KEHINDE OKUNOREN

Give us some background on the Okunoren label, what kind of man are you designing for?

A confident man who understands what style is.

When did you know that designing was something you wanted to do full time?

Taiwo started the label which was called Taiwo Okunoren in Sept 2001, Okunoren Twins didn’t come into existence until May 2002 because I was interested in the idea and I thought he needed help in some areas and that was when I knew it was serious for me.

How long have you been designing and what were the challenges you and your twin faced while building your label/brand?

It has been 14 years now and challenges are still there, but we have been able to manage them to a certain level.

The first challenge we faced was convincing people and making them believe in the idea of made in Nigeria suits. We were being laughed at in the beginning and people said we had nothing serious to do, remember we were 19. Today the men’s suit industry is a livelihood for thousands because of what we did and it is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

With the grace of God, it took immense work and perseverance to still be involved in this industry because 80% of the challenges we have today is human capital on all levels. From production to customer service to delivery, it has been intense, but we have been able to somehow manage this issue and we are still working round the clock to solve the issue permanently.

Did you at anytime doubt the strength of your brand?

Never! As pioneers of this industry and the level of creativity and innovation that’s in the house, we have never for once doubted the strength of the Okunoren brand. Yes Nigerian men still wear suits from Savile Row, Caraceni, Armani and all those huge international brands, but they have to stop, especially those who are the influencers. Mr. Elumelu coined the terminology “Africanism.” He is one of the most stylish and detailed man in his generation, so we need people like him to wear nothing but a Made in Nigeria suit to enhance the perception of the industry because the strength of a brand is driven by who associates with the brand. We need Nigerian influencers on all level to embrace Nigerian brands and put their money back into the country and not to foreign and already successful brands. It’s time for us to look inward and not outward because no country thrives on 80% import. If anyone believes that the Nigerian quality is not good enough then they should invest in a product so they can use it and it can also compete with international brands.

What is it like working with your twin and what qualities do you admire in him as a business partner?

It has been good working with him, but not easy. Every partnership needs mutual respect and patience. We have been able to build this brand together over the year, which takes a lot of understanding. We know our strengths and weaknesses while constantly being honest and open with each other.

How do you handle differences in decision making in terms of designs and general day-today running of your label?

That’s a tricky question, LOL. We argued a lot in the past, but over the years, we have realized it is best to have documented roles and responsibilities. This way, we tend not to crossover into each other’s territory unless necessary and we try to do that amicably.

Taiwo works more on the creative side of things in terms of design while I handle the operational side of the business.

In recent times, it seems the label has been a bit quiet on the fashion scene, is this intentional?

The last 14 years has been a learning process for us. This business for us is more than the glamour and glitz that comes with it, our last ten years as businessmen has been nothing but a drilling process for us both as men and also as a brand. We have realized how tough it is to do business in Nigeria and the only way to grow to become an institution is through hard work and to give full concentration to what you do. We have been watching what is happening on the whole scene so we can know what next move to make and what way to go.

What should we expect of the brand this fashion year in terms of putting the brand on the forefront of men’s fashion?

Okunoren has always been and by the grace of God, will always be on the forefront of menswear in Nigeria, but not we as individuals. We are very conservative people so we don’t have to be on the red carpet at every event to make sales or to run a profitable business. Okunoren is a very strong brand, which we only intend to intensify.

With so many bespoke suit designers coming up in recent times, what makes an Okunoren suit different from others?

We are completely focused on our own standard, which we continuously work on improving.

Being such a huge name in the Nigerian fashion scene, what do you make of Nigerian fashion on the global stage?

It is very impressive and there’s a lot if interest from all over the world and the interesting thing is, there’s only so much the westerners can do or design again as all that’s being done there is recycling of designs and trends. The real and new talents are from Africa especially Nigeria so we as a country and business people need to take advantage of what we have.

They are very excited and perplexed about the colours and the vibrancy of our fabrics and craft, but they will only try to make it second best. They will always try to idolize their own brands and that’s what we Nigerians need to do. The biggest spenders in Selfridges and Debenhams are Arabs and Nigerians and I do not understand why the money should be taken out so I am not too keen about Nigerians on a global stage because what we need to do is to make sure that Lagos becomes a fashion capital through regular fashions shows and maintaining the highest quality of our work. They will look for us and not us going to them.

What are your plans for expansion?

As we speak, we are working on the second store and on a women’s line. We still produce some of our products abroad, which is extremely unfortunate, but as I said earlier because of our issues with human capital, we are left with no choice if we want to remain in business. So part of our expansion plan is to produce 100% locally by opening a factory where the tailors will produce every single thing we design and we plan to train and mentor the tailors and apprentices by a foreign technical partner so they too can realize that there’s a lot of money to be made because the unemployment rate in the country today is alarming and we as a business, have a role to play to reduce this.

Describe your style?

My style is subtle and laid back.

Who is your style icon and why?

My late dad and the Olubuse II. He influenced my general perception as an individual, and style wasn’t left out. He was an Engineer and he wore a lot of suits to work and when he was abroad, he was someone that was loyal to certain brands like his shoes where from Bally or Barker and his cologne was only KOUROS by Yves saint Laurent which I still use date. I remember he always bought my brothers and I shoes from Bally and Ravel and we hated them because we were between the ages of 9-13, but it made us very proper in our dressing. So all these influenced my minimalist way of dressing up. Also, Okunade Sijuwade was by far the most stylish man in his generation. He conveys royalty so effortlessly it makes you want to be a King and in 2014, he awarded us the first royal warrant in Africa which we will forever cherish.

Any last words to our readers who aspire to go into fashion design?

Fear God, be hardworking, have all the passion in the world, be original, never copy or imitate competition and stay focused at all times.

Specifically for the men or the boys: Don’t ever get carried away by women, red carpets and popularity.

We have realized how tough it is to do business in Nigeria and the only way to grow to become an institution is through hard work and to give full concentration to what you do.