Friday, March 29, 2024

Young entrepreneurs should focus on business of fashion – Deola

Deola Ojo, is the founder of The House of Deola, she is no doubt, a trailblazer in the African fashion industry, who has carved a niche for herself.

She is a household name and has given Nigerian and African fashion in the 21st century the most radical expression imaginable from the deeply rooted African fabrics to perfectly matched accessories.

The Ondo State-born fashion expert who dropped her ex-husband’s name, Sagoe, in 2014 has entrepreneurship running in her blood, having come from a prominent family of indigenous entrepreneurs-owners of the Elizade Group-originally started by her father and her late mother, but run today by her
brother.

The motive for a lot of people coming into the fashion business is not clear. If you are passionate about the industry and you feel you have something to offer or to showcase, no matter how challenging it is, you will stick to it. A whole lot of them come around because of the glamour, forgetting that it is a business

Deola sstudied at the University of Miami in the United States of America, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Management. After obtaining her first degree in 1987, she returned to Nigeria to do her Master’s in Finance, while being encouraged by her father to join the family business on completion of her
studies.

But the mother of three took to fashion designing. She began designing in 1989 and has since gained international repute for her lively and colorful designs. She was recently appointed to represent Nigeria in a new international campaign organised by the United Nations World Food Programme.

At 51, she says, “Ours is a case of internationally accepted brand. We’re also currently going through some improvement. The Deola Sbrand has already attained some level of global standardisation in every sense of the word. I grew up in a fashionable environment. My parents were very stylish people. My mother used to design baby clothes and supply them to branches of British stores in Nigeria. So, when I was growing up, I was surrounded by fashion designs and sketches.

“I try to fuse African cultural style with a modern approach to design. I love the dynamism of creating modernity out of something that is steeped in history. I think it’s what gives my collection such a cultural mix.”

Explaining the difference between the arts of African and European couture, Deola contends that African bespoke is different from that of Europe as Africans are very much more endowed in very specific
areas.

“My challenge is that I work with a lot of lumps and bumps, which almost turns me into a type of cosmetic surgeon, except that I’m not cutting you up or anything. It’s just that I do a lot of things with fabrics and accentuating to create that perfect hourglass shape,” Deola says.

She, however, laments, “Apart from that, there is near absence of affordable credit for start-up business or expansion of an existing business in the country. Provision of venture capital by financial institutions for a start-up is completely absent. This has affected both the entrepreneurs and consumers from all sides, thereby leaving many businesses to go into
extinction.”

On how she manages to establish the prestigious array of international clients, she says, “I have never done any PR before. So, it has mainly been by word of mouth. Then, of course, I have also raised awareness for the DeolaS brand through international fashion events in which I’ve participated over the years. I mostly work with Western celebrities over the phone, and there’s never been any disappointment when I call on them.”

Talking about the business aspect of fashion, she notes, “I believe strongly in the business of fashion, and that is why I always advise young entrepreneurs to focus on the business of fashion. When I started out, it was with a certain philosophy, because at that time it wasn’t cool to look
African.

“Africa wasn’t on the map as it is now. There was really nothing happening in terms of African fashion going global, or Africans being able to make a business of African fashion outside of the shore of Africa. So, I went into it sort of, to prove a point and to say, ‘listen, we can do this. We can add value and to also bring the attention of the world to our own native abilities.

“I just had this can-do spirit. I was just so convinced that my product was so genuine and would no doubt conquer the
world.”

“The motive for a lot of people coming into the fashion business is not clear. If you are passionate about the industry and you feel you have something to offer or to showcase, no matter how challenging it is, you will stick to it. A whole lot of them come around because of the glamour, forgetting that it is a business.”

She, however, advises that upcoming entrepreneurs should be focused and work hard, stressing that nothing good comes easy.

“I didn’t choose fashion, it chose me. I think the only way I’ve managed is because I know fashion was my destiny. African designers face so many challenges, producing collections and working hard to rise above the manufacturing infrastructure problems.

“For me, it’s about rising to the challenge and I think it has made me a better designer. I feel I produce more intelligent clothing as a result of being focused.”
DeolaS says.

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