Mhalesinuo Tepa: Designer with a Voice

Although her love for designing can be traced back to childhood, Mhalesinuo Tepa really started pursuing it more seriously during her break from B.A final examinations, which also gave her ample time to put her thoughts together and fix her mind on designing beautiful outfits.

It was the year 2011 when she graduated in English Literature from Sazolie College under Nagaland University, that her gift for designing also took a better turn. Because it was then, she truly set her heart to creating outfits that ladies can flaunt about. Mhalesinuo draws inspiration from daily life,  but her biggest influence is unmistakably her mom, even as she recalls how her mother has played an integral role in her life as far as designing is concerned.

She fondly recollects the first design she made of a dress when she was only 10 or 12 years old. “I didn’t know how to stitch but mom sewed it for me”, she expresses, with the memory still fresh in her mind. Interestingly, she never attended any design school but her passion coupled with hard-work and persistence has definitely reaped good results.

A year on after she took up designing more professionally, models wore her creations to walk the ramp at a festival, organized to mark the culmination of the Artefacting’s Global Village 2012 project at Kohima. Artefacting is a New York based, Non Profit organization that consists of artists, photographers, teachers, activists and people who are passionate about social justice with a hope to produce some art works that reflects their personal artistic interests with possibly finding a connection and the influence of their roots, Christianity and western culture.

Simultaneously, she ventured into an online shopping page on facebook under the banner, “Colour Burst” (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Colour-Burst/372610202778276?fref=ts)  during April 2012. With inspiration drawn from daily life, by now, she has designed numerous outfits that are suitable for several occasions. Her latest works include that of garments for flower girls and a ring boy. Her clients would best put it individually, but they all echo a similar sentiment when they say, ‘her designs are simple but very classy’. That, she is often complimented for her good colour combination is also noteworthy.

So, does she have a favourite colour? To this, she is quick to say, “I love everything and anything that is colourful.” Efficient also in her work, it takes only about an hour for her to create a work with simple design while the more complicated ones take about a day.

Born to a family of artists, Mhalesinuo also started sketching as a little girl, but that’s not all as the young girl is moreover gifted with a beautiful voice. She began singing at Sunday School, when it eventually progressed to greater platforms and bigger audiences. Only this year in January, she was part of the group singing in the famed, “We Will Rock You” Musicial, directed by Ate Kevichusa, even as they gear up to stage the much complimented musical at Jotsoma from 1-3, December, 2013 coinciding with the Hornbill Festival.

Singing, Designing or Sketching? She professes she would settle for the former two if she were given a choice. But that doesn’t necessarily mean she would forego sketching.

The young lady who did her schooling from Minister’s Higher Secondary School and finished her 12^th from Mezhür Higher Secondary, prior to graduating from Sazolie College, is currently pursuing M.A English from IGNOU. Apart from singing, designing and sketching, Mhalesinuo loves to cook and is often carried away by shoes and accessories.

FILAFI FITHU, Putting her best foot forward

It takes courage to leave one’s comfort zone in pursuit of a dream, especially if it means quitting a so called ‘prestigious job’ by the society’s standard. But Filafi Fithu mindlessly gave away her position of Junior Divisional Accountant in the department of Treasuries and Accounts, which she acquired through the Nagaland Public Service Commission, for a far more fulfilling career.

She has always been a brilliant student but her extraordinary love for footwear absolutely showed when he earned a Gold Medal for doing exceptionally well in her post graduate course in Footwear Designing and Technology, Agra. Soon enough, she was working with a reputed footwear company in Noida, but that was naturally not enough for somebody whose heart has already been set for higher goals.

Notwithstanding the fact that she had a very humble beginning with her early high school education rooted in a small town in Meluri under Phek district, and later on, Patkai Christian College for graduation, she truly exhibited what she was capable of, by taking the road very less travelled.

That, she went on to launch her own designer shoe line under her own name- FILAFI FITHU, manufactured from Italy in a company called ‘Calzaturificio Taboo Line di Romeo Giuseppina,’ Vigevano (near Milan) renowned for its finest leather quality, in one of the posh areas of Delhi in Greater Kailash Main Block Market is an extraordinary feat. With this, she became a household name although it took several months of hard-work, passion, commitment and efforts to get where she stands today.

Currently working hard on their winter collection, while also hoping they can open a few more outlets in the coming year, Filafi Fithu shares her experiences with our readers in a candid conversation with YouthNet Opportunity Express.

YNOX: Your love for shoes, when and how did it happen?

FILAFI FITHU: I always loved shoes as far as I can remember but I guess it developed into some kind of obsession as I grew up because I always had a hard time finding my pair as my feet are extremely small (I am a size 34).

YNOX: How difficult was it to follow your dream, considering that you also quit a prestigious government job (as many people would say) and instead followed your heart?

FILAFI FITHU: If I were to tell you the truth it was not as hard as many would imagine because I have extremely kind parents. When I first told them about my decision they were obviously confused and did not say yes or no. But in the next few days they were already praying for me and my whatever decision. So this is the kind of parents I have for which I am able to do what I am doing right now and I feel so blessed for them. The faith they had in me made me feel so responsible.

YNOX: From growing up in a small town in Meluri to associating yourself with Italy- How does it feel? Did you think you would be here someday?

FILAFI FITHU: When I was a kid growing up in Meluri I thought I would be a doctor just because I used to stand first in the class. Life was such that you could never think of becoming anything apart from the conventional. But I was always a dreamer even then, so I still feel I am still the same old girl and I don’t think Italy or anything else is going to change the person that I essentially am.

YNOX: What was the most challenging thing you did while you were getting there?

