Lessons Learned:
Mmeziemchi Okemgbo
Sheerfull wants to foster a supportive community that brings vulnerability to the world of fashion. Each person on our team brings a unique experience to our collective work. In highlighting these unique experiences--from the triumphant to the tragic to the unexpected--we seek to uncover the layers of our individual identities and present them to our community.
With that, we bring you the first installment of our new series, Lessons Learned: by us, for you.
He tugs at the tips of his leather gloves as he settles into his seat and looks up, expectantly, saying nothing. Mmeziemchi is a man of few words…until you get him started on the fourth Transformers movie or how he feels about denim jeans. Our current Partnerships Coordinator, Tae, and I sat down to talk to our friend here at Sheerfull about his self-identity and how he made use of one cold, lonely year in Boston to realign with his passions.
Where are you from?
A small town in Eastern Washington called Richland. I lived there until I graduated high school and moved to Boston for school.
What was that experience like?
Well, I lived in Boston for a year and decided to retire from acting while there. It was a challenging experience to stop acting and become isolated in Boston, but I learned more about myself. It was a time when I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life… this was me trying something new and different and I really had to sit with myself. I didn’t know anyone when I moved, so I spent a lot of time alone.
How did you use that time alone?
I used to take the subway to the ocean on cold days when hardly anyone would be around. I was alone a lot, but being by the ocean made me feel grounded within that solitude. There’s something about watching the cycle of the waves that reminded me that everything I was going through or feeling was just a part of a bigger cycle.
Spending time alone where I could just sit and observe my surroundings gave me a sense of clarity at a really agonizing time in my life. When I would explore the city, I usually wouldn’t even interact with people. I would I would just observe their actions and how they interacted with each other. And then when I was by the ocean, I would be forced to look into myself and pay closer attention to my own feelings.
Did you notice significant difference between Boston and the West Coast?
The people in the East Coast were cold & kept to themselves. I, too, can be that way so I understood but I didn’t want to be with those people. There was a creative and hustle-bustle culture, but in general I learned that I’m not a fan of big cities.
What has your experience been being back in Seattle?
The transition was rocky because I didn’t have friends for 8 months in Boston.To this day, I actually don’t know how to make friends, I’m just myself and people are either cool with it or not.
"To this day, I actually don't know how to make friends, I'm just myself and people are cool with it or not."
How is who you are today shaped by this experience of moving and spending time alone?
Spending time away from home helped me to see that I’ve never been able to truly fit in with anyone or anything. I’m always going to stand out. That has shaped a lot of different aspects of my life, including how I dress. The way I dress is me being myself. No matter where I am, people can see who I am based on how I dress. I want my style to give off a sense of power yet grace. I’m inspired by Steampunk style, Old Victorian fashion, Janelle Monae (for suit wear—God bless her soul), and the video game Dungeon Fighter Online –its characters have a very distinct beauty and grace in their movement.
The Lesson We Learned from Mmeziemchi …
“Looking good gives you confidence. Projecting confidence makes you look good.” If you have to spend some time away from yourself in an environment that doesn’t serve you, use it as an opportunity to hone in on what does. It’s ok to be lost, or to be somewhere you don’t want to be, because you can let it feed your path to self-identity. You can come home and find your niche. Put on your red blazer and keep moving."
SHOP his style
SHOP his style
Want more of Mmeziemchi? Here you go:
