5 MINUTES WITH FISAYO LONGE

How did you get interested in fashion?

I have been interested in fashion and the clothes I wear for as long as I can remember. However, my interest in fashion peaked when I stumbled upon Tumblr in December 2011. I spent so much time on Tumblr. It was true escapism for me and just a world of beautiful fashion in a way that I hadn’t seen before. I discovered fashion blogs shortly after that and was inspired to start mine.

What made you decide to take it seriously and make a career out of it?

I started my fashion and travel blog in January 2012 as a hobby and to have somewhere to document my travels during my gap year but became very heavily emotionally invested in it after that.

Later that year, I discovered that I could make an income from it, albeit very little. I kept having fun with it but realized over the years, how much it inspired me. Brands were increasingly reaching out to me and offering payment. I absolutely loved the work I was doing, but I still didn’t realize that I wanted it to be my full-time career. I am a very passionate person and also quite ‘serious’about whatever I am focused on at the moment, so I was always going to do it to the best of my ability even before deciding to make a full-time career out of it. I decided to make a career out of it when I decided to start Kai. I’ve always seen my blog as a vehicle to do more rather than a final destination.

Let’s talk about your brand Kai, did being a fashion influencer help with the launch of your label and what has it taught you so far about the business?

Yes, being a fashion influencer helped me with an audience to launch Kai but I also learned in the same breath, that it was simply not enough. I was disappointed with the reception when Kai launched because I thought that with my audience, there would be a huge reception and that the brand would thrive from launch day but that did not happen for years after launch. That taught me the importance of building community. I had an audience but not necessarily a community.

How has your style evolved since you began your label?

I buy less and wear my clothes more. I’m the queen of repeating clothes, and I believe in buying only items you truly love and will wear repeatedly.

Kai means strong and unbreakable which is empowering, is that how you want the women who wear your clothes feel?

For sure. Most of all, I want women to feel confident and like their most powerful selves. I want them to feel limitless and to be inspired to reject all societal gender norms and expectations. I want them to be whoever they want and do whatever they want.

What was the inspiration behind your Gaia mesh design?

I decided that I wanted to create prints for Kai and reached out to Adebusola Ekoko of Grapes Pattern Bank, who creates fantastic prints. I sent her a mood board, and we had a phone conversation. She knew the colours and vibe I wanted to work with and later told me that what eventually came to be known as the Gaia print was partly inspired by the tone of my voice during our conversation.

“I had an audience but not necessarily a community”

Why was it so important that you create your own bespoke print fabrics, and what makes them different from anything else on the market?

It’s just way more exciting and more fun. Kai has been able to build an incredible community, and I love the idea of having beautiful, distinctive prints to ourselves. I would love for Girls in Kai to spot each other on the street and give each other a knowing nod, as you can’t walk past without the print catching your eye.

What are you fascinated by at the moment, and how does it reflect in your work?

I am fascinated by the female form. I think it is so beautiful and I want to create clothing that accentuates it in different ways. I am also very intrigued by the ocean and the sun, which I believe you can tell just by looking at prints like Gaia.

What is the biggest fashion lesson that you have learned since you started your brand?

There are no rules. If rules are forced upon you, break them.

What are your aspirations for the future? To continue growing our community of women who do not accept any limitations placed on them by society.