Deola Sagoe
Deola Sagoe, founder of Deola is the undoubtedly the leading lady in Africa when it comes to the art of fashion designing. Since the inception of her fashion label in 1989, she has been dominating the fashion world with her eclectic and mind-boggling creations, and is showing no sign of letting go of the reins! She has broken many frontiers in the industry, leaving a blazing trail at her wake. Aside from being the first black woman to showcase her collection at AltaRoma, Rome’s celebrated fashion week, in 2004, Deola has showcased her stuff several times in New York Fashion week. Her pieces are collector’s items because of her eclectic style and the artistic expertise of her creations. Having dressed the likes of Alex Wek, Oprah Winfrey and Will Smith, Deola is soaring even higher in her reach and appealing to people from all works of life. She was appointed Nigeria’s representative to the United Nations World Food Program ‘Catwalk the World: Fashion for Food’ with the goal of raising money towards reducing hunger amidst children. It is fair to say her works are easily comparable to the likes of Alexander McQueen, John Galliano and designers of such ilk. This delectable mother of three recently turned 50. Needless to say, it was well celebrated and it was a delight to see the otherwise perceived as ‘reserved’ woman, display so much vibrancy and gaiety as she danced her heart out on her special night. Deola shares an intimate moment with FUNKE BABS-KUFEJI discussing her journey so far… How do you feel now you have reached the golden age of 50?
Golden! Or perhaps diamond is how I am feeling right now! For quite a while - and I can’t really tell why - I have been feeling really positive, filled with hope and the promise of things to come. Maybe it’s because I am seeing things from a perspective where I am able to step back and see how things have played out in my life. When I was younger, I was far more anxious about the future, or what I was doing, or even how I was presenting myself. Today I am the most in-synch person that I have ever been - with who I am, the role I play as mother, sister, daughter, business owner, mentor and so on…
I have a more positive body image than I did before, my health and fitness as a woman. It’s as if all the knowledge that one garners over time really does pay off, so, as they say, no experience is wasted in the end. This is what I would tell any young woman – don’t be too down on yourself if something doesn’t appear to go as you hoped or planned. I see many young women doing that, being hard on themselves. You must breathe and be a little courageous, and when time passes and you look back, and by and large things have worked out well, then you get down on bended knee and thank God with a smile!
As far back as I can remember, being the right kind of person, a truly successful human being, which is not just about making money, but who you become from the inside outward, how you live, the decisions you make, this was always very important to me - not because my mother or father told me to be good, or society’s conventions, as in how we teach, or pressure, young girls to be this or that as they grow up. It was inside me, I always had that desire to push myself to be the best I could be - the most caring, hardworking, imaginative, honest etc, etc, things of real value.
It’s a process. Nobody gets there in one day, and at 50 I feel I am closest to encompassing many of those virtues than ever before.
Were there any goals you set for yourself before attaining this age?
I never had deadlines or a bucket list. I am very goal orientated though, both in my personal life and of course business. I remember people being quite surprised at that, when I would make business decisions, or lay out goals to be achieved, especially when I first started as a designer. People can be shocked when they meet a woman who is quite clear and ambitious and firm.
But I don’t think it is necessarily about timescales, things come in their season – so maybe it’s not when, or what age you do something, but how well you do it, how much you get from it, what the experience is like. I have been very lucky, that I know for sure, and I am grateful to God for his mercies and blessings.
looking back, what key lessons have you learnt in your journey of life so far?
Don’t be quick to speak when you are angry or upset.
Always be in charge of the details of your money – be honest with yourself about your extravagancies, everybody has them, and when it comes to money planning for the family, be ruthlessly accurate.
Always be inclined to people who provide proof of who they truly are from what they do, rather than what they say.
Family comes first, but family is what and whom you make it.
A woman can achieve anything as long as she knows she is a woman, and not a saint, or a quasi-man, or even something that has never existed before, she is simply a woman with a goal – success is measured by experience or depth, not in amount…
Actually, I could go on and on, life is full of so many lessons, to conclude, I will say that one of the most important lessons I have learned is that one must develop their own internal belie system, know what you truly feel about things, not what others may tell you or say about things… you must know what you truly feel because no one is in charge of your happiness but you yourself, no other person can give it to you…
You have remained one of the most visible designers out of Nigeria. Do you have further plans to raise the ante when it comes to your brand?
What is happening with my brand now is that it is developing a fully-fledged life of its own. The design part is actually just one part of it – fashion is about vision, attitude and opportunity. And visibility is a global thing, so we have many interactions with people in parts of the world that we did not even know had heard of us.
It might sound strange to say, but do you know that over the close to 30 years, I have been in this business there is not one dress that has left my workshop to go to a customer that I did not care about. It can be quite a toll on any constitution to care that much, but that is what adds up to brand equity.
Do you intend to get involved in other ventures outside clothing concerning your brand?
I am a business-woman. I have always been. The most visible part to many people has been the design but I have always had one or two projects in the pipeline. Small or large, when an opportunity comes you jump on it.
We do have some strategies that we are developing to leverage the brand equity into other domains, other marketplaces, but we are taking our time to make sure we do not carelessly play with a brand that has taken close to 30 years and a lot of love and hard work to develop. When things are right, we will launch.
You daughters are also making waves with their own. Did they pursue this dream primarily because of your success, experience and knowledge of the industry?
Anybody who knows Teni, Aba and Tiwa knows that they are very much their own people. Dare I say it, each has a good brain on their shoulders, so don’t expect them to be anyone’s stereotype. It is true I did carry them about when I was doing shows, and in the workshop they saw how things are actually
...you must know what you truly feel because no one is in charge of your happiness but you yourself, no other person can give it to you...