Mrs Toyin Oluyeye, fashion tutor, entrepreneur, is the founder of Excellent Home of Fashion. She spoke about childhood and journey to discovering her passion in this interview with SUBAIR MOHAMMED.
WHAT was growing up like?
Growing up can best be described as a fun party. It was communal. You know the setting back in the days when everyone looked out for everyone before the advent of the internet and social media. You had to go out to look for your friends and loved ones. During this time, we were the children of every parent. If you did something wrong outside, you would be scolded and when you get home, you would still be disciplined by your parents unlike now when most parents have forbidden the use of cane on their children. There was discipline and moral uprightness and the fear of the elderly was instilled in us.
How did your upbringing influence your career choice?
I was brought up in a family setting where you are measured by the conduct of siblings who are older. Your brother comes first in class and you have to do so. This had an influence on my choice of career because none of my siblings chose fashion. My father, funny enough, is one of those men who likes to dress well. His multi-layered traditional attire, accompanied by matching caps, had an impression on me and my career choice. And the fact that I’m a daddy’s girl, I naturally want to please him. This made me lean towards fashion designing. Then I met my husband who also encouraged me, and the rest as they say is history.
Also, I’m like a polygon with many sides. So, I would say fashion design and expression is one of these sides. For me, fashion is a way of expressing my artistic and creative side. I have always had a passion for fashion and a very deep interest in clothing and textile from a very young age. I realised it helps me to express and bring my creative and artistic skills to life by creating designs that are elegantly appealing.
Also, I have always wanted to be an entrepreneur because it gives financial freedom and an opportunity to build a successful brand. During my teenage years, I usually would go for the fashion classes during holidays. As time went by, I developed a passion in clothing and textile, drafting patterns and dressmaking. Over a period of time, a lot of people were benefitting immensely from my works.
What are the most significant lessons you have learnt in life?
I’ve learnt to always be bold and not to settle for average. People around you might not share similar dreams with you. They might not see what you are seeing as a career. But I will say stand firm and prove them wrong and be successful. It’s not everyone who criticises you that is your enemy. Learn from it and be a better person.
What’s your most embarrassing moment in life?
The most embarrassing moment was when I was an apprentice at a fashion shop. I promised my boss that I would buy some clothes to learn some new designs but I didn’t meet up because of financial constraints. You know the shame that comes with such disappointment when others were at their various desks, cutting and working on their various styles. I was just there looking.
What is your academic background?
After my primary education, like it was the dream of every teenage girl of that era, I sought admission into a tertiary institution and made it to Ekiti State University where I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration. Before then, I attended College of Education in Ikere-Ekiti where I obtained a National Certificate in Education. So, I am a trained teacher. You can now understand why I said earlier that there are many sides to my personality.
With a university degree, you could get a salary-paying job?
Growing up, I have always loved to be expressive and creative and for me, fashion gives such freedom. Aside from that, there is a popular saying that success is not only determined by how much you make but also by being fulfilled and content with what you do. In this fashion business, I strongly believe that I am better off as a fashion designer.
And the point is, it gives me the required independence. I have time for my family unlike those that work from morning to evening in offices. I control my time. I determine how much a particular design goes for. As I tell my students, there is nothing like being self-reliant. In a month, there could be an unexpected windfall. You can get a contract at any time. You can just be mentioned in a social media post, and that will give you thousands of followers instantly, and before you know it, your business can skyrocket. That’s one thing with business. You never can say what it will be like when you wake up the next morning, unlike when all you think about is how to dress up and head to that white-collar job. And to top it all, you’re doing what you love, so you can say it’s not work but fun.
How did you begin your journey into the fashion industry?
Just like yesterday, it started with a dream in my mind. This dream is known to me alone but today, I give glory to Almighty God for where we are. It’s been almost 25 years of positively impacting and mentoring youths in Nigeria along the fashion line. I have been making clothes since early 2000, but the brand, Excellent Home of Fashion, came into existence in 2014. It is a female brand that is strongly inspired by passion for creativity. We are a brand that seeks to bring a balance between African culture and westernisation.
However, overtime I had mastered the skill of fashion designing and decided to turn it into a career because it allows me the freedom of expressing my ideas and bringing my visions to life. Also, the fact that you have time, you can decide when you want to intensify marketing to get more clients. You can decide when you have so much on your hands and go low for a while to finish those orders. You can also decide when to expand, and when to scale things up. So there’s much you can do on your own. However, for paid employment, the salary is fixed, you look to your bosses for promotion, the competition is high, and you can never say whether you would have the job the next day. So, those were my fears at the time, and that was why I decided to be self-employed.
