As the fashion industry in Nigeria booms, meet the young women leading the charge with their innovative designs.
For its July Fashion Issue, Vanguard Allure profiles Wanger Ayu (Wanger Ayu), Derin Fabikun (Fablane by Derin), Sandrah Tubobereni (TUBO)and Adesola Adepoju (House of Jahdara). The magazine celebrates young, innovative designers ruling their world.
This issue sheds light on the burgeoning Nigerian fashion industry and celebrates the women that are standing out from the rest.
Each women, tells their unique story of how they began and the business choices they made that got them to the successful business owners they are today.
For the cover feature, they all talk about the evolution of their careers, their brands and the life mottos that keep them going.
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Read excerpts from the interview below:
How it all began:
Adesola Adepoju: I have always loved fashion, glamour and everything in between from a very young age. I was influenced by my mother who always dressed up, and my then Nanny had a sewing machine which gave me the liberty to play with the machine anytime I wanted to make new dresses for my dolls. I was just a girlie girl.
Wanger Ayu: I was always a creative child. My interest in fashion was formed as early as my childhood. Law, however, seemed like the practical and more realistic choice at the time. It wasn’t until I was in the thick of it that I became very sure that I would pursue a career in fashion once I obtained my law degree. As such, I flexed my fashion muscles through school, and straight after law school and being called to the bar, I moved full-time into fashion designing.
Sandrah Tubobereni: Originally, I planned to build a career in finance and do fashion on the side so that I could still be relevant and ultimately, make my contribution in the financial sector of the economy. I had this ‘big’ idea that the only way to change the economy of Nigeria, was to become Minister of Finance and implement the right policies. Growing up, I have realized that I do not have to be a CEO of a bank or finance minister to change Nigeria or change the world, but change will only come if I follow my passion and use my business as a medium of sharing my message. That way, I can change my environment and encourage the people I meet to transmit this change into their environment as well. In November 2014, I realized I wasn’t fulfilling this desire by pursuing a career in finance. Personally, fashion is beyond sketching and stitching pieces of fabrics together, it’s about touching the lives of women I come in contact with, chasing my passion and changing the world starting from my little workforce, clients, vendors, etc. Being an employee in the corporate world was restricting me from doing that. So that is why I am here today.
Derin Fabikun: I think I’ve always had a creative side. Some of my earliest memories are of me sitting in my mother’s bedroom, watching her get dressed for events. I would be wide-eyed watching her mix prints, colour and textures, styling elaborate gele with ease. I remember how I would always help her pick shoes and wrappers to match her outfit. Experiences like that, gave me a sort of early start in fashion, helping me build confidence in making fashion choices. Naturally, in university, I made myself resident fashion adviser, helping my friends pick out outfits,? by making the pieces they owned work.