Maison Àlu’lla | ARENI Attire
Maison Àlu’lla For our second edition, we hung out with the creative director of Maison Àlu’lla and spoke about heritage, craftsmanship and building a fashion brand with intention. ARENI Attire | July What inspired you to start designing? At university, I started making pieces for myself and people would always ask, “Oh my gosh, where’s that from? I want that.” That’s when I realised, I could actually make money from this. Studying art history and learning about Benin art, Yoruba culture and our textiles also made me appreciate the great craftsmanship we have here and I really wanted to create clothes that highlight that. When do you feel the most inspired to create? I’m such a girl’s girl, so I feel the most inspired after spending time with my aunties or my girlfriends. I’ll leave thinking, okay… what would I have wanted everyone to wear? We could just be out for drinks, and suddenly I’m imagining outfits and thinking of new ideas. What are your favourite fabrics to work with? I love linen. It’s breathable, functional, very versatile and fun to play with. I also love chiffon. I think it’s so sultry and feminine. More recently, I’ve been drawn to mesh and jersey. I love a cheeky, sexy, see-through moment. And jersey just hugs a woman’s body in all the right places. What has been the biggest challenge in your journey so far? Definitely learning how to balance being a creative with being a business owner. As a creative, you’re thinking, I love this design. But as a business owner, you have to ask yourself, is this actually going to sell? When I first started I was purely fuelled by passion but I couldn’t account for all the money I’d made. Now I’m much stricter with my accounting and I ensure I’m paying attention to what’s actually performing. I’ve learnt that creativity and running a business have to go hand in hand. Who’s someone you’d like to collaborate with that you haven’t yet? I actually have two people. Lisa Folawiyo, because she’s incredible. I don’t know how she does it, but everything she creates is just amazing. The second is Slawn. I know that’s a bit surprising because our aesthetics are so different, but I think it’d be really interesting to bring in his boldness with my femininity. My art history background is probably why that kind of collaboration excites me. “As a creative, you’re thinking, I love this design. But as a business owner, you have to ask yourself, is this actually going to sell?” Is Maison Àlu’lla a reflection of your personal style? Definitely. That being said, I’m also trying to push myself creatively and design for women who wouldn’t necessarily dress like me. I still want the brand to reflect my personal style, but I enjoy creating for different kinds of women too. What‘s your creative process behind a collection? It’s actually not very organised. Sometimes I’ll start by sourcing fabrics and think, okay, what would look good in this? A dress, a top, maybe a two-piece… Other times, I’ll already have the silhouette in my head, so I’ll look for references and build from there. So it really just depends on the day and what’s inspiring me at the time. Shop Maison Àlu’lla Where do you look for references? Pinterest, all the time. I also love fashion magazines. I’m a Vogue girl through and through. And I also look through old photos of my mum because she was so stylish. So sometimes a colour, a fabric or a silhouette from something she wore sparks a new idea. What has been the biggest surprise in your journey? Honestly, how much people genuinely love the brand. During my break, people would stop me or message me asking, “When are you coming back?” I knew people liked the clothes, but I didn’t realise how much they connected with the brand itself. That was such a nice surprise, and it made me really happy. ARENI Attire is an editorial series spotlighting the people behind the brands you’ll discover on ARENI, who are shaping contemporary Nigerian fashion. .st0 { fill: #fff; }
Nyosi | ARENI Attire
NYȮSI For our first edition we hung out with the creative director of Nyosi and spoke candidly about creativity and the business of fashion. ARENI Attire | June Who’s the girl you had in mind when you started Nyosi? I had the typical fashion girl in mind. Someone who wants to look good without having to break the bank. I wanted to create a brand with minimalist designs that are affordable and easily accessible. What’s your creative process? It usually starts with music. I listen to a lot of music. Sometimes it starts with a fabric. And like most people, I love Pinterest. When I can, I also travel for inspiration. Or go to libraries. I love to study and reference. A lot of people don’t know I went to fashion school too. What’s your favourite fabric to work with? My favourite fabric to work with is actually taffeta. I don’t use it a lot because it’s not very breathable and we’re in a tropical country. Everyone also knows I love a good gingham print. I’m obsessed with gingham! And I love linen. What inspired your latest collection? The beach and summertime. I really wanted the pieces to be easily wearable.I wanted you to be able to wear the pieces to the beach, then straight to dinner or the club. I had in mind holidays in Cannes or Ibiza, where your day flows naturally into the night. So the collection was really about versatility and having fun. What’s one dream or goal for the brand you haven’t achieved yet? One of my biggest goals is to see Nyosi stocked internationally. I’d love to see my clothes in department stores like Selfridges, Harrods, John Lewis or even on ASOS. What’s been the biggest surprise in your journey so far? Honestly, that people genuinely love the brand. It still surprises me when people tell me they’re a fan of my designs. I remember two girls came up to me in London once and told me how much they loved Nyosi. It made my day. I never want to get used to that feeling because that’s when you start taking people’s support for granted. Shop Nyosi “I really wanted the pieces to be easily wearable.I wanted you to be able to wear the pieces to the beach, then straight to dinner or the club.” How have you been able to balance your creativity with commercial viability? It’s not easy. Speaking candidly I actually lost a lot of money last year. One thing I learnt was to follow the data and really listen to my clients. As creatives, we always have these big ideas and want to try new things, but if you’re building a business, pay attention to what people actually want. So now, if I’m introducing something new, I try to build on styles my clients already love. That way, I still get to be creative without losing sight of what works. What’s your ideal weekend in Lagos? Spending time with my girls and just gossiping. I love that. What’s one lesson you wish you’d learnt earlier? Listening to my clients and following the data. If you’re starting a business in fashion, please follow the data and don’t stray too far away from it. Not paying attention to what your clients want will cost you money that can seriously harm your business. Thank God we’re still here! ARENI Attire is an editorial series spotlighting the people behind the brands you’ll discover on ARENI, who are shaping contemporary Nigerian fashion. .st0 { fill: #fff; }