FILAFI FITHU: First of all I am not anywhere there yet where I want to reach. I just started and I still have to learn just so much about everything - from the technical to the business part. The most challenging thing I did would be the decision to go ahead with my venture so early on in this career.

YNOX: You must now have an idea how people feel about your venture. What has the response been so far?

FILAFI FITHU: The response have been overwhelming! I think a lot of people, even strangers are so excited and curious about this thing. And it gives me a lot of excitement and pressure both at the same time. I want to thank every of my well wisher.

YNOX: So, what does it take to be there where you are?

FILAFI FITHU: Like I said before I am not anywhere there yet. But yes like any other challenging job it takes a lot of passion, hard-work, focus, self conviction, determination, craziness and ignorance all combined together.

YNOX: You are by any means a role model now, what would you say or advise our young people on pursuing the career of their dreams?

FILAFI FITHU: I am extremely humbled if I am of any inspiration to anyone out there for doing what I love to do. The best advise I can give to the young minds would be to figure out what they really really want to do in life and go for it. Trust me the universe really does conspire to make it happen when you really want it.

YNOX: Enlighten us a bit more on your take on shoes, how you design them, what inspires you to do so, the Italian connection, the leather, the material, anything and everything you feel needs to be told.

FILAFI FITHU: I consider the shoe as the most important accessory which can make or break any look. It depicts an individual’s personality. I take my inspiration from life and my many moods which I find so interesting. Designing and developing a shoe is an arduous and time consuming process. Normally, first of all you put it in a sketch what you have in your mind in accordance to the materials you want to use. Then you have to look for the components that defines the profile of you shoe- the sole, the heel and the platform (if you are using), after which you need to develop your last (foot-shaped forms) accordingly. Then you make a proto of your design on that last and have to make amendments several times before you can get the profile you are looking for. Next step is sampling which again involves several trials. After the final approval production follows. The whole process is like a puzzle and takes a lot of time for all the elements to finally come together.

The Italian connection- “I love their food, their products for which I decided to produce my shoes from there. Also my mentor, Sergio Peviani, is Italian who is again a very good friend of mine, so Italy and me really works!”

For the love of Art

When somebody’s love for something is deeply rooted in childhood, it is bound to go a long way. Especially if it is for the love of it, then it must take a special kind of interest to pursue it, not as a profession, but more as a hobby.

Arien Jamir has drawn on almost every notebook he can remember. For that matter, he even recalls getting his ears pulled for doing so. There is no doubt his interest for drawing started quite early, while he was as young as a student of class 3. “My math notebooks which were blank, had half numbers and half drawings”, he confesses. The attribute, which he says, comes from reading a lot of comics as he was growing up.

Humorously, he also adds, “notebooks were plain and boring then, even the text books, so sketching was sort of decorative and it became a habit. DC comics helped me in terms of writing too.” It is interesting to note that Arien Jamir is an avid writer as well and his writing ranges from poetry to essays and short stories. His works have been published in numerous magazines and newspapers.

His artistic affiliation is obvious and yet, he is somebody who chose to pursue something else on the academic front. He is a graduate of Loyola College, New Delhi, where he passed with a B.A degree in History. Interestingly, he went on to choose Law and is currently pursuing his LLB final year from Delhi University.

Without hesitation, he says he was interested in pursuing a course on creative arts but further expresses that unfortunately that did not happen. However, “learning isn’t impossible because there are so many resources which are easily available”, he affirms. Talking more about his art, he enlightens, “I can only use pencil (charcoal or lead) and pen”. “I tried some paintings, which were fun”, he goes on but still chooses to say, “I doubt I am an artist at all”.

The only difference, however is that he is a self-taught artist. His works have fetched him some income too, but he has given away more. More recently, his works were exhibited at the Afflatus organized by Touch India Trust during a fund raising exhibition in Delhi last year.

For him, “it’s more like a hobby, but hobbies have its effect on works we do, so it is not any lesser than a profession. It is in a way more durable than a profession too.”

Does he remember his first work? To this, he is prompt to reply, “the first creative sketch I can remember is sketching my door. I think that was the year Rio first got elected…I remember because I drew him on the door.”

Talk about his dream job and he is quick to say, “I’d settle for the best job I can get but with life, the dreams are unrestricted and always adding up. The word “job” nullifies the word “best” I think. But I would enjoy a job which has room for creativity. But to put it bluntly I want to be an entrepreneur.”

Art, for him is an expression of ideas and thoughts and to alter it and not necessarily to fill any space. “It does depend on what you are sketching though. The sense of fulfillment comes when the sketch good or different. Otherwise it can be disappointing too”, he explains.

On the other side of art, the talented youth wrote his first poem while he was in class 7, drawing lines from a dream. And if there is some credit he would like to give, then it’s got to be his dad even as he expresses, “My dad is pretty good at it, he is better than me. I learnt all school drawing works from him like pineapple, jack fruit, basket of fruits etc.”

His concerns for the society span over a series of issues confronting us today. Perhaps it is the medium of art, he can best use to address them, just like his work of art carries a message.

Headhunter Breakdown: The dao (machete) is being held like a gun, symbolizing the gun culture and reflects the loss of our culture and simple traditions. We no longer have our honour and we should not take too much pride of the past because of what we have become. 

The young hotelier

Akiebu Shaiza has been in the Hotel Management Industry for over a decade now, bringing alive his dream career, which he has long defined as a higher secondary student. That, he rose from the mere position of being a bartender, a dishwasher, a waiter, and eventually a supervisor before he was promoted to Assistant Manager while simultaneously being a Management Student, all in a matter of three years is a feat that not many people achieve. 

