Creative Director of Olajiji Cordwainer Couturier, Olatunji Onafuye, has said that Nigerian designers have what it takes to compete internationally.
The fashion entrepreneur, who has clothed the likes of Vector, Chidinma, Aki and Dayo Adeyeye, stated that he had received few mails about partnership from foreign investors and met with an Italian designer who was ready to invest in Made-in-Nigeria products.
“I began by styling myself and that is because if you have a brand and you really want to push it far, you have to start by wearing your product and it will attract customers. My late dad also brought a pair of shoes from me,” Onafuye recounts.
Coming from a background where one had to dress the way you one to be addressed helped him to grow. Growing up in such an environment, he insists, has made him to be conscious of what he wears at all times.
“Fashion is a passion for me, I love to look nice and make people look nice as well. But I plan to venture into other businesses as we grow along, he stated”
He adds that passion is not enough to make one successful. According to him, working hard and making all efforts to improve himself are essentials in his rise in fashion. He says he will never stop researching and coming up with new designs.
Olajiji, however, laments that consistency and non-availability of fabrics when there are out of stock is a major problem in the fashion industry. He accepts that they can do little or nothing about that.
He also explains his brand name. “Olajiji is a native name from the western part of Nigeria while Cordwainer is simply a craftsman that makes footwear and Couturier is a stylist that makes and designs clothes to specification,” he said.
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