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YOUNG CREATIVE: Egypt 'Ify' Ufele

A TEN-year-old girl who was teased at school for her weight has stood up to her bullies in the most inspirational way.

Instead of sulking in grief about her circumstances, resilient Egypt Ufele took out her grandmother’s sewing machine and started creating a fashion line for plus size women, which was featured in New York’s Fashion Week.

The schoolgirl, who goes by Ify, said that some of the other kids would give her a hard time for her weight, and once she was even stabbed with a pencil.

"I was bullied and they called me all kinds of names," she recalled. "One time I got stabbed with a pencil."

Ify’s collection is titled Chubiline (pronounced 'chubby line'), which she describes as bringing “Africa to America one design at a time.”

"People tell me I'm good at fashion," the schoolgirl said. "Sometimes I give my models ideas, and then we agree on it, and I end up making it."

According to her grandma Nellie Rembert, this isn't just a hobby for the youngster - she takes the process very seriously.

First, the fifth grader started sewing clothes for her dolls by hand. Then, she graduated to grandma's sewing machine, sketching and designing clothes for kids and adults.

"She comes out of school, goes straight into homework, and when other kids are out playing, she's either cutting patterns or she's creating new ideas," her mother, Dr Reba Perry said in an interview.

The results — an African-inspired collection packed with bold hues, tribal prints, and shapes that accommodate women and girls of all sizes — have earned her attention from anti-bullying groups and fashion lovers.

And on Saturday (Feb 13), she debuted her collection as part of Full Blossom Magazine's 'Face the Sweet' showcase, sending several grown women down the runway in a range of designs.

"Being a designer and being at fashion shows are really exciting because you get a lot of attention, and a lot of people ask you what inspires you," she said.