He has his foundation rooted at the Swiss Hotel Management School, Switzerland, a place reputedly known as the home of hotel and hospitality management for its establishment over a hundred years ago when the first palace-style hotels were built. He undertook a two year course in Hospitality Management at the Swiss Hotel Management School (SHMS) before he subsequently ventured into a course in Events Management. His memory of being a student there also includes being selected as the Students’ President at the SHMS, Switzerland.

Akiebu decided to shift places after a while but his experience also says that, that is not the easiest thing to do, even as he explains, “you know, for instance, from out of 100 requests, you get 80 denials…” but very clearly, he isn’t the kind who gives up easily as he found himself landing in a new place during the year 2010 at one of the largest hotel operators in Hong Kong, namely, ‘Regal Hotels International’.

Yet, he started all over again right from the ground level till he was promoted to Supervisor and looked after an overwhelming number of 482 rooms. Recalling his work experiences in these places, he says, ‘it was a challenge in the sense that we had to handle a lot of complaints, sometimes our clients get locked out, or leave their passports or credit cards in their rooms and call from the airport…things like that.’

But, “a breath of fresh air” is what he says of his experiences abroad. He also likes the fact that he gets to meet people from all walks of life, right from the well-to-do to the not-so-fortunate. Well, it has always been his motto to “work hard, party harder”. ‘This is one of the things that a teacher of ours always insisted on too!’ he adds.

He worked at Hong Kong for a shorter duration of two years, only perhaps because he had far greater plans. Although he enjoyed the rich culture and work experiences in these places, it has however always been his prerogative to travel and explore the world of management. To this end, he has been to places like Portugal, Amsterdam, France, Italy, Belgium, Norway and Germany, fulfilling both the purposes of travelling as a hobby and travelling as part of his eagerness in exploring lounges and bars.

One could say, the greater Naga in Akiebu compelled him to return home. “If people who had had exposure do not come back and let our people not know about what we have learnt, our place will not change…” is what he says about choosing home over all the fascinating places he had been to. His latest venture being the “Rattle and Hum Lounge” which opened last December in the heart of High School Junction Kohima. ‘I wanted a lounge which can cater to everybody, young and old, single and individuals”, he enlightens. Rattle and Hum Lounge specializes in Indian and Chinese amongst the varieties of items such as Pork Manchurian, Aloo Bhaji, Non-Veg Thali etc that are served there and is open from 10:30 am to 7:00 pm all week excepting Monday while Sundays are open after 11:30 am.

If there is something that the young Managing Director of Rattle & Hum Lounge would change in the Naga society as far as management and hospitality is concerned, it would be “personality” and “punctuality”. “Everybody is very shy to even warmly say, ‘can I get you a cup of tea?’” he expresses while the rest of us are all aware of the popular ‘Naga Timing’.

One of the things that he is really concerned about is the traffic while specifically pointing to the snail-paced traffic in the state capital. To this, he suggests, maybe parking on both sides of the road could be avoided or make it one way for certain time periods, even as he hopes for the traffic to get better in Kohima.

It is a sign of encouragement for the 27 year old to see private enterprises growing in the state, and it is also his hope that entrepreneurs and proprietors would build relations of trust and promote each other’s businesses instead of competing with each other. ‘There are times we could always refer clients to each other’s’, he puts across, while emphasizing on building networks of business related connections.

For the youths, he goes on to say, ‘speaking up and raising your voice is the only way you learn things, but be sure that you always put God first’, while on a special note, he insists, that he is grateful to family and friends for encouraging him and helping him be where he is today. 

Mengu Soukrie's journey through 'Love is all we need'

People have often described her as extremely professional but Mengu Suokhrie rather insists that she pushes herself to become one, and adds that “if there is something that people see and you ask where that comes from then it is pure sincerity and hard work, I take my profession seriously and didn't ever for once take it for granted.”

Well, the singer in her has added numerous feathers to her cap even as she stole the limelight on several occasions of importance. The most recent one being the highly acclaimed musical, “We Will Rock You” directed and produced by Ate Kevichusa where she carried off the role of Scaramouche brilliantly. She was also part of the commendable musical, “The Prodigal Son” and has, prior to that, performed at the National Hornbill Festival several times, besides contesting in a national TV program called “Let’s Rock”. She has clearly done a lot of shows and concerts apart from being an opener at the inauguration of the Cricket Stadium at Sovima, opener for renowned international bands like Imflame and Stryper, also sung at “The Origin” Musical besides performing at the T.Ao Opening Ceremony.

One will also see her acting in some short gospel movies to be released soon, one of which is titled, “True Love Will Wait”. Besides her debut album, “Love is all we need” was released last February, produced by the Synergy Group Enterprise and recorded at one of the best recording studios, namely, Clef Ensemble and mastered by a professional, Alfred Besu.

Talking about this period, she recalls, “I had the opportunity to work with a lot of experienced musicians and I learned all the good stuffs being around them…coming up with this album was my tool, in my songs you will hear me and my mind. Every song talks about love, there’s a song where I shared that I do feel sad and my longingness to be happy is so desperate that I wish happiness was a person and imagined and personified happiness. A song called "Kenei", a song where I shared my belief, "Beautiful Soul", a love song for my mom and friends and so if you hear my songs, that’s me there sharing something I feel about love. I treasure this gift God gave me, and I take this as the best opportunity to reach the world.”

She goes on to add that, “the experience I got is tremendously awesome, I got to learn to find myself and express myself, that is the best thing. I learned how to be more serious and take courage to stand, and in the run I learned more about music and its beauty and it is endless. You see everyday is a new experience and it gets even more adventurous....”

