She
is one of Zimbabwe’s outstanding achievers and is doing well in
growing her brand and legacy at the
same time. Meet Jackie Mgido, the brains behind Vault Cosmetics. She
has had it all, from working as
a maid, to finding life’s meaning and then creating colour through
her cosmetic line - Jackie Mgido is
an incomparable ball of energy.
I
caught up with her at the Horizon Restaurant, Bulawayo’s premier
outlet and spoke with her about a range of topics - life in Los
Angeles, makeup on men, her Cosmetic Academy,
Bill Cosby and so much more.
I was so caught up in the interesting
conversation that it took me
a while to snap out of my joyous bubble and get the Question and
Answer session going.
Gilmore
Tee: When was the last time you were in Bulawayo?
Jackie:
Eish, I was 17 years old when I last came to Bulawayo and now I am
41. It sounds better when
I say 17 and 41 without putting the years together, it makes me feel
old. But I am really excited
to
be in the City of Kings and Queens, Bulawayo.
Gilmore
Tee: Take us back to when you were a 12 year old girl.
Jackie:
Oh My Gosh, Jackie was this little girl who stayed on a farm and was
such a tomboy. I clearly
remember being a dreamer, imagining different things and playing with
animals. I remember
imagining
the Cosby’s and how I wanted to be like them, and years later I
worked with Bill Cosby in the
USA.
Gilmore
Tee: Talking about Bill Cosby, what’s your take on the
molestation accusations?
Jackie:
He has always been amazing to me; I have never had any relationships
with him where he made
me feel uncomfortable. Bill Cosby is such a Dad; he was like my
fantasy dad when we worked with
each other. My experiences with him have been everything good.
Gilmore
Tee: How far apart is the reality, to your then dreams and
aspirations?
Jackie:
Eish, the dream is amazing, it’s still the same dream and I am
still a dreamer. Some of the dreams
have come true, I always dreamed of going to the United States of
America and I am staying there
now, it has been 23 years.
Gilmore
Tee: In less than a week, you hosted the Eye Brow Party in
Harare, shot a video for Zimbabwe’s
Hip Hop Sensation – Calvin and now launching Vault Cosmetics in
Bulawayo. Where does this
Super Woman get the energy?
Jackie:
The energy is from life, and I have the zeal for life. I believe
waking up in the morning, being able
to stretch and to think positive is a privilege. Right now I have a
full blown cold, but the energy
just
comes from the people around me.
Gilmore
Tee: With so much positivity, how does one expect to feel when
they are wearing your products?
Jackie:
One of the biggest things I wanted was for women to feel that I
am one of them, which is the truth.
I did not live a privileged life, my parents worked so hard for me
and I work hard too. At one point
I was a maid in the US just to keep afloat. Now I look back and I
think it was funny as the family
I worked for used to boast of my ability to speak good English.
Gilmore
Tee: As a female entrepreneur, you stand for not only yourself,
but other young ladies that look
up to, how should ladies run the world?
Jackie:
They should just do it, but you need to understand why you are
passionate about what you are
doing. I tell women who wear Vault all the time that when they do so
they should know and understand
why they are wearing what they are wearing. Sometimes you need to be
able to work for free, it is actually not working for free but you
are simply obtaining knowledge from someone for free. It is not
always about the money, but it is necessary to mentor your skill and
perfect it. Also another important aspect is being positive, which
later attracts positivity. We teach that to our students at the
Cosmetic Academy in Harare.
Gilmore
Tee: 5 years from now, what should we expect from Vault?
Jackie:
Perfection in the product and in education. I want people to get jobs
outside Zimbabwe, the film
industry should come down here and get people to work and grow
themselves, and so on.
Gilmore
Tee: Talking about jobs, how different are the stereotypes of men
and women working in the
make-up industry from your experience?
Jackie:
Interesting enough, there is a stereotype that when a man likes
make-up they are gay. What
people don’t know is that, men started wearing makeup before women
did. Men are the
creators
of make-up and the decision made about make-up across the world is by
men. I just think
it is ignorance that drives stereotypes. In the USA, the fashion
industry has been taken over
by metro-sexual men, who love fashion and are good looking. Look at P Diddy
and Snoop Dogg, these are
people who get their nails done and are groomed to be presentable.
The guys that society is
admiring
and looking up to have make up, so it is nothing at all.
Gilmore
Tee: Without Vault, life will be...
Jackie:
Eish, I can’t even imagine, I am Vault. The name Vault comes
from a lot of insecurities, self-doubt
and everything that a woman feels. What I did was that I opened up my
Vault to my vulnerability.
I am not a corporate company, I am Jackie who is expressive, who
feels and loves, and I want everyone to know what’s going on.
Gilmore
Tee: Who is your favorite celebrity you have worked with in the
USA?
Jackie:
No, I can’t mention anyone in particular. I have had so much
fun working with everyone. Let’s
keep it on that happy note for everyone.
Trust
me, Jackie Mgido is one person that you need to know and consume her
energy. I had so much fun
chatting to her and am excited to witness what Vault Cosmetics is turning
into - AMAZING. Make sure you
follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and all other platforms;
everything is Vaulted with Vault Cosmetics.
Let’s
keep in touch, follow me on my Twitter/Instagram & Facebook:
Gilmore Tee is the name for all.
Remember
to hashtag #OTNGtee, which basically means, On To The Next With
Gilmore Tee.
