Eilleen Ovung Studio, representing Timeless Elegance

Designing, for Eilleen Ovung was an outlet for her creativity, blending in well with her desire to create products that were classy and versatile, beautiful yet functional and adaptable to different occasions and needs.

Eilleen Ovung Studio or EOS as it is known in short, is her very own line of handbags and accessories, based in Chennai. Having started this venture with its focus on Nagaland and with the idea to cater to the stylish Naga lady, she says, “even if I couldn’t be there full time, I wanted Naga women to get an access to affordable luxury products.

Well, Eilleen Ovung Studio happened in May this year, after the Economics Graduate from Indraprastha College for Women under Delhi University, decided to further transform her love for art into products. She is an alumna of the prestigious National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi, where she earned her post graduate diploma in Leather Apparel Design and Technology.

Delhi is like a second home for the designer, who was born and raised in Nagaland, but spent over a decade in the capital, both for studies and work. Over the years, she has gone on to create a niche for herself in other bigger metropolitans even as work took her places including overseas.

“I learned a lot from the first job in 2004 at BCC Overseas (where I interned twice during the course at NIFT) whose owners were young and energetic and gave me the freedom to design and guided us in all other areas of work so that we were well rounded in our understanding of work- not just designing”, she gratefully recalls.

Then, she freelanced for Varun Sardana, a reputed Fashion Designer in New Delhi and later, got along with a NIFT batchmate Zeenat Tanvir to design and market Leather and Textile accessories under ZEST in New Delhi area. She was also called on by NIFT during her freelancing days to be a visiting faculty for the same course she had completed. “It was great to interact with students and get a fresh perspective on things as well as share my experience in the industry”, she expresses.

Further, she had a stint with Unnayan, New Delhi- an NGO that promotes and revives Indian Crafts. This led her home to Nagaland to carry out research, documentation and designing. Then, in her words, “Colehaan happened in 2010 which meant shifting base to Chennai, quite far from home! It was a bit of a struggle to be here as compared to Delhi but I started to enjoy life in Chennai...I had great colleagues at work and made friends back at my accommodation and others from NCF Chennai and former NIFT friends.”

She had wanted to learn more about Product development as well as Production Process in detail from this historic company, and so, joined as a Development Manager for India for Women’s Handbags and Accessories (Small Leather goods and Belts). In the following year, she was given the charge of Development, Production and Quality for both Men’s and Women’s Accessories which, she shares, was quite a challenge.

She goes on to say that, “it was a tremendous amount of work as well as a huge learning experience. In my time with Colehaan, I got to interact with the top level management of Colehaan US, Asia, Nike India, Simone Accessories (Vietnam/ Korea) and other China factories and suppliers as well as have daily interaction and work with our factory partners in India. It also led me to travel to China, HK, NY, Maine, New Hampshire (US), HCMC (Saigon), Vietnam for meetings/training activities/work which was a superb opportunity for me.”

Ask her where she enjoyed working the most, and she is quick to reply, “Colehaan” but definitely not without reason- “I had the best of colleagues in India, China and the US and the guidance of our Country Manager, Mr. A. Nambi to whom I reported. He gave me the freedom to work and made me learn a lot about how to manage people, situations, work smart, communicate effectively, etc and also sent me for training abroad to learn from the best. Moreover, he believed in me to be able to work abroad and gave me the opportunity to take up an assignment in Vietnam for 3 months in the beginning of 2014 as a consultant for Colehaan, in Asia’s biggest handbag factory Simone Vietnam (owned by a Korean national). It was one of the best experiences I’ve had.”

Her decade long experience in the industry has inspired her to start her own venture, post Colehaan. “I had seen and learnt from the best and decided I was ready to venture out on my own in a small way! Friends and family were supportive of this and it looks like it was the right decision!” she puts across.

However, it wasn’t without struggle that she got it working. “My struggle was to start from scratch and source good manufacturers who would be willing to do small quantities to start with. Also, leather being an expensive material, I wanted to source and buy from the best in India. I was fortunate to reach out and meet like- minded people in the industry and then, I stated sampling and after initial hit and misses, things were smooth after a couple of rounds of sampling and corrections,” she enlightens.

She would like to believe that it’s mostly God’s blessings, the prayers of her family, friends and well-wishers and also lot of hard work, determination, self-belief, setting goals and being honest in my work that have brought her thus far.

The Designer, who is inspired by nature, art, people, places, books and theatre, has just rolled out her First Fall 2014 Collection (Women’s Handbags and Accessories) which is available online on her Facebook Page- https://www.facebook.com/EilleenOvungStudio/timeline?ref=page_internal , by appointment in Dimapur and at an upmarket store “Home & Style” in Chennai. She will also be starting a Classic Men’s Accessories line in future seasons.

As one of the rare Nagas who have ventured out of their comfort zones to pursue something worthwhile, Eilleen Ovung’s mantra seems to be this- “Just believe in yourself, you can be anything you aim to be and the sky is the limit. Also, be realistic about your goals- They should be attainable plus challenging enough to motivate you. Learn from your mistakes but remember not to repeat them! Don’t forget your roots, be helpful and stay true to yourself and most of all, enjoy what you are doing!”

