Chidimma Chuke
Once upon a time a young girl set out to create the finest handmade clothing and accessories for her dolls. Though she was merely four or five, she knew that using fabric pieces she found on the floor of local tailors’ shops in Nigeria, would turn into glamours wears for her beloved dolls. She would not only sew for her dolls, she would groom them and braid their hair; of course, only the best makeup would do. When primped to her precise standards, she would dress the beautiful dolls in the best handmade clothing her little hands could construct.
Chidimma not only played dress-up, it was important to her that her dolls were educated, so she read to them from her novels, some she wrote herself on her special hand-crafted books. Her beloved dolls and her childhood friends absorbed her well constructed curriculum as they traveled the world in their young hearts and minds. Before she knew it, at 9, she learned how to crochet crocheted her first bag for herself, at 11, her teacher wanted to buy her first hand- crocheted pink and white shawl, which was really a TV cover, for what was big money. She said, no. She enjoyed wearing her beautiful Lacy shawl around her school and every wear she went. Not to worry, though, Chidimma still adores and wears her creations daily, at the age of 13, she sold her first little crochet bags, months after migrating to the United States in a local community fair.
The dream of a little child has now grown into a full-fledged creative arts business with multiple lines of clothing and accessories for men, women and children, oh and dolls as well. Chidimma Chuke often jokes, “I started out dressing my dolls, now, I dress and photograph my life dolls” Chidimma not only designs and create clothing and apparel, she uses her love for art, to research and develop artisan industries in African Countries. She works with people in marginalized communities here in the United States to create her clothing. Her goal is to use her love of art and innovation to empower little boys and girls, people from communities all over the world to partake in creating a better eco and human-friendly community. Thanks for being part of this beautiful manifestation of a little girl’s dream.