Name Jaja Nwokeabia | ||
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Jaja Nwokeabia (nee Joanah; born December 14, 1985,Virginia)is a Nigerian-American designer, author, dating coach and philanthropist. She created Ugoseven Swimwear in 2007 and was Creative Director through 2010. The label was one of the first luxury swimwear labels to combine African prints and aesthetics with western cuts. In 2014, she co-founded the urban activewear brand, YOG!RL Active.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Nwokeabia was born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia and Los Angeles, California to Nigerian parents who immigrated to the United States in the early 1980s. She has said that growing up near beaches and water developed her love for swimwear design and nature early on. Nwokeabia studied journalism, and business marketing and graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is a Buddhist and avid yoga practitioner.
Fashion Design and Ugoseven
Nwokeabia launched her swimwear label, Ugoseven, in 2007 and quickly popularized the "Africhic" look. Her collection included gorgeous swimsuits that drew inspiration from her vibrant West African culture, world travel and fantasy. Details such as bold African prints, rich colors and ornate beading played a huge part in Ugoseven collections. She left the label in 2010.
Other Ventures
Nwokeabia wrote a self-help book, "Never Sleep Alone: The White Boy's Guide to Getting the Black Girl of Your Dreams Tonight" , due out in early 2015. The book is set to function as a 'fool-proof dating manual' for men interested in dating Black women and outlines how to get a hot date in 48 hours. It covers everything from pick-up lines that work, breaking the ice, dancing, why men should not buy drinks first, surviving the first date and beyond. Nwokeabia has said in an interview that she wrote the book after racking up a laundry list of funny dating stories—good, bad and ugly—as a single girl in Manhattan, and having countless conversations with her guyfriends and girlfriends about their dating and hooking up experiences in the City. "I began to notice a clear pattern. Men that ended up dating or getting lucky with my girlfriends shared similarities in their approach," Nwokeabia said. And the guys who went home empty-handed and alone were generally making the same easily avoidable mistakes. So Never Sleep Alone was born. I'm a total wingwoman. I wanted to help guys stop making mistakes and get the hot girl of their dreams, the one or ones they deserve and desire without wasting time or racking up a massive bar bill."