Funmi Odegbami (better known as Funmi O) is the Director and Senior Make-up Artist of MINK London, a member of the Black Women in Europe Power list 2011 [1], and a philanthropist.
MINK London is an award winning make-up artist agency and make-up school. Funmi O also co-owns a successful event management company called Endeavour and a web design, graphic design and branding company called DezineKoncepts, where she works with entertainers and small and medium sized companies using brand strategies to achieve their strategic goals.
Funmi is very passionate about young people living in less than desirable circumstances. She supports SOS Children's Villages,[2] the world’s largest orphan and abandoned children’s charity. SOS Children has villages and community projects all around the world, helping some of the world’s most vulnerable children.
Funmi supports Facing Africa - Noma[3] an organisation that provides funds for the visits of teams of voluntary surgeons from the UK, Germany and Holland to Nigeria and Ethiopia to perform facial reconstruction surgery on the victims of the disease noma, and the acquisition of related equipment for hospitals in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) and Sokoto (Nigeria). Noma[4](cancrum oris) is an acute and ravaging gangrenous infection affecting the face. The victims of Noma are mainly children under the age of 6, caught in a vicious circle of extreme poverty and chronic malnutrition.
Funmi is also involved with a UK based charity organisation called Girls in Gangs. Girls in Gangs provide personal development programmes that aim to make a real change in the lives of young women in gangs.
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Funmi was born in Ibadan to one of Nigeria’s greatest football heroes, Chief Segun Odegbami (MON)[5] and mother Jumoke Tejumola an entrepreneur, philanthropist and ex athlete. At the age of 5, Funmi and the family, consisting of Jumoke Tejumola (mother), Segun Junior Odegbami (brother) and Yemisi Odegbami better known as May7ven[6] (sister), moved to the UK where they have remained ever since.
A strong academic, Funmi has 9 GSCEs, 3 A Levels, a BA in Business Administration and a MSC in Information Systems. Funmi pursued a career in Management Consultancy, a role she held for 5 years, earning herself a Prince 2 Practitioner qualification in that time. Despite her many achievements in the role, including but not limited to; setting up a Finance Service Centre at Brent Council, piloting the RSe- ROI model across 4 London Boroughs, Reviewing Debt Management arrangements within a debt ridden organisation, Funmi did not feel that she was operating at her full potential and ultimately did not feel fulfilled.
Consequently, Funmi enrolled on a number of creative courses before embarking on a short course in professional make-up artistry, a subject that satisfied her natural creativity. This sowed the seed for what would turn out to be an exciting career in the glamorous world of high-fashion makeup artistry.
Funmi co-founded FU-ME Artist Consultants based at 1 Olympic Way, Wembley with her sister May7ven. FU-ME Artist Consultants was a creative agency that managed the careers of professional backing singers and dancers. The company provided performers for record companies to support some of the biggest names in music for shows including T4 Pop World, music festivals and awards shows. Young Alexandra Burke who was Alex Bell at the time was brought by Paul Harris her then manager to audition for the agency in 2005.
Funmi and her sister May7ven again collaborated and founded a popular publication called Urban Links Magazine. The first edition of the magazine included interviews with Rev Run[7] and Russell Simmons,[8] RZA,[9] Wu Tang Clan[10] and Damon Dash.[11] The magazine also attracted advertisements from Baby Phat[12] and Nike.[13] The magazine was eventually sold.
In 2005 Funmi organised her first event, a single listening party at Volt Lounge[14] in Belgravia with Victor. This was followed up by a monthly club night at the same venue. After a successful spell at Volt Lounge, Funmi and Victor moved to Carbon Bar.[15] A club night that was famous for its beautiful clientele and “ballers”. Friday Nights @ Carbon, as it was known was an overnight success becoming one of the most talked about events in London. The duo remained at Carbon for 3 years.
In 2005 Funmi set up MINK Cosmetics LLP,[16] a makeup artist management company and a makeup school. MINK is the UKs leading makeup authority for women of colour, an award winning make-up school for aspiring make-up artists and a makeup agency that provides make-up services for the media, entertainment and bridal industries.
In the first few months of setting up the business Funmi and her pro-team of make-up artists provided the makeup for Nigeria's Next Top Model pageant, worked behind the scenes of Channel 5’s “Make Me a Supermodel”[17] a Tiger Aspect production alongside celebrity makeup artist Jo Sugar; worked on the music video for May7ven’s debut single “Hands up”.[18]
In 2008 Funmi and the Pro Make-up Team at MINK worked behind the scenes of May7ven’s second single “Take off my clothes”[19] also known as “Bo Aso Lara Mi”[20] in Nigeria.
Within the first year of business Funmi had developed the Beginners Course in Professional Make-up[21] with make-up tutor Sonji Clayton and ran four courses back-to-back. All of the courses were fully booked and the Beginners Course in Professional Make-up remains a firm favourite for many aspiring make-up artists.
In 2010 Funmi divided up the company by location setting up MINK London, MINK California, MINK Europe and MINK Nigeria, with plans to expand into new markets in 2012. In 2010 Funmi also made history by bringing celebrity make-up artist Sam Fine to the UK to teach his first ever make-up master class and seminar to an audience of over 50 attendees. The event was called "The Beauty of Makeup Seminar with Sam Fine". Funmi collaborated with Illamasqua[22] to host the seminar in their Beak Street store in the heart of London. The event was also sponsored by Iman Cosmetics[23] and Ellis Faas,[24] it was a hugely successful event and it firmly put MINK as a major player in the UK makeup industry.
In 2011 Funmi has partnered with Mahogany international[25] in an exclusive one year deal which will see her pro-team providing the makeup services for Mahogany’s three major UK shows, Mahogany Brides,[26] Top Model of Colour[27] and Fashion Diversity.[28] Funmi has also partnered with Africa Fashion Week London[29] for the first ever Africa Fashion Week London event in 2011.
MINK London is the official and exclusive make-up provider for the Luxury Network international, Mahogany Bridal, Top Model of Colour, Fashions Finest, Africa Fashion Week and the Screen Nation Awards amongst others.
In 2011 Funmi setup the first Makeup Artist Network (MAN).[30] MAN is a networking forum focused on creating an environment solely aimed at make-up artists, photographers, stylists, models, fashion/beauty editors, cosmetics brands, and production companies.
Funmi has just started writing a beauty and makeup blog on http://thisismink.tumblr.com/.
| Year | Institution | Award |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Fashions Finest | Make-up artist of the year Nominee |
| 2011 | BEFFTA | Make-up artist of the year Award Winner |
| 2011 | NUBAA | Young Business Nominee |