Onyinyechukwu Ekenedilichukwu Onyeibe is a high hairstylist whose service is extremely sought-after by high-class people and high celebrities. She is the Chief Govt Officer of Poshclass Magnificence Lounge. In a short time, Onyinye has efficiently constructed her model to the highest. Popularly referred to as HairbyPoshClass and throughout all media platforms, it’s now a family identify and a hair styling model that caters to the wants of everybody and each hair magnificence fanatic who needs to look lovely by having their hair nicely performed, put in and styled to perfection.
She supplies hair styling providers for native and worldwide brides, vacation spot glamour photoshoots, Purple carpet occasions, and on a regular basis hair wants. The Hairbyposhclass model additionally gives tutoring, mentorship and masterclasses each bodily and nearly starting from rookies to upgrades, common courses and one-on-one courses. She has organised masterclass occasions in Nigeria and throughout sure nations like Ghana, Zambia, Canada, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Angola and counting.
Hairbyposhclass has additionally made the day for brides each domestically in Nigeria and throughout nations Like South Africa, Liberia, Morocco, Ghana, Canada, and many others. In Nigeria, Hairbyposhclass studio supplies providers in quite a lot of methods for purchasers who need a handy hair answer, together with providers similar to glue-less wigs, customization of frontals, set up of wigs, common hair care and sweetness, and many others. Onyinye derives pleasure in fulfilling hair styling requests and does that with nice ardour and creativity.
The Hair by PoshClass CEO in an interview talked about her model and the way she pulled by way of within the magnificence world.
How lengthy have you ever been within the enterprise of hairstyling?I’ve been on this enterprise of Hair magnificence styling and take care of roughly seven years professionally.
What impressed you to do hairstyling? I’ve accomplished hair all my life, proper from after I was a child. I’ve at all times accomplished my siblings’ hair. It’s one thing that we have now naturally in my household. My sisters do my hair, I do their hair. So we did it rising up as one thing that was like a interest. So it continued after I went to secondary college and in my college, I’d do my buddies’ hair only for enjoyable even after I was not even being paid for it.
There was a time in my college days on the Federal College of Expertise Owerri (FUTO) once we went on a strike in my 400 stage. It was like a 6-month ASUU strike or one thing and I didn’t wish to go residence which was Lagos the place my mother and father resided and which occurs to be the place myself and my siblings had been born. So I didn’t wish to return to Lagos as a result of I didn’t know when the strike was going to finish, and I knew that in the event that they ended the strike, I must now journey again to highschool instantly. So I used to be like, let me simply keep again in class and simply see what I can do.
In order that was after I began making an attempt completely different kinds on my model hair. I’d watch YouTube movies, So it was simply one thing I liked to do. I didn’t even know that I may become profitable from it. So, I downloaded over 100 YouTube hair tutorial movies after which I’d watch and observe on my model hair identical to that.
So after doing that, after I was now bored with doing the entire watching and practising, and because the strike was nonetheless on, I began to message some make-up artists in shut proximity to do a collaborative shoot. And that was the way it began. For my first collaboration, we did a shoot utilizing one in every of my coursemates and after that, I did extra with just a few different make-up artists in Owerri. After I was accomplished with Owerri, we had been nonetheless on strike, I then determined to go to Port Harcourt for these collaborative shoots. I used to be not been paid for it, it was only a collaborative shoot then. I despatched messages to some make-up artists in Port Harcourt they usually agreed to do the shoot with me. I believe the primary particular person I shot with in Port Harcourt was Jojo’s Contact. I did the shoot with Jojo’s Contact, after which I did with just a few others like Alrosal Artistry, Ada Artwork and some different shoots.
Quick ahead to some months later we resumed college, I used to be in my lecture corridor, when one of many make-up artists referred to as and stated {that a} bride wished to e book me to do her hair. I used to be like somebody needs to e book me to do her hair? One thing I used to be simply doing for enjoyable. I used to be shocked so I informed them a value, they paid and I used to be like okay. So the bride then was in Owerri. After I did that I posted her and earlier than I knew it I had a number of bridal bookings from Port Harcourt. It was then it dawned on me that I may become profitable from doing this and that was like my last yr.
Apparently, there was a day I had an examination and I had a bride on that day, so I needed to shortly rush to city, do the bride and rush again. I used to be panicking as a result of everyone was like they had been nearly coming into the examination corridor, you understand how faculties will be, as soon as they shut the examination corridor you can not enter. So I needed to shortly do the bride, and fortunately I arrived early earlier than they shut the door. So this was how every part began.
