An 18 year-old university student in Douala, Danielle Bekeh Nzoh, still sews fashion dresses just with a needle despite technological evolution, and with that, she has become a centre of attraction for clients and professional tailors.
Meet the Cameroonian seamstress who sews with needles only
Her talent has earned her the nickname, the ‘seamstress with golden hands.’
Her passion was discovered after a series of frustrations she had getting the type of dresses she wants.
“I wanted to buy a costume. The price was so high and I didn’t have enough money. All efforts to bargain were futile. While walking I saw some material and I said it might be a good idea to instead buy this material and make a dress with it. I kept trying to use the material to sew a dress with a needle until I came out with a nice costume,” Bekeh Nzoh said.
Dannielle begins her day in the market, where she visits some clients to take measurements while others come to her workshop.
“Prices depend on the quality of the material. I sew with my hands. Some materials are very hard, some soft,while others are elastic. This means you should go gently,” she added.
Her efforts have been appreciated by professional tailors who admire her creativity.
“To do this you must first of all be patient. Secondly, you must be really apt with your hands,” Emmanuel Ndzana, a modern tailor said.
It takes Danielle about one hour and a half to complete a dress. Every week she makes about 12.
Apart from being different from the others her joy comes from watching her dresses being used during parties and fashion parades.