Interview: Meet Actress Funmi Fiberesima

Nollywood Actress Funmi Fiberesima who is also a movie producer talked on fashion, Style, and challenges in movie industry during interview session with Punch. Read more about the Actress who is fashion freak after the cut...

What would you say is the difference between fashion and style?

To me, fashion is what you wear and how you put your clothes together to express whatever you want to express. Style is basically who you are. A lot of famous people have said  fashion goes in and out of style but style is you. It is how you clothe. Fashion is the cloth you are wearing. Style is the total package.  I like to assemble my fashion pieces in a way that can express my true self at any time.

Would you go into the fashion industry anytime soon?

Someday, yes. I go to sleep watching fashion television. I hardly leave that channel. I am just a fashion freak.

Is it difficult for plus sized girls to get fashion items they love?

A lot of fashion designers generally like to follow the trend because they like people dipping their feet in the water to see that the trend does not carry them away. It is more like a business man’s mentality. Slimmer people tend to spend more money. They have been catered for. You find out that teenagers spend a lot on fashion items but how many 16-year-olds are plus sized? There are a lot more designs for slimmer people than for plus sized people. Plus sized people also have choices anyway. You can pick some pieces together and match them. I am plus sized and I have been trying to work on my figure and my shape. As a plus size, I used to be depressed any time I went to shop. The things I liked were not my size and the things I didn’t like could size me. I got a stylist that had her own shop and over time, she was able to cater for my needs. I found out that when I began to wear things that I liked, it was easier for me to lose weight. I began to like myself, I liked what I saw in the mirror and it was easier for it to translate into strength in the gym.

When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

I see a successful young lady. When I look at my body, I like the curves and my whole body figure generally.

What is your fashion weakness?

I think with the number of shoes I have, I would say shoes are my weakness.  I cannot say how many I have but I have so many pairs of shoes and I really mean so many pairs.

What is the fashion item you cannot leave home without?

I am known to leave home without everything. I don’t have a particular fashion item.

What is the most common fashion item you get as a gift?

Perfumes. I doubt if I have ever bought a perfume in my life. Thinking back anyway, I bought one but I gave the money to my cousin to buy it for me. I did not buy it myself. Before my perfume finishes, I get another bottle. People just buy perfumes for me.

What is your most expensive fashion item?

That would be my hand bag. I have a Roberto Cavalli bag that cost me above 1000 dollars. I cannot say the amount; some people can even yab me that it is not worth much when they are talking about Chanel Lego bags that costs so much more. I keep my shopping within my spending rate. Any bag above 1000 dollars is quite expensive for me.

How was growing up?

Growing up for me was not so much fun. I had so many challenging experiences that have turned me into who I am today. First, I was not among the people that formed the popular clique and I was not with the nerds either. I was in the middle. I was the kind of girl that had friends that wanted to talk to me only when their real friends were not around. As soon as their real friends came, they wouldn’t look at my side again. I could stand up and leave a circle that my friends were and they would not even notice my exit. I was that kind of girl.

 How did that experience help you in life?

I learnt to be alone in a crowd. I learnt to create my own entertainment and my own life. Long before I started producing television and radio programmes, I could watch a TV programme with my eyes closed. I would just go to my room, lie on the bed, close my eyes and I would start thinking of a television programme and I would start watching it. Also, at home, it was too cool for me. I am the first born and there are three boys after me then my sister, she is the last girl. There wasn’t any girlie gist for me while growing. It was pretty lonely and tough because we lost our mother. I would not change anything that happened but it was a hard road to walk on.

When stepping out for an event what do you bear in mind while dressing?

I stay true to how I feel. If I don’t feel in the mood to go out, I can change my feelings with music. If I am going for an award for example, I’d most likely play a Kenny G song. Just to lift the mood and get in the vibe. It helps me to dress accordingly. Generally, I stay true to who I am.

What are the challenges you faced building your brand?

I was favoured by God because I did not need to go around begging for money to produce my movie. I had good people around me especially my family. They could have bailed me out of any terrible situation. I had some tough experiences; people felt that I was new in the industry and that is why I had no right to tell them what to do on my film. They say they have been in industry before I was born and would still be there way after I have left. I did not like the fact that I could not tell somebody what to do on my movie. I did a Yoruba film, Onikola. It is still a working title anyway.

Do you buy Nigerian designer’s clothes?

I like Nigerian designs when I see them but they are not readily available. You cannot just walk into a shop and see a Dasilva clothe there. Although there are shops like that, they are rare. I have not seen any and I wish I could go to one. I like what I see when I see them. I want to be able to shop their brand; go into a shop and see a Lanre Dasilva brand there. That hasn’t happened yet.  Because of this, I tend to shop more of foreign brands.

Do you make fashion errors?

Yes. My fashion error is when I wear a tight dress when I finish eating a meal. I look really funny when that happens; I look like a wall gecko. I look at myself and I am shocked.