So, when did she start singing? At the age of 6, she was at it in Sunday School even as she expresses, “that time I didn't know what I was doing, I just did it for the fun of it. But by God's grace my interest grew unstoppably and it went on and on and from one platform to another till now.” Reminiscing a little more on her childhood, she says, “Well, everyone knows I am from a very humble background, my parents worked hard and brought me up with my other siblings. I've seen life and started life the hard way but by the grace of God I was taught to live life the right way. We don't have anything in excess but it’s a simple and good life with what we get to live with everyday.”

She would describe herself as “Stubborn”, but all in a good way, she grins. “I really don't like running on order. I like being free and expressive, I believe this life is too short so we need to hurry and live everyday doing good. I love expanding my world and reaching my true potential and as of now by God's grace, I am really happy with my family, friends and not forgetting right now, the man I’m so in love with. There are factors and things trying to put me down but I refuse defeat. I fear God because I feel God and without God I am nothing. He created me and I am living to serve Him only and that’s me.”

That’s coming from an effervescent lady who also loves travelling and trying out new cuisines. But as far as music is concerned, she opines that, “we all know our music industry is still a baby, most of the people still don't have faith in music and encourage like the way they will encourage a person to become a doctor or an engineer. I faced the same thing, but we can't blame them all.” “But yes, talking about challenges being a musician is poor market, even if we produce an album the sale is really bad, period. And so to survive with only some income from shows is really hard”, she practically states.

However, she’s been on the run, enjoying what she does and enhancing her skills from lessons on Conducting and Vocals. Her first tutor, she remembers is Miss Martha and adds, “I am still undergoing voice lesson from Madam Ajeen Longchari.” “By taking lessons I feel more polished and having the knowledge of what I am really doing, I feel more confident to deliver. When we take lessons, we learn different techniques and it sounds more beautiful and safe. I have known the benefit of taking guidance and lessons so I will encourage those people with talent to go for lessons because it'll only make you better”, she goes on to say.

She has her own list of things to do and in the near future, plans to come up with more music videos. She hopes to have her next album on stands, a Gospel album, she enlightens even as she professes, “I can't wait to share what God has done for me. Please support me and continue to encourage and pray for me.”

The filmmaker's story

The world was her imagination as she recalls of her childhood, exploring the streams and mountains, looking for wild berries and swinging in the forest with her siblings and cousins. But it is mostly with a sense of nostalgia that Vikeyeno Zao begins by saying, “the beauty of Kohima is gone forever” and adds to it that “those times were like a magical world as we would say it today.”

While such memories are reflective of her roots, she has been more popularly known for her participation in the prestigious Cannes Film Festival for two consecutive years during 2010 and 2011 where a short film directed by her on the head hunting Konyak Naga tribes of northern Nagaland and the other on man and elephant conflicts of Assam were selected for the 63rd and 64th Cannes Film Festivals respectively.

Filmmaking, for her, is a wonderful and fulfilling medium with lots of imagination and empathy when probing into the depths and getting into real meaning of life, even as she goes on to express that “it is a learning process that makes me truly alive.” Movies, she says, “have been around for quite a long time, entertaining people since its inception”. You can take people on a journey and show them a world they can get lost in. It’s quite fascinating and exciting, she states.

When asked of her struggles and what it took to get where she is, she spontaneously responds with, “Life itself is a big challenge and struggle if we look into, very closely” and gets practical even as she shares, “getting into a movie industry is tough very tough. I have struggled through the minutes to get 100 percent perfection.”

She, however has fulfilling memories of making the short film on elephants and deliberates on it saying, “we had to wait in the jungles for hours altogether, sometimes the whole night…my son would always go with me and I remember by 3:00 pm he would start packing his back pack with eatables, other necessary things, and never forgot his torch light. Sometimes we walked 10 to 15 kilometers on a rough terrain, but I never felt that I have walked that much.”

This period, she terms as very exciting and an adventure of a lifetime even as she narrates further an incident of a herd of elephants eating the paddy while the villagers were making terrible sound trying to chase them away… Slowly, she says, the herd moved back to the jungle and suddenly, a leopard appeared sitting on top on a huge stone. “The scene was so dramatic”, she adds while picturing the herd of elephants on one hand and the group of people shrieking on the other side amidst a big leopard and further on the western side three elephants trying to defend their herd from the deadly humans and in between the female elephants forming into a circle to protect their young babes. “I could not get a single picture and my husband could not film it properly of the rowdy crowds pushing from all sides. This is a real moment we missed”, she states regretfully.

“I don’t know how I got into films but I think it was always there in me, to do something nice and great, and to achieve that something is still obscure in the air”, she confesses. But if there is something she has observed in the filmmaking scenario in the state, then, she is clearly hopeful, for she says, “we are lucky to have a lot of film makers coming up today. We are still very young and have a lot to learn including myself from the world around us but reading the thoughts of our youngsters, we have a good future in film making.”

Before venturing into the profession, the acclaimed filmmaker had earlier acquired Diploma in Direction and Cinematography from Asian Film and Television Institute, Marwah Studio Complex, Film City, Noida, India.

Also with a lot of fine experiences in the field of broadcasting media, she has previously done several interview based programmes on different personalities in the radio programme- “Morning Echoes” and was also a regular announcer for All India Radio, Kohima, Nagaland besides compeering western music programme for Vividh Bharati, New Delhi.

As a film maker, she has to her credit, numerous documentary films, tele-films and serials on nature and environment of North East India as well as on social and anthropological aspects of the different tribes of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. She is currently working on a film project since the past one and half years, besides another documentary titled, “Where will I Go Now”.

The life of a fashion designer

She was never too sure if she would become a fashion designer when she grew up, but traits of her girlish days already showed great inclination towards this line of profession. Keds Krome was a model before she turned a full time designer, and got acquainted with the world of fashion early in life as a student even as she remembers being actively involved in modeling throughout her high school days.

