.

So what do you drive now?

I have Range Rover, a Highlander and Camry.

How is your business doing?

It is doing great. I call it House of Empress. We
are based in Abuja. Lagos is clustered. I have not
left acting.
Source:Punch