What are the challenges of being an entrepreneur?
First of all, I’ll say fear was one of the major challenges. I had fear of people not patronising my trade. Another was how I would be able to understand and penetrate the market. And lastly, funding but with support from friends and family members, I was able to surmount these hurdles.
When it comes to social amenities, electricity supply is a major challenge for every business. In Nigeria, epileptic electricity supply is a challenge and oftentime, we get supplied only for a few hours a day, hence we have to rely more on power generators which is an additional burden on the business. So, power has always been a major issue. Perhaps another major one to mention was that of being unable to reach out to some government agencies responsible for helping small-scale businesses with funding and other technical advice.
Despite these hurdles, how far with the acceptability of your brand?
The name, Excellent Home of Fashion, is a brand that is solely tailored to make unique, creative and top-notch designs for womenfolk and has gone far in making classy designs for the female gender, all thanks to our pool of clients.
The brand is built on creativity and the use of quality and sustainable fabrics. It also organises trainings for individuals who have interest in learning the art of dressmaking. This line gave me a chance to have a closer interaction with other aspiring dressmakers, impacting knowledge into them.
We live in a world that is hungry for fresh perspectives and ground-breaking concepts and that is why we have been delivering an array of collections that will be remembered for years to come. We are taking the fashion industry by storm.
What does the future hold?
It is the passion to grow my fashion brand and move it to the best height. I am looking at establishing multiple branches across the country and even internationally. Beyond that, my brand is also looking at impacting more people, especially youths, because fashion design is a skill that gives people the liberty to do what they want to do. I want to continue to train more people and empower the youth in Nigeria because, with the way the economy is going, one stream of income is not enough. Getting multiple streams of income will go a long way in ensuring financial stability and means of livelihood for most Nigerians.
Where is the place of government in building female entrepreneurs?
Government can support female entrepreneurs in many ways. Governments can provide funding through grants, loans, and other financial incentives. They can also use loan guarantee schemes and microfinance to address gender gaps in access to financing. Limited access to funding is a fundamental challenge that’s familiar to many female entrepreneurs. The government can take proactive steps to bridge this gap by establishing financial programmes and incentives that are tailored to women-owned businesses.
This may include offering grants, low interest loans and venture capital opportunities that are specifically designed to support women-led start-ups. Additionally, facilitating partnership with financial institutions that promote equitable lending practices can enhance women entrepreneurs’ access to the capital necessary for business development and growth.
Aside from addressing funding issues, the government can offer comprehensive entrepreneurship training and development programmes that are tailored to empowering women entrepreneurs. These programmes should centre around addressing the unique challenges that women-owned companies face. They should also equip participants with the skills and knowledge they need to meet and exceed their business goals. By providing women entrepreneurs with access to mentorship, coaching, networking opportunities, the government can foster a business environment where they can better the chances of thriving. Governments can support women-centred organisations that mentor women entrepreneurs and provide networking opportunities. Research suggests that small businesses that receive mentoring early in their development achieve higher revenues and increased growth.
African attire is beginning to gain global attention and presence. Why so?
This is because Africans are unique in all spheres of life. They have unique cuisine, culture and fashion sense. African attire is rooted in cultural traditions with deep historical and symbolic meanings. They are known for their unique and vibrant designs, which incorporate bold prints, bright colours and intricate patterns. These designs stand out and are visually striking, making them appealing to people around the globe. It is gaining popularity among influential celebrities and public figures around the world. Social media has also helped to showcase African designs and to reach a global audience. Attire can be worn for status, modesty, adornment, and identification. Wearing attire that looks good can boost self-confidence, which can help people move up in life. People who feel confident and have self-respect send a message that they are worthy of respect and should be listened to.
What are your future goals?
To build a healthy and sustainable fashion brand while maintaining a unique identity of fusing African style into contemporary designs in order to reach a global audience. Attire is my favourite fabric. I enjoy working with it because wearing professional attire can help you feel more confident in your actions and abilities. Moreover dressing well can make you appear more trustworthy and reliable and this can help you gain the respect of your colleagues and customers.
How would you like to be remembered?
I would love to be remembered as that lady who made a lot of difference in the world of fashion and designing. It has always been my dream to be that person whose design will cut across generations.
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