That, she was listed amongst the top 3 out of 28 models from North East Model Hunt 2001 to undergo further grooming of 2 months’ duration at Mumbai is indicative of both her experience and quality in this area. However, she dropped the opportunity because, in her words, “further, I wanted to pursue designing.” This decision pretty much sums up how she got into the prestigious National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) at Bangalore, where she pursued a 3-year professional course.

She further worked at a ‘Studio cum Workshop’ at Bangalore, which is also significant because the period marks the official launching show of her exclusive designs under the brand name, Keds Krome. Recalling that period of working experience in the city, she says, “It was nice and interesting! You get to experiment. Your designs can bold…I was designing anything from saris to beach wears. There are no restrictions with the cut; I used to design club wears- something young, bold and energetic.”

She has also worked with some of the best in the industry such as the like of Rachel Maria (model), Pooja Pradhan (model), Prasad Bidappa (fashion designer), and Pablo Bartholomew (photographer) in due course of time.

However, she left behind the fast-paced city life and came home to a more laidback Nagaland during 2005. Regardless, hers has been a household name when it comes to fashion, as her designs were already known much ahead of the time she professionally started designing.

Over 10 years of experience into the field, fueled with passion and energy has earned her several clients, many of those who keep coming back for more. She designs anything ranging from wedding gowns and accessories to blazers and suits, as well as gowns for beauty pageants, and also catering to those people attending such occasions. However, her specialty, she confesses is corsets.

She has the fondest memories of designing the entire outfit for models (from head to toe excepting shoes) for the World Bamboo Day Fashion Show during 2010. Talking about this special event, she recalls investing 3 months for the show, designing everything based on the bamboo theme that evolves neckpieces, earrings, 100% bamboo fabric for both men and women wears. Then, there was also the time she designed a cocktail dress for a Delhi based model who contested in the Femina Miss India for the preliminary round, and numerous other fashion shows both in the state and outside.

While her designs really depend on the clients’ structure and their choice of design, it takes a creative mind to bring out a fine, end result. When asked what inspires her, she says, “our culture is there but my main inspiration comes from nature.” She agrees that Naga people are very fashionable, and are more fashionable than people in the cities, which is also one of the reasons why, she finds it a challenge to design for our own people because they are well updated with the latest in the fashion world.

Sharing a bit more of her observation in this regard, she expresses, “I can see so many talent youths who are naturally gifted…also, many of them are interested in designing but they do not want to struggle” even as she emphasizes that one has to work really hard. She is particularly disappointed when she needs to hire a proper tailor, as she goes on to explain that “we have many school dropouts who are trained in cutting and tailoring but when I hire them, I have to instruct every bit of it and it’s like they were trained out of compulsion and not out of interest.”Speaking even in terms of other areas that designing is associated with, she wistfully expresses, “I wish there were more skilled people to hire.”

And yet, by now, she has designed countless dresses and accessories, not to list the orders that continuously keep pouring in. The only thing keeping her from opening her dream boutique is her fear to keep up with the orders due to shortage of skilled manpower that is hard to come by. However a boutique of her own is definitely on the pipeline.

As an end note, if there has been a driving force in her life, it is unmistakably her late mother whom she lost just a few months back. “Mom was really good with handwork and embroidery…what I do now is embroidery of a different kind but watching her do things has influenced me a lot and I also learnt to use the machine from her”, she fondly puts across.

She is also an ardent promoter of animal cause who affectionately says, “if there was a way, I’d like to start working for the cause.” One can only imagine her affection for animals, and cat, being her favourite, she has 9 cats to keep her hands full when she is not designing. 

Tsukti Longkumer

What a meager rupees 100 failed to do in many people’s lives, Tsukti Longkumer made it a significant entry into his enterprising career, now spanning over a decade. He did not become the army officer he dreamt about as he was growing up, but he certainly grew to love the profession he eventually chose, which is now largely manifested in the service oriented business he indulges in, such as the Hospitality sector, Printing & Stationers, Rental & Catering Services.

It was a career guidance seminar he attended right after he graduated in the year 1996 that motivated him to take up private entrepreneurship. Recalling this decision, he confesses that he would not have it any other way. He received the sum of Rs.100 as a mascot gift in the seminar he attended. It was M.B Longkumer, a renowned businessman in Mokokchung, who came as resource person and gifted him the amount besides encouraging him with inspirational tips and advices. To this end, he fondly remembers him and his teacher and mentor, Akok Walling, who he says have been a source of inspiration and unmistakably ignited the interest of business in him.

June 26, 1996 is an important day for him even as he recalls going to the Nagaland State Cooperative Bank (NSCB) to open a current bank account with the mascot gift but his application was rejected since the minimum amount required to open the account then was Rs. 250/-. This led him to borrowing a sum of Rs.150/- from his parents, enabling him to successfully open his first current bank account with the NSCB under the banner, Longpok Enterprises.

“I deposited Rs. 250 (Two Hundred Fifty only) that day, so you can say I started business with that sum sixteen long years ago. 5 months later, I attended a 3 months’ Screen Printing Training at Guwahati in the later part of 1996 and started a small in-house Screen Printing Unit with an initial investment of Rs.3000/- which was later shifted to I.M Road, Mokokchung”, he says. Later on, he was also trained on “Entrepreneurship, Self Employment and Small Scale Industries” at the National Institute of Small Industries Extension Training (NISIET), Yousufguda, Hyderabad.

It is however, interesting to note that he never attended any formal business school prior to this, but ventured into the profession without any business degree or experience, and which is why, it is also noteworthy that he has come a long way with a very humble beginning of Rs.100/-.

