Esther Egbunkonye-Ogbue and Gloria Egbunkonye are twin sisters merging individual talents to emerge one of Nigeria’s most creative, wanted milliners. Amid dwindling demand for hats, the twin sisters have channeled their skills in basic hat making into a modern, trendy line of millinery—fascinators and hatinators. Their enterprise, Sisterhood Crafties, has garnered thousands of fans on social media; yet, for the University of Benin alumni, this is only the beginning. Woman’s Own was with them.

By Josephine Agbonkhese

Our drive wasn’t patronage but passion —Esther Egbunkonye-Ogbue

Where did the inspiration come from?
I actually learned the basic skills in millinery through observation from my elder sister who was then a milliner. She happened to have a training class running at some point and I was always around to help out. After graduating from school, I was opportune to attend an inspirational seminar where the speaker spoke about tapping into talents. I pondered on what I could do and then it dawned on me that I could make hats. My sister, Gloria, and I, soon developed ourselves and began crafting in a more sophisticated way, creating fascinators, hatinators, bridal accessories, throw pillows, etc.

Esther and Gloria Egbukonye

How ‘sophisticated’ and which international milliner do you draw inspiration from?
I draw inspirations from UK milliners. I visit their pages on the internet, study their designs and go the extra mile to recreate pieces.

It’s one thing to identify your talent and another to monetize it; what was your own experience?
The most important thing was the passion. We had passion for craft right from childhood. The seminars we attended also helped. Our drive wasn’t patronage but passion to create what we could create and were thrilled by.

However, patronage started with our friends because we constantly displayed our works on BBM and other social media platforms. We also did a lot of person-to-person advertising.

We started getting referrals, we got invitation by Alexander McArthy Bridals who saw our works and was wowed.

She did an interview with us which she published on her website and the response from that interview was amazing. From there, we created our own Facebook page because we were at this point certain that what we were actually doing for passion could grow into real business. That inspired us also to open an office.

Would you say the (social media) platform is optimally being leveraged upon by upcoming entrepreneurs?
Our story also has been a major source of encouragement to other entrepreneurs. Majority of them who were not on any of the social media platforms are now on different platforms. It is becoming clear by the day that it is not enough to own only a physical business outfit. Almost everyone is internet savvy now and uses at least two of the social media platforms; making this the easiest way to catch anyone’s attention. However, it is equally important you own a physical outfit where people can locate you or pick up their orders. Moreover, owning an office helps customers reduce uncertainty about you; to convince them that you’re real and can be traced if anything happens.

When and how did you hit your first supply contract?
The first was a bridal train and it was a group job. It was actually a referral from a friend’s friend in Ibadan. The lady saw us wearing a customized fascinator at that our friend’s wedding.

She loved the piece and it happened that she was planning her wedding at the time. She eventually ordered some for her bridal train and we made her 12 pieces and sold each for 1,700. That was September 2012. Thereafter, we started getting contracts for individual use.

Four years into this business, do you regret toeing this path?
We are most grateful for the choice we made. This business pays our bills and gives us time for ourselves.

We can’t breakup like Psquare— Gloria Egbunkonye

I don’t want to believe you both have equal capabilities here; what’s your own area of strength?
We both do everything together but I specialize in the molding aspect. It is actually like a 50/50 thing; a division of labour. In fact, Sisterhood Crafties is a combination of our different ideas. I learned through observation from our elder sister but didn’t really practice with her at that time like Esther did.

She was actually living with her while I lived with our parents. The seminar we both attended later on spurred my interest. I actually studied Sociology & Anthropology. After the seminar in 2012, Esther designed a beautiful headpiece and sent to me via BBM, and I rushed to her place the next day to see what she created. That was when we designed the headpiece we wore to the wedding which she mentioned brought us our first job.

When we were young, we did headpieces and other stuffs just for the fun of it. We made dolls and all kinds of designs with papers.

How much of local content do you bring into your production?
Basically, all the materials are imported because millinery is a foreign business. We can only put in local content by using fabrics like Ankara when we need to make certain customized pieces on demand.

What if you have to break up someday like Peter and Paul (Okoye) did due to ideological differences?
We know P-square vowed not to breakup but later did and then came together again; but Sisterhood Crafties, believe me, will not breakup. Our separation can only be to have either of us go to manage a new branch somewhere.

As kids, weren’t there times you quarreled and kept malice with one another?
(Laughs)Our quarrels never lasted two hours. We had normal disagreements which never went beyond the domestic issues. We could yell at each other but it all ended there.

But many say friends make better business partners than blood relatives…
We are womb mates, not just blood relatives; we are one egg that was divided into two parts. We reason the same way, act the same way even when we are at different locations. Whatever Esther likes is what I like, vice versa. We are two parts that make a whole.