‘What to Expect During Africa Fashion Week
Nigeria 2015’
Ronke Ademiluyi
Ronke Ademiluyi was born in London to a scion of the royal
family in Ife Kingdom in the South Western part of Nigeria.
She is a rare combination of beauty and brains. Ademiluyi,
the founder and Chief Executive officer of Africa Fashion
Week London and Nigeria is on a mission, fuelled by the
lack of retail space, production factories and start-up funds
and how it is hindering the growth of the potentially
multimillion dollar Africa’s fashion industry. In this interview
with Solomon Elusoji, she talks about what to expect at the
Africa Fashion Week 2015, holding at Eko Hotel and Suites
in Victoria Island, Lagos, from tomorrow till Sunday, 24th,
and burning issues in the Nigerian fashion industry
What are your expectations for this year's Africa Fashion
Week Nigeria (AFWN)?
A much bigger audience, the event is spread over 4 days
this year, starting off with the mall catwalk at the palms
shopping mall, followed by the global fashion management
workshop, then the emerging designers catwalk, followed
by the established designer catwalk and then the closing
Gala for our celebrity designers. The closing Gala night
billed to be the most glamorous night of the fashion week,
The 'Oscar night' of fashion, stars in dazzling outfits
What is being done differently this year?
More awareness is being created for the brand, more
designers from different African countries and the African
Diaspora are participating this year. We also have a global
fashion management workshop for young designers in
collaboration with the Nigerian British Chamber of
Commerce.
Who are those involved in organizing the week?
Ms Abiola Okoya, our global goodwill ambassador, Oreka
Godis, our brand fashion ambassador, Denrele Edun our red
carpet host and we will be putting a glamorous end to the
fashion week with Globacom ambassadors strutting down
the runway.
What got you started into fashion?
It started in the 90's when I was studying in the university. I
used to getting a lot of compliments from my friends, so I
decided to start selling to them, so it actually was a hobby
that turned into a sustainable business, initially it was
selling of western clothes as I had 4 boutiques RUKKIES.
Then 5 years ago I diversified into African clothing as
African fashion now influences a lot of fashion around the
world, and that was how Africa Fashion Week started.
How has been the journey so far?
Very interesting, I get to meet so many different people
from different parts of the world. I have been invited to
speak about African fashion on a few occasions, and the
journey continues.
What inspired Africa Fashion Week London and the
subsequent African Fashion Week Nigeria?
It was that lack of an international platform in the UK to
showcase African designers. Also, the fact that London is
one of the fashion capitals of the world with a huge ethnic
diversity.
Regarding the Africa fashion week in Nigeria, we thought
that the world had not yet seen the best of Nigerian fashion
and there are so many young talented designers in Nigeria
who do not have the financial backing to showcase on an
international platform, that was why we launched the
platform in Nigeria to bridge the gap between the designers
and their target audience.
The inspiration came in 2011 from the lack of a platform
that supported and showcased African designers. That was
how the first Africa Fashion Week London was launched.
We decided to bring it home to Nigeria, last year to support
talented emerging Nigeria designers, who cannot afford to
showcase their designs on an international platform, a lot of
emerging designers use the Africa Fashion Week platforms
to launch their brand to the media and the general public.
How would you describe the Nigerian fashion industry vis-
a-vis the current state of global fashion industry? Where do
you see the industry in the coming years?
When it comes to African inspired fashion we set the pace
in Nigeria, the new generation of Nigerian designers have
added a modern twist to creativity, using traditional prints
to make pieces that appeal to a global audience. I see the
fashion industry growing to a level, where it becomes
sustainable for the designers, because a lot of our young
designers are now creating modern ready-to-wear pieces
and clothes for everyday life.
What are the necessary steps needed to take the Nigerian
fashion industry to the next level?
Our young designers face a lot of challenges like lack of
financial support, lack of factories where they can do mass
production, lack of knowledge of the business side of
fashion, like branding, marketing, and pricing and how to
become global brands. If these challenges can be tackled it
will assist the designers in getting to the next level of
becoming sustainable brands and household names.
What would be your advice to upcoming fashion designers
and models who are looking for their big break?
My advice would be to work hard, be passionate about what
you do, attend workshops, seminars and training that will
help perfect their skills and become the best in what they
do.
I would also advice designers to be aware of the power of
the middle class and tap into it, as the middle class is
increasing, so to create affordable pieces for them.