Today, he is into his 17th year into business, which, he insists is not without struggle. “It has been a struggle, because most of the local customers prefer to do business with non-locals in and outside the state. Moreover, loans from the banks and financial assistance from the Government to upgrade the business were denied”, he explains.

And yet, it is by God’s grace, he says that his business components function under the following names- Longpok Offset Press, Hotel Whispering Winds, Longpok Framings and Laminations, and Longpok Tent House & Catering Services respectively, and has also extended employment opportunities to 32 young people.

Although, he started his enterprise with a financially zero deficit or debt record, with no bank loan, he is however pleased to see that over the last 16 years of its establishment and growth, there is no record of any Debts or Liabilities with any Financial Institutions.                 

He would describe himself as “Sincere, hardworking and ambitious but sometimes too blunt.” Well, one can say his dedication, hard work and honesty have certainly paid off today. For him, a normal day for a business man is made of ‘Low purchasing power in the market hence low transaction makes a businessman sometimes dull, without any challenges’ but he clearly enjoys interacting with different types of people each day and catering to their needs, which, he confesses is also what he likes most about his job.

“However, it is not an easy task to satisfy all the customers all the time, it is a challenge dealing with those customers who wants the BEST at the CHEAPEST rate and at the EARLIEST possible time”, he expresses.

Nonetheless, he is glad that young people are today showing keen interest in entrepreneurship, which he terms as ‘a very positive and welcome development’. He says that there are unlimited business opportunities open to those who are willing to become entrepreneurs in Nagaland, although noting that the only setback is the lack of capital for start-ups. “This is one area where the financial institutions need to recheck their policy. The government must also devise some entrepreneur-friendly programs”, he emphasizes.

He also remarks that it is very unfortunate that the society gives undue importance to government jobs. In his words, “it is not that hard to survive on a private venture if you got your plans well laid out”. Either way, his mantra in life has been, “there is not short-cut to achieving success. You have to work hard.”

In his future kit, one will find plans that include introduction of new business ventures that will promote Mokokchung as a commercial hub for the northern region of Nagaland. Tsukti Longkumer is also actively involved with the Rotary Club, Mokokchung District Arts & Council (MDACC), Associates for Performing Arts and Theatricals (APAT), Mokokchung Chamber of Commerce and Industries (MCCI) and Indian Chamber of Commerce. He is also a Trainer/Resource Person in workshops and seminars on entrepreneurship and self-employment programs.

He has represented India during the Trades and Investment Conclave between NE India and Myanmar, held at Yangoon, 2012 and a Recipient of Rotary Club Vocational Excellence Award 2000, Rotary Foundation Service Award for Rendering Service Promoting its Goal of World Understanding and Peace, 2009 and Outstanding Entrepreneurship Award from the Government of Nagaland, 2010.

Akuonuo Khezhie: Life on....beyond the ramps & catwalks

She has featured in many prestigious ramps and won several titles before she set foot into one of the fashion capitals of the world: New York; and eventually walked the prestigious New York Couture Week, the New York Fashion Week and the Chocolate Runway Show, New York among several others.

But Akuonuo Khezhie, who turned a supermodel despite the fact that she professionally joined modeling only during the later part of 2006, confesses that she was probably the most unlikely candidate for the profession due to her tomboyish attitude. However, she says that participating in Miss India taught her the necessary skills needed to pursue a career in modeling.

She did Nagaland proud by winning the Femina Fresh Face of 2007, after having deservingly won beauty contest titles such as Miss Kohima, Miss Nagaland and Miss North East India respectively. The political science graduate from Delhi University however recalls that modeling was never part of her plan. Looking back however, she says with conviction, “I know for certain there isn’t a profession that I would rather have chosen. My journey to where I am today was a struggle but it has also given me the strength to be independent, responsibility to choose what I believe in and most importantly, it gave me financial independence.”

While she was modeling in India, she admits, “there were times I wondered if life would have been better had I chosen to follow my father’s dream of life in the IAS but after I got the contract in New York, I knew I did the right thing.” Speaking of which, the latest adventure in her career had unmistakably been New York where she lived her contract with the Ikon Model Management.

Well, having gained enriching experiences from the city of fashion, she is back to where she grew up to further promote what she truly believes in. The Northeast India

Academy of Performing Arts (NIAPA), which also put up an impressive fashion night during the Hornbill Festival is her brainchild even as she talks about the beginning and goes on to say, “Northeast India has always been a hub for creative thinking and talent, however, due to various reasons, have not been able to generate enough interest among the youth to follow their dreams and choose entertainment as a career.

NIAPA was started to act as a platform for these talented people to enhance their skills and to offer them an opportunity to showcase their creativity.”

Expressing that, “we also plan to inculcate in the youth, qualities of integrity, compassion and discipline”, she further adds that “NIAPA aspires to promote entertainment as an art and to encourage youth to live up to their creativity.”

She had also showcased a wedding collection at the NIAPA Fashion Night. This collection, she says was an experiment. “We felt the need to display a wedding collection only because it has a big market here so a career in designing may not be in the cards at the moment but I still intend to continue my profession as a model”, she enlightens when asked about venturing into designing.

Understandably, it’s a little disappointing for her to know that there are just a handful of shows that are organized every year even as she explains that, it becomes impossible for the local models to earn a livelihood that is dependent solely on modeling.

But the hope in her illuminates as she expresses that ‘however, over the years we are seeing some changes’ and goes on to observe that “the standards have definitely gone up with so many talented designers now doing well nationally and internationally.”

“I see this trend only getting better with time. It’s come a long way but there’s still a long way to go….” She puts across even as she strongly feels that one area they could move into is ‘Production houses’. “Then designers who cannot afford their own manufacturing unit can start working there and it could also be a hub for models to find work”, she shares.