The bookings continued like that for me and after I graduated I already knew I couldn’t be heading again to Lagos when already I had one thing I earned from, so I used to be capable of painstakingly persuade my mother and father to permit me to remain again and never begin relocating again to Lagos. It wasn’t simple doing that particularly as a result of I wasn’t even planning to remain in Owerri however to maneuver to Port Hacourt which to my mother and father was a wholly new metropolis altogether… So in some way I satisfied them, graduated and relocated to Rivers State’s capital metropolis and at present the remaining they are saying is historical past.
Inform us about what impressed you and why you’re keen on this explicit path of Hairstyling?I’d say, I at all times liked to do it. It was at all times only a interest for me. It was not one thing I knew that I may become profitable from. I’d at all times observe these American and Russian hairstylists. And once they put up hairstyles, I’d at all times be wowed by them and be like, wow, I ought to do one thing like this. So I’d say it was one thing I simply actually liked. And after I go to Instagram, I see brides with their hairdos and the entire make-up and bridal glamorous settings. It was simply so fascinating seeing every part, and I felt like yeah, that’s one thing I certainly would wish to be part of. So all of that was what pushed me into downloading many of the movies I downloaded, began studying and making an attempt out what I’ve learnt.
Who was the person who impressed you? I’ll at all times bear in mind the affect that Hair by Ehis had on my hairstyling journey. Studying from My boss impressed me, particularly in the case of frontal set up. Georgiy Kot additionally performed a giant function in inspiring me, in addition to a number of different proficient people that I’ll not recall in the intervening time.
Who’re the massive names you’ve gotten labored with over time?I’ve labored with a number of celebrities in quotes, and for me most significantly, everybody of my purchasers is a particular particular person and we show these qualities in our providers. Nonetheless, I’ve been opportuned over time to work with Maria Chike, Magnificence Tukura, Liquorose, MizWanneka, Elizabeth Chioma Good Hair, Mo Abudu, Omotola, Deola Artwork Alade, Diary of a Kitchenlover, Simi, Mercy Eke and a number of different personalities I may not bear in mind right here to say. In relation to expertise, I really like and luxuriate in doing hair as a person and to a really massive extent, this makes me simply receptive to my purchasers. That is why each session you’ve gotten sitting on my chair is at all times an superior expertise. So whether or not it’s engaged on celebrities or engaged on the brides, or pink carpet occasions, even throughout my educating and teacher modes, be it domestically right here Nigeria, or hundreds of miles away, I at all times get pleasure from all of them the identical means.
What are the challenges that this hairstyling enterprise has within the interim and having carved a distinct segment for your self within the business, are there potential treatments and or options?Sure, after all there are a great deal of issues and challenges that are our on a regular basis realities, and the unhappy facet of it’s that they’re largely all on account of our geographical location which is Nigeria and or a truth of 1 being a Nigerian. One in all these challenges I’ve confronted as a hairstylist in Nigeria, is electrical energy.
One other downside once more which is also a Nigerian issue is the difficulty of being contacted in your providers in varied elements of the world, and in nearly all of them you will have to bear scrutinised processes that will naturally take months in your momentary visas to be accepted wherein case possibly the occasion you’re scheduled to attend has already elapsed, and or typically the visas are usually not even accepted.
The third one which but once more is a Nigerian issue, most gear we use in our on a regular basis hairstyling actions is usually sourced overseas, even all the way down to the merchandise. Most instances right here in Nigeria, the regulatory our bodies who’re saddled with the accountability of checking to make sure that what’s being introduced right here on the market is of a high-quality commonplace, normally fail to do that easy job and in that case, all over the place is flooded with pretend variations of those gear. And in a case the place you attempt to now possibly supply it by way of many of those on-line market platforms like Amazon, you then get a barrier saying you possibly can’t buy trigger its obtainable in Nigeria.
For me, the one treatment could be the supply of fundamental social and infrastructural facilities by way of good governance the place ONLY the precise factor is ensured and accomplished. With good governance in place can remedy half of those points and extra in a twinkle of an eye fixed.
What’s your recommendation to those that wish to go into the hair styling area? For me, I’d say consistency… that’s the watchword. As soon as one is set and constant, no matter all of the challenges and heart-wrenching occurrences that one could come throughout of their pathways to the highest will probably be overcome. As I’d at all times inform my college students and mentees, it’s not at all times simple beginning up at first. One factor I’ve at all times seen is that lots of people don’t wish to put within the work, however they simply wish to begin and get there instantly, forgetting that nothing comes on a platter of gold. You can’t simply get from 1 to 100 in a day, it’s a must to give your self time to develop, it’s not magic. You set within the work and then you definately get the outcomes like it’s a must to do shoots, it’s a must to improve your self and take courses. I bear in mind the primary bodily coaching I took, I needed to journey all the best way to Abuja to take that class, and at the moment I used to be not financially buoyant to do this, however as a result of I knew what I used to be going for and what I had envisioned to get if I took that class, I compelled it on myself. I needed to break the financial institution and take out my financial savings simply to have the ability to go for this class. I travelled all the best way by street to Abuja and I took that class, and after I got here again, nearly instantly, I began reaping the fruits of the category that I did.
