For those of you who don’t know Maureen, we’ve got you covered! Although her demeanor is simple, she is multi-talented, speaks more than 3 languages and it was fun doing this interview and to see how she is able to do all that she does and still look fabulous! Here is our interview of her…
THJ: Hi Maureen… thank you for doing this interview with THEHOTJEM.COM. We’ve been looking forward to this day! Please tell us a little bit about your personal and professional background.
MNL: I am a Cameroonian by birth, now living in Germany (German Nationality) and a mother of 3 teenagers. I work for the Town hall in Mering, Germany as The Asylum seekers Coordinator and President of the International Cultural Association in Mering. I develop projects with and for the Asylees in Mering.
THJ: Wow a mother of three? You look so fabulous!!! What is NDEMELA’s Creations and what was the original inspiration/thought process behind it?
MNL: NDEMELA’S Creations is a Brand name. It is also my middle name from Dschang, West of Cameroon. Growing up with my grandma and seeing her work with her Singer Machine and later on something beautiful came out from her sewing, I was always thrilled. Ever since then my goal has been to create clothes for every gender.
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So I began by stitching up pieces of left over fabrics. I created clothes for my dolls and simple skirts for myself. Grandma showed me how to do the gathers. I consider designing as art with a wide diversity of cultures that added that extra love for Fashion.
THJ: What is unique about NDEMELA’s Creations and how do you go about the nomenclature of your creations?
MNL: I consider the people in my circle as my Heroes. So I use their names. Each and everyone is unique in their ways so are my creations.
THJ: What are the major challenges you have encountered while building/creating your business/brand in and how were you able to overcome them?
MNL: I started it as a hobby for the love of creating garments, accessories and even home décor in the beginning and as projects. As time went by, I started investing more time and money. After seeing the reaction of the people and their interests in my designs, considering their advice, I decided to step up the game to suit me first, people, product and place. This business can be overwhelming. I am only striving to be better in this domain, so I am open to learning.
THJ: How is the NDEMELA’s Creations brand being perceived by the Cameroonian, German and international market and what demographics would you say would be your biggest customers and supporters?
MNL: 60% of my customers are Germans, 20% Americans,10% Cameroonians, 5% British, 3%Jamaicans and 2% Asians.