One could say she is highly successful, but for her, the word ‘successful’ differs for each individual. So, what according to her is success? She believes “success is all about having the right mindset and in that regard I’d say I’m doing alright. I’ve had the privilege of traveling extensively around India and the world, met and interacted with some of the most successful people of this industry. I don’t excel in anything but I’ve learned a lot so I consider myself successful enough.”

She also feels that “the ingredients for being successful would involve careful planning and strong determination. Once we put our minds to it, the sky’s the limit. Or as Mark Twain rightly puts it, “To succeed in life, you need two things: ignorance and confidence.””

How much of beauty is essential for a profession like hers? And she is quick to say that “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder” even as she goes on to explain, “Like a good friend of mine once said, ‘there are many variants to beauty... nature is beautiful but not everyone can appreciate it’ rightly describes it. Beauty is confidence too. You can’t have outer beauty without that inner confidence. Beauty is essential but more importantly, I feel confidence and professionalism are more important in this career.”

Well, all she hopes for the future is to be helping our youth in finding their place in the world and realizing their dreams. “I struggled a lot to get to where I am today and I want to give to people what I never had, insight and experiences. Just to have someone tell you what to expect and share various experiences goes a long way and would have made my initial experience in the industry much easier”, she says.

Then, with gratefulness, she goes back to recalling how it all started for her and profoundly states, “if there was a beginning I’d say it all started with my participation in beauty pageants, in particular, the Miss India. It gave me a platform and exposure to the industry for me to start my career in modeling.”

One may see all glitz and glamour in the world of a supermodel but when asked to describe a typical day, she expresses, “Beyond all the ‘glamor’ my work may take me, I’d enjoy a day off like any other person would, which I’d spend in the quiet confines of home or spending the day with family or friends.”

She wanted to be everything and anything under the sun as a child- “From an engineer, like my father, to a doctor or a teacher and for sometime, even a nun like the nuns in my school” but she has eventually found her destination and if there is any advice she would give it to the youth, it can be no better put than what comes from the heart- “You are what you stand up for. Follow your heart and dream big.”

Yirmiyan Arthur Yhome: Speaking her heart in images

She comes across as a charming and friendly person whose zeal for living strikes you in the first impression. Moving beyond that, you find a very successful woman who has gone places both as a filmmaker and a photo editor of the world’s oldest and largest newsgathering organisation - Associated Press.

Yirmiyan Arthur Yhome is globally known for her award winning documentary film called ‘The Test’ which won the best film award at the First Red Ribbon International Film Festival held in Accra, Ghana, during 2011. The film, which highlights the story of HIV-positive women survivors, mostly widows, socially feared and surviving in loneliness, is unmistakably a product of an issue close to her heart even as she recalls that the main challenge for her in the process of making the film was understanding the reality of stigma. She explains, “I have relatives who are HIV-positive and we’ve never discriminated against them” although she is also quick to add, ‘Of course, both sides know the preventive care we need to take, but it was no different as taking prevention against TB or other infectious diseases’.

Baring her heart on this, she goes on to express, “They say education and awareness will help remove stigma and discrimination against HIV-positive people. Manipur and Nagaland boast of very high literacy rates. Bihar measures poor in scale. From what I saw during my travels in these states, there was less stigmatisation in Bihar as compared to Manipur and Nagaland. The AIDS awareness and sensitisation campaigns seem to have worked in the reverse in the North East, especially because of the projection of it being a disease of the sexually promiscuous. The Naga areas, especially, where religion (Christianity) plays such a major role, stigma is widespread because HIV is considered a disease of the morally ill! I was of the opinion that people know better now but yet hide behind the convenience of stigma rather than care for a sick relative. I foolishly thought stigma was just an excuse to justify the selfish nature of humans! And then I realised stigma was as real as my very existence!”

Well, she therefore ‘read and read and researched and read some more, going through dozens of reports from dozens of organisations who had dedicated years into combating the virus, printing more material than I could absorb’, as she puts it, but also says, “It was a very fruitful yet very exhausting journey...exhausting because I felt inadequate in expressing their lives on screen. Truth was that I was emotionally drained…”

However, deservingly, “The Test” secured the most online votes for best film beating ‘Tac Taking Haart’ (South Africa) and ‘Intersexion’ (South Africa) at the Red Ribbon International Film Festival.

So, how did filmmaking happen? She would tell you that next to her first childhood dream, which was to be a doctor, was the electronic media and confesses further that “because I am more of a Jack of Many Trades and being with a regular job, I haven’t had the luxury of time to make films.”

And yet, Yirmiyan has made quite a number of them such as “Phalee: the Good Land” that typifies any Naga village – the realities of memory and modern Naga – widows enduring with life and interpreting survival in the background the oldest armed-conflict in South/East Asia. This film was earlier premiered at the Museum der Kulturen, Basel, and at the Völkerkundemuseumder Universität, Zürich, Switzerland in 2009.

Another film she made is “A Sackful of Ganja” which is a short 2-min livelihood related film on the growing of marijuana as a source of income in a village in Ukhrul district. “My Lament, My Plea” was the final film she made while at the Mass Communication Research Centre (MCRC), which also won the Best Film award at the New Delhi Video Forum and was further screened at the Human Rights Film Festival, Panchgani, India 2001.

Talk of her experience in filmmaking and she considers travelling with renowned documentary filmmaker Amar Kanwar in the Naga areas in two of his documentaries as valuable, even as she insists, “Though my role was minimal, I learnt by watching him work, the importance of respecting the private space of those projected in the film, the importance of voluntary consent of all involved.”