“It feels great to be finally doing what you want to do and on your own”, she enthusiastically adds, although she also believes that, “there are a lot of difficulties that need to be overcome and challenges to be met.” “But those are just minor issues and you can look at the positives which far outweigh the negatives,” she further says.

Dr. Hovithal Sothu, beating the odds

Dr. Hovithal Sothu belongs to the rare breed of people who did not have it easy in life, but despite the odds, worked hard to get where he is today. He earned every bit of the position that he currently holds as the State Coordinator of Disaster Management Cell at the Administrative Training Institute (ATI).

One would easily associate him with trainings as he is mostly seen imparting knowledge to government officials and NGOs alike. But not many people know what his growing-up years are made of. It isn’t often that a child of a single parent goes on to become somebody in life. Especially not when four children banked on a single mother, whose only means of livelihood was agriculture.

Dr. Hovithal Sothu with his mother, wife and children

Dr. Hovithal Sothu lost his father when he was very small. “It was very difficult”, as he recalls. “I couldn’t enjoy life like the other children of rich people. I would go to my mother for everything”, he confesses. But on a more positive note, adds, “I think the death of my father prompted me to become more mature than others my age.”

He received his primary education from St. Joseph’s School, Viswema and finished high school from Loyola School, Jakhama. Then, he joined Kohima Science College to pursue his ambition of becoming a doctor. But in the pursuit of his dreams, his first disappointment perhaps came when he failed to secure enough marks in the pre-university. (There was no Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) those days and one’s admission to a medical college was determined by the marks secured in the 12^th standard.)

He, however continued to pursue B.Sc at Science College, Jotsoma until his third year proved to be one of those defining years in a student’s life. He found an employment opportunity in the PWD Department and started his career as a peon on fixed pay. As opposed to the craze for white-collared jobs, Dr. Hovithal Sothu did not mind at all. Instead, he says, “I enjoyed working as a peon. It was the first time I was earning some money, and without my father around, it was a big thing for me.”

Interestingly, he recalls that the employees never sent him on errands such as buying paan/tobacco, as is the popular trend. His B.Sc standard probably helped! Closely watching them work, he realized the tasks were simple and offered his services. Soon, he was helping the Engineering Wing by way of maintaining their stock register, writing cheques for contractor payments, etc. He especially remembers learning a lot from a fellow Nepali peon who was supposedly illiterate but knew so many things. “When I want to learn anything, I have no problem going to anybody to ask,” he expresses.

Richer by two years of experience as a peon, he simultaneously earned his B.Sc degree. All along, he is grateful to his uncle who helped him in his educational pursuits. He went on to complete his M.Sc, after which, he sat for an interview and was immediately selected as a lecturer at Science College.

“I bank on God and He has been very gracious”, Dr. Hovithal Sothu gratefully puts across. He taught at Science College for a few good decades until he chanced upon a vacant post for an associate professor under Home Department in the Nagaland Disaster Management Cell. ‘A teacher’s ultimate goal is be a professor someday’, he explains. Well, that’s how he got associated with ATI. In between, he also managed to earn his doctorate wherein, he lightheartedly adds that he became a doctor after all, although his dream of becoming a medical doctor failed.

On a more serious note, he says, “I keep thinking it must be God’s plan because after I came here, I found that so many things can be done, besides my reason for being here, which is Disaster Management.”

Over the years, he has been closely monitoring trainings on Nagaland Services Rules, Disciplinary Rules, Human Rights, Consumer Rights, Elections (for which, he is also the State Master Trainer), basic office procedures, motivation, leadership, etc and more recently, Issues on duties of citizens and Rights and Welfare with People with Disability.

He is especially concerned that most of the government servants do not know the basic rules whereas Nagaland Government Servants Conduct Rules is supposed to be the guiding rule for any government servant. “It is the bible for government servants”, he emphasizes.

Outside this realm, Dr. Hovithal Sothu shares, “election was one passion I pursued.” “If elections can be done right, a lot of things can be done right. Till today, I keep thinking, if we get the right person to represent us and get the system right, there will be change in the development as well as the society”, he firmly states.

“Many things go wrong because of ignorance”, he adds and therefore, stresses on training people at the grassroots level. Naga people, he feels ‘are moving very fast in the way we eat, in the way we dress, but deep within, we are still not up to the expectation.’ He goes on to regretfully add, “we as Christians are living superficial lives…in the church, we are all holy holy, but then outside the church, what do we do?” He believes that the process of change should begin from the church and is deeply concerned that Christians should live a Christian life.

His basic principle has always been, “live and show.” Needless to say, he strives to achieve this in his daily life. Not every government official makes it a point to be in the office by 9:30 am, but he tries his best to do so, every working day.

“I believe in God and Hard Work”, he also presses on. It’s not hard to see that his beliefs have largely contributed to his success. Notably, the father of three children has also published papers in the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) and Indian Landslides Journal. It isn’t everyday that you come across a well educated man, who has beaten the odds and continues to richly manifest the values he believes in.