In her craft of fashion, Odile Iradukunda makes sure that her designs stand out from the rest. For someone who loves fashion, it’s easier to notice her styles; they are different from what exists around. With just visual appearance, these designs speak volumes of Iradukunda. Her designs are women and men fancy attires for ceremonies, casual wear as well as weddings. Most of her outfits have an attractive finishing touch. “Fashion appeals largely to our sense of sight, for me, it’s all about the look and how someone feels when they wear their favourite attire. This is why I decided to be a little bit creative and design outfits that are unique but yet simple,” she says. Growing up, Iradukunda didn’t have an opportunity to socialize and meet with people who can help her to grow the passion inside her. Apart from advancing her knowledge, she says her main motive to join the university was to create new opportunities in the world of fashion. “I always dreamt of becoming a fashion designer since I was a young girl. I couldn’t think of another way apart from going to university so that I can expand my networking,” she says. The 28-year-old believes that for one to be a successful fashion designer, networking is a really valuable way to expand your knowledge. This, she says, is through learning from the success of others, creating and getting new clients as well as telling others about what you do, and this is exactly what she wanted. Iradukunda, who holds a degree in applied statistics says after joining campus, she started knitting clothes as a hobby, which was what she loved since she was young. “My mother is a tailor, at the age of seven; I would play with her sewing machine whenever she wasn’t around. I would collect pieces of clothes and make babies clothes out of them,” she says. After high school, she started making clothes for friends and from then, the orders kept coming in. Iradukunda saw the opportunity and the potential in her skills; this is when she decided to follow her passion. At university, she would use her holidays to make clothes for her friends and other students who used to order from her. Iradukunda’s fellow students and other mentors influenced her to pursue what she liked most because of the passion she had in fashion. “Growing up in the village, motivation, and ideas on how to pursue my dream was what I was lacking back then,” “I knew for a fact that going to university will open opportunities on how best I can thrive in what I love,” she says. Immediately after university, Iradukunda settled on fulfilling her dream, which is fashion and design. Today, she is living her dream, the first and most important achievement so far, she says is being able to open up her own fashion design business. Her shop goes by the name Odileira designs, based in Nyarugenge-Kigali. Iradukunda anticipates opening up her own international clothing brand soon. Her biggest achievement as well as to have been able to create jobs for three young people who work alongside her. Through her business, she is proud as well because she supports her family financially.