Delve deeper into what she does and she says without hesitation that “more than anything, I love, love, love editing – both still and moving images. I even love editing sound and used to stay for extended hours in the sound studio while doing my Masters. I love how stories evolve while editing. If I couldn’t tell human-interest stories with the work I do, I’d call it a day and start hunting for something else I might be good in.”

This also explains why she has been in the field for nine long years even as she speaks of her involvement with the Associated Press as a Photo Editor, South Asia Bureau, in that period but insists that it has not been long enough to be bored or feel the monotony of the job yet.

The highlight of her time with AP, she shares, is understandably the Olympics as she goes back to remembering the year 1984 in Kohima when television had just arrived and they were glued onto gymnastics in particular. Coincidentally, she says, “I was assigned to cover gymnastics, the dream sport of my childhood, partly because I could do splits and cartwheels. It has been the most thrilling part of my career so far, for sure.”

Well, she was also part of the edit team when Michael Phelps won his first gold in the 2012 Olympics. Recalling this period, she says, “Growing up with a brother who was part of a rock band, I didn’t know what ‘deafening’ meant until that night at the aquatics stadium. I wish I had the mastery of language, enough to explain the energy of those few seconds!”Some fun time with colleagues and firiends

“Then to be able to get exactly that time off to go and watch Mary Kom in her semi-final bout! Or to be watching the New Zealand All Blacks’ rugby team do the Haka with much pride, in their very own soil! These first-hand experiences are unparalleled and I have collected each with much pride, passing on stories to my little daughter, just like I remember my father passing on stories of his travels around the world…” she nostalgically puts across.

A glimpse into a day of a photo editor and you’d picture communication with their main photographers posted across South Asia and answering emails that might have arrived the night before. “The region being very diverse, quiet days with little happening are hard to find,” she enlightens. Post lunch, she says, is maddening most days where “images from all points start to land and we start our juggling act – decisions on which stories are more important than the others and need to be sent out soonest or catering to images according to time zones.”

In general, she says, ‘We keep 5 time zones in mind- Australia and New Zealand, South East Asia, South Asia, Europe and then the US’ while adding that this is not so

critical in day-to-day functioning, but when one travels on big sports assignments ‘this can be very crucial’.

She, however, emphasises that the greatest challenge is the time factor, while putting across, “Working with a news agency, time matters. This coupled with speed and accuracy increases stress at work. We are all perpetually looking up international competitors to make sure we’re in the lead or that we aren’t missing out on anything in the region. Also, dealing with dozens of photographers can be tough, some with inflated egos, having to deal with various sorts of characters and building trust. It is vital that the photographer trusts you enough to know his work is in able hands.”

Besides her love for images, Yirmiyan is a fierce crusader for children and education. “It may seem very insignificant but I like to spend time with parents of young children talking about the benefits of reading, about the importance of the home environment,” she says even as she professes, “Children’s education is something I hold very close to my heart and I hope in the years to come I can significantly contribute to it.”

Another issue she thinks she will inevitably find herself in someday is waste disposal. To this, she expresses, “I find myself appalled when I travel through Kohima town. It is everybody’s headache in Kohima but nobody’s responsibility. Just a month ago, I had this conversation with a government officer in Nagaland on this very subject. He said he was passionate about it but that he didn’t know where to start and that his not being in the municipal corporation department left him handicapped. I said my thoughts out aloud to him - If someone in his position and who feels about this could do nothing, how can we expect anything from lay people?”

Her dreams for Nagaland are plenty, and could not be possibly better expressed than the way she puts it – “A time when we don’t have to call any area ‘remote’, a time when education is real and not just statistics, a time when women are respected not just for their maternal roles but treated as an equal, a time when we can genuinely ‘vote’ in change or ‘vote’ out change, and because religion plays such a big role in our society, a time when ‘moral science’ is not just a subject in school and when faith is not superficial, and several, several more.”

While her one advice to the youth is, “Be proud of where you come from”, she shares her thoughts further saying, “We lose ourselves when we shirk from our roots. Our sense of pride is kind of warped, I feel. It is wrongly placed. If you respect where you come from, others will slowly be forced to see the good in it. If you’re ashamed of yourself, your culture, your people, it is easier for others to raise their finger at you or look upon you with contempt because you allow them the space to do so.”

The Photo Editor of Associated Press, South Asia Bureau, who also sings, would judge success by the bridges one builds wherever one is, whatever one does, and strongly holds that, “Like joy being best when shared, success is the feeling at the end of an assignment/work/day where you can celebrate with friends, where your contribution has mattered.”

“I don’t believe a person’s success is only measured over years. I believe it is at most times measured over shorter periods, over days, over assignments, over events…” she expresses.

She definitely fits in among those who have accomplished more than one fine thing in life and yet she finds it strange when asked what it takes to be where she is even as she responds with, “It almost embarrasses me.”

“Where am I? The day I am master of my own time, the day I can chalk out my routine according to exactly how I want my day to be is the day I might want to tell you what it takes to get there. For the moment, yes, I enjoy my work but I enjoy my family more and I wish I could spend more time with them. And yes, I’ve had my share of disappointments but I’ve always managed to dust myself and carry on…” she says.

She sees five years from now not very different from today, “….In my own little home, entertaining my daughter’s friends and extended family. The music of Astrud Gilberto gently wafting out the windows of my home. And yes, learning some Tenyidie,” she delightfully states.

Education and work have taken her to several places around the world. She did her studies in reputed institutes like the Maharani Gayatri Devi School in Jaipur, Lady Shri Ram College (LSR) in New Delhi, and Mass Communication Research Centre (MCRC), Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi. But her take on life is simple because in spite of it all, she says, “What I learnt best was the gift of friendship and human relations. Relationships fuel me.”