So I’d encourage hairstylists to take items of coaching as usually as they’ll. Don’t ever say by no means. Even till now, nearly yearly I attempt to take as many trainings as I can from completely different individuals. One ought to at all times be open to corrections and in addition strive as a lot as potential to collaborate together with your fellow make-up artists, photographers and influencers. e.t.c. and the sky will certainly be your place to begin.
How can these keen on patronising your providers attain you and what ought to they count on? I’m Onyeibe Onyinyechukwu and I’m the CEO of Poshclass Magnificence Lounge popularly referred to as HairbyPoshClass. HairbyPoshClass is a hair styling model that caters to the wants of everybody who needs to look lovely by styling their hair nicely and neatly. We fashion hair for all functions together with however not restricted to brides, photoshoots, occasions, on a regular basis hair and all. We additionally do each in-studio providers and residential providers. So for purchasers that will wish to have possibly a hair that they’ll simply throw on their head after which go to work, and even purchasers that aren’t within the nation, we additionally make Glueless hair customisations and ship to purchasers inside and outdoors Nigeria. So yeah, we take bookings of all personalities from all walks of life. Magnificence fanatic seeking to slay as nicely.
Are you able to inform us at what level did your profession took a large leap?The turning level in my profession was in July 2019 when one in every of my purchasers who had earlier bought her hair from Mizwanneka got here to me to do a glueless set up for her. This was whereas I used to be nonetheless in Port Harcourt. She got here from Owerri and had an occasion, so I put in her hair and I posted it on my Instagram web page, as my regular behavior of tagging distributors, and I tagged Mizwanneka’s hair. At the moment, I had by no means met Mizwanneka earlier than nor had our paths crossed earlier than. I had by no means spoken to her. She was simply somebody I adopted on Instagram and actually appreciated due to her power and the way hard-working she was. So I tagged her as I’d have tagged every other vendor whereas I posted on my Instagram web page.
So the following day, I believe I had a shoot or one thing. So whereas I used to be doing my factor, I began receiving calls, and after I say calls I imply a number of cellphone calls from individuals I didn’t know however they had been all making inquiries for set up appointments, It appeared so bizarre as a result of I normally don’t obtain these sort of bulk calls and inquiries from individuals for my providers. In order they trooped in I stored questioning what it was that was taking place. After a while, my sister referred to as me and he or she was like, Posh you’ve blown ooo. Mizwanneka posted you on her web page! That was when every part dawned on me that somebody had certainly posted me someplace that made all these calls begin coming to my cellphone. I couldn’t even discover the put up on my Instagram notifications that’s to point out you the sort of site visitors it generated! That defined what occurred with many new followers and feedback from individuals on the put up she reposted. I used to be amazed as a result of I didn’t count on it, particularly from somebody I hadn’t even met earlier than. She wrote extensively underneath the put up, saying“That is find out how to set up your hair, that is how your hairstylist ought to set up your hair, don’t take your hair to a carpenter who received’t make your hair look good.”
This was a significant turning level in my profession as a result of, earlier than then, I at all times had time to do collaborative shoots. Nevertheless, after that incident, I used to be at all times busy and barely had time for picture shoots. Everybody who purchased her hair began coming to me in Port Harcourt, reserving me to fashion their hair. I even stopped having time to sleep as a result of I used to be at all times working.
What actually is the enjoyable factor about you if you find yourself at it, what are these main issues that preserve it fascinating for you?I’d say the key factor is, that I get pleasure from working with everyone and I have to say each one in every of my purchasers has been one nice expertise or the opposite with only a few exceptions. Assembly individuals of various backgrounds and power too is enjoyable for me and is what I look out for particularly their expressions after each expertise. Very importantly, anyone who is aware of me is aware of that I’m a lover of content material creation, So I don’t joke with my content material in any respect and most of my purchasers at all times come right with their content material too so that is one factor I at all times get pleasure from. I at all times get pleasure from filming them earlier than the hair is completed, through the strategy of hair-making and styling and after your entire strategy of glamming up.
