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LAGOS Fashion Designer, TUNJI AYOOLA
Mr. Tunji Ayoola is a rare breed among top fashion designers in Nigeria. His deep knowledge of the craft and understanding of the business dynamics required to thrive in the fashion industry is top notch. Mr. Ayoola is the CEO and brain behind Couture SimplyMenz, a fashion outfit which styles and adores men in the best of outfits. Couture SimplyMenz is located at 54 Falolu Road, Off the Akerele Street in the highbrow Surulere, Lagos. Though his designs don’t come cheap, you are assured of having a stand out outfit which makes clients always come back for him to style them.
Last Week Sunday, Mr. Tunji was honoured at the 2024 Citypeople Awards for Excellence held at Lagos Country Club, Ikeja GRA, Lagos. There he bagged the highly coveted Special Recognition Award for his remarkable contributions to the Fashion Industry.
In the course of the ceremony, City People’s JAMIU ABUBAKAR (08085185886) had an exclusive and inspiring interview with the man of the moment in fashion business, Mr. Tunji. who used to work in the banking industry revealed a lot about his humble beginning and how he evolved in the fashion business after his early retirement from the banking sector. Below are excerpts from the interview:
How do you feel about being celebrated and receiving the 2024 edition of City People Awards for Excellence?
I feel excited and I sincerely appreciate the team of City People, especially Dr. Seye Kehinde for taking out his time to give me attention. I’m highly privileged and honoured.
For how long have you been in the fashion business?
I have been in the fashion business for a very long time. I was born into it. My late dad was a Tailor and my late mom was a major fabric dealer in Oyo State. So, I followed in their footsteps. Though I didn’t plan to get into it. Accident led me into it.
What actually happened ?
A tailor messed up my cloth and I had to go and collect another fabric, got to him and said ‘give me scissors, give me tape rule, give me chalk, give me pencil…’ and I started cutting. He was dazed. At the end of the day, I couldn’t use his machine because he had industrial machines all through. And what I was used to was a manual domestic machine. We were able to get a domestic machine from a tailor about 4 shops away from him which I successfully used to make the dress and they were surprised. That led to a collaboration among us, the 2 tailors and myself. At a point I decided to engage them and to mentor them. That’s how the business came up. This happened around 2012.
What’s your take on the trends in the fashion industry?
Nigeria is making in-roads into the fashion industry. Nigeria is becoming a force to reckon with. Though most of us that call ourselves fashion designers have to understand the business of fashion. Knowing how to sew is different from understanding the business of fashion. A lot of tailors are just craft men, they are not business men. Understanding the business interfaces of fashion is very important.
What exactly made you leave banking for the fashion business?
I got an early retirement from the banking industry. That was in 2006. I tried several things. Like I said, I didn’t plan to get into fashion. It wasn’t deliberate. An accident took me into it. And I can tell you, I’m having fun because I appreciate the God of grace. Giving me the grace to contribute my quota into the industry in Nigeria and the world at large.
What are the specific services you offer?
I make clothes for men and I do work on everything that men use regarding fashion. Like we make very acceptable and comfortable English wears that stand out from the crowd. We make native attires and in short we do everything that men wear.
What would you say is the unique selling point of your fashion brand?
We have a straight commitment to excellence, we pay attention to detailing and every part of the process is important to us. This is because we are not just clothing men, we are clothing men who deserve to stand out from the crowd. Our fashion label is a label that stands men out from the crowd anywhere adorn our clothes.
Have you done or participated in any form of exhibition or fashion show since you began your business?
Incidentally, I don’t participate in exhibitions and I don’t do much social media marketing. Basically, most people I encounter on social media can’t afford what I sell. Most of them, I’m not saying every one. Majority of them can’t afford what I sell. We pay attention to details. Before we finish making a dress, an average tailor might have made like 3, because every aspect of the process is important. We pay detailed attention to every cloth we make.
Your knowledge about the craft and business of fashion is top notch, these portray you as someone who is well exposed to the business demands. From where did you develop your unique concepts?
I’m an IT professional. I have worked with a lot of Information Technology organizations. Not only in Nigeria but throughout the world. I must have been to well over 53 countries. There was a particular year I was working with a multinational IT firm and I worked in 33 countries within a year. So that’s the kind of a Globalized Exposure that I have had. I have met people, I have come across a lot of traditions, cultures and other human dynamics that enriched my experience as a fashion designer.
Can you tell us a bit about your background and upbringing?
I came from Oyo town. I’m in my mid 60s. I was born by a well-to -do father but my childhood experience wasn’t that fantastic because I grew up in a polygynous home with all its dynamics that brought a lot of setbacks. At one point, I thought I wouldn’t have the privilege of having higher education because circumstances took me to a village where I sojourned for sometime before there was divine intervention and an escape. I started my secondary school education several years after I finished my primary education.
How does your childhood experience contribute to who you have become today?
Very early in life, I got to understand that life is a struggle. And that made me realize that I have to put in my best if I want to become somebody in life. At the end of the day, I realized that my trust in God, my personal commitment to excellence and the size of my dream are what I have to rely upon to get up in life.
You can visit and experience the good work of Mr. Tunji Ayoola by visiting his Instagram pages @couturesimplymenz and @molatunjiayoola
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