How Muslim Ladies Can Look Stylish & Trendy Without Exposing Their Body – Arabel Boss

ARABEL Islamic Clothing Boss Explains•What SHERIFAT ABIOLA ANDU Told City People

Who says you can’t be conservatively dressed and still be stylish? This is what Mrs. Sherifat AbiolaAndu the pretty boss of Arabel Islamic Clothings, has been preaching all these years.

This is also what she has done beautifully well and she has everything to show for it. Her Islamic shop offer bridal accessories- gowns, scarves, veils, al-Quran, both oriental and western-centric that appeals to many muslims.

Born on June 7th, 1962, the accomplished businesswoman and philanthropist is the founder and managing director of Arabel Nigeria which also deals in Books, Bridals, Clothings, Beauty Products, Fragnances, Multimedia, Prayer books, Ramadan decorations and fancy Turbans.

She is a native of Abeokuta, Ogun State and her mum, a native of Ogbomosho, Oyo State both Western.She is very stylish and her love for luxury metals like gold is second to none having been born to a Nigerian family in the gold coast country precisely Kumasi, Ghana.

She is the first of two daughters to late Abdulsallam Ademola Akintola and Hajia Shifau Adebimpe. Losing her dad at a young age, she was particularly influenced and trained by her mother.

Her mother made sure she imbibed the ‘’I Can’’ spirit into her daughters which inspired her interest into business. 

Arabel started trading in Islamic materials On Thursday November 5, 1998 and ever since it started operations, substantial growth has been recorded. She supplies of high quality Islamic materials and the shop has over the years grown beyond just been a retail outfit. She has diversified into publishing and manufacturing.

This woman makes her company not to compromise on quality. They have fast selling head wear range called Princess Aisha, which continues to enjoy tremendous patronage because of the unique style which always exude class and sophistication.

With dedicated branches to cater for the needs of prospective brides and grooms, Arabel Bridal is an answer to most young adults’ wedding questions.

Hajia Shareefah studied Sociology for her first degree and has a Masters in Banking and Finance.

This beautiful woman recently spoke to City People Society Editor, TAYO FAJORIN OYEDIJI at Prince Bisi Olatilo’s 65th Birthday during which she spoke about how women can look stylish without exposing their body and how she has built the biggest brand in Islamic business.

At what point did you venture into business being a corporate person and how did it start?

It is a long story. my mother is a business woman, she had her shop in Gbagi Market in Ibadan in those days and I was always being going to the shop with her. so in spite of my education, I have a master’s degree in banking and finance and my first degree in sociology but I still find myself being liking to trade so I said to myself, if I want to trade and with my business education and degree, I don’t want to do what everybody was doing so I thought I could do something different and I went into Islamic marketing and so far so good, I thank God.

I have been doing this for 20 years.

What has been the challenge so far in all of this 20 years?

Challenging. Interesting. You know when we started, it was like a virgin market. Not so many people were doing it so the opportunities were so many, so much and having the first over advantage, I had it easy then but now, with technology, with the internet, with people not having shops, and then doing so well on the internet,it is a bit of challenge but I am not a technophobia, so I tried to learn and just bring myself to the level of young people so that I can learn and help the business.

I am not so much into productions except for my Hijabs because most people say light but it is a challenge but not really for me because i am not really into so much production because I buy my things and sell.

Why did you choose that line of business?

I chose it because it was not common and I don’t want so much competition, I never wanted to compete with anyone, people were just selling normal gift items, normal clothing and I wanted to be so different and that actually helped. It is not totally different, I am still selling but doing same business in a different way.

There is a huge number of people that needs what I sell. For you to succeed in business, You need to be able to solve the problem.

There were so many moslems in Nigeria, not so many people are serving them and that is a huge market untapped which made me go into Islamic business.

You added a whole lot of finesse to how moslem ladies dress, what inspired the creativity?

It takes a stylish person to do that.

That is me. I want to wear my hijab and still wear it nicely and stylishly and I am sure there are so many people who wants the same thing but don’t know the avenue to get it. Somebody has to provide that for them and you know, providing it for them opens doors for me and that makes me contribute to their fashion lives.

Then I ventured into Islamic bridal because of our moslem brides, infact I saw someone in Ibadan who says to me, “Aunty do you remember me and I said, No, and he said you made my wife’s wedding dress about 16 years ago’’ and that got me off peak but I was happy so you know you contribute to people’s lives and that to me is service.

Service to humanity. We keep bringing in different things to spice up the way moslem ladies and women look. You can as well cover up your body and still look chicky and stylish.

That is why at Arabel, we come up with many creative thinking so that we can serve our customers well.

What fashion tips do you have for moslem ladies who want to look stylish and yet not exposing their body?

Exposing your body does not make you stylish. It does not add any value. A Moslem lady should dress moderately, neatly and can also be very stylish in her dressing.

That is what we preach at Arabel. You can decide to add a twist of embroideries, stones, pearls and laces to all your hijabs, turbans, caps and boubous.

You can wear all those dressy Abaya, kaftan and the likes and still look trendy. We even do wedding dresses so that tells you that fashion has come of age that you dress decently and still look beautiful and appealing.

What does style mean to you?

Style to me should be easy, it should be an extension of you. Comfortable and simple.

This is the best way I can describe it. People tell me often that I look good, I don’t know whether I look good but I just have an idea of how I want to look, Nice of course so I just put things together, look into the mirror and tell myself I like what I see and I am off.

What is your fashion fetish that you can’t go out without?

That should be my jewelry, not make up.

There were times when i was growing up that I don’t leave the house without makeup but now I do it easily and my jewelry is what I can’t do without.

I grew up wearing gold. I tell people that I was born in gold coast and my mum has a huge chunk of them and I grow up wearing gold.

When I come back from school sometimes, I will help her arrange her wardrobe, her gold box, clean them one by one, wear them one by one, and put them back so since then I just love the feel of gold.

Were there any objections from your mother when you wanted to do fashion business considering your level of education as at that time?

She did.

She was like, ‘’why don’t you do something that is broad or wide instead of just boxing yourself in a corner doing Islamic marketing? That people will get tired and I told her that the world is changing.

There was a renaissance about Islam then, people were getting more involved with Islam and want to be identified with it and also want to have a symbol of Islamic thing in their home and they don’t have the opportunity to get a good quality one so I gave them the opportunity to do that, then what I did what I like to do most, I traveled a lot to different Islamic countries, unique things for them and seeing what I have become she definitely love it.

How dear is Arabel brand to you?

I thank God where God has brought me so far, Arabel has really gone places. My biggest challenge in all my years of business is learning to let go, that I have so much personalized Arabel that it is like a baby, I have 3 kids, it has become my 4th born.

So letting it go is a problem. For people who want to do business and do it well, I will just recommend that they should try to make it business, don’t get too much attached, I am too attached to Arabel then get a very good governance, get a board, so that for me I am still trying to learn how to do that.

You are one of the celebrity women who has been around for a while, how do joggle between many social events?

Hmm, I am not a society woman oo, but I think it is duty when you grace people’s event.

There are some people you can’t just say no to even if it is for few hours or minutes, I will still show up so I am not that of a party person.i think it is just about sewing seeds.

Just to show that you like people and you care for them not that I really like going for parties. I love to eat at home before going, I don’t like to dance, I don’t even know how to dance, i don’t enjoy it. I just dress up, go to my office, and it is not that I just dress and go out.

Even my daughters party, I did not know how i did the dance, i think I was happy, overwhelmed, but I just danced because my joy is full.