My Ambition is to Manufacture My Fashion Products in Nigeria
Fashion is Not Just About Glitz and Glamour My Fashion Brand Represents Form and Function How I Left Oil and Gas Business for Fashion Designing
Calmly seated in a low-back chair, she shares a wide smile that lightens up her quiet visage. Dressed in a floral sleeveless top and a resplendent short skirt, the ambitious fashion designer is simply elegant. Introverted, she talks mildly but with a deep, riveting sense of purpose and mission. She smiles here and there as she discusses her metamorphosis, staying powerandfuturedream.MeetDolapoOtunla,FounderandCreativeDirectorofOYSBY(acronymfor‘OwnYourStyle,Be Yourself’) London – a luxury accessory brand. From being an accomplished chemical engineer, Otunla chose an apparent opposite path to fulfill a life-long desire and passion. Based in London, United Kingdom, Dolapo defines herself as a Nigerian designer in charge of a global brand. Her shoes and bags are incredibly sophisticated and amusing to behold. It is no wonder that the OYSBY brand is pushing the envelope alongside the likes of Deola Sagoe, Ituen Basi and Lanre da Silva Ajayi in establishing Nigeria as an emerging fashion front. Otunla’s products have been adorned by highly influential international celebrities such as Grammy award-winning country singer, Carrie Underwood, American pop music group Fifth Harmony and Comedy Central’s Ilana Glazier, amongst others. BUFF Magazine caught up with the creative director tolearnmoreaboutherentrepreneurialstoryandplansforgrowthofthebrandandtheNigerianfashionindustry
Your designs are phenomenal, how long have you been in fashion? I can speak for my passion for the arts in general. I always loved acting in school plays when I was younger and I was vice president of the drama club in secondary school. Then in university I joined dance groups here and there despite the fact that I was studying chemical engineering. I always had passion for the arts and I actually wanted to study architecture but I guess the Nigerian mentality made chemical engineering more attractive to me at the time. I did my first degree in University of Lagos (Chemical Engineering). I got my master’s degree in Process Technology and Business Management from University of Warwick in the United Kingdom. I worked for a couple of years in an oil and gas company. But in 2010, I decided that I wanted to try out fashion; so I enrolled at Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in California and studied Apparel Manufacturing. I specialised in clothes but when I started designing shoes and bags I realised that was what I really wanted to do. Before I got out of school while I was still in California I launched my solar bags which are basically well designed bags with solar panels installed in them so owners could charge their phones in their bags. That product line is targeted at corporate clients at the moment but I decided to focus on my OYSBY line as the flagship brand of my business.
So what does OYSBY represent? OYSBY is an acronym for ‘Own Your Style Be Yourself’ and the brand sort of defines who I am. I am more of introvert and I believe you don’t have to be loud to be stylish which also speaks to the aesthetics of the shoes as well. OYSBY shoes are designed with simplicity balanced with eccentricity or I call it simplicity with an edge. For me, the brand also
represents form and function. The shoes are easy to wear and comfortably fit, plus the designs are original and inspiring in contrast to shoes like Louboutins which I love and wear but are mostly (about) beauty with less of comfort and functionality.
The detailing is impeccable; how have you been able to achieve this?
It helped a lot that I schooled in California and I had access to a great network of professionals from there. I worked with consultants that are highly placed in the fashion industry and they really helped me in finding the right factory for products. I have been through many factories in different countries such as in the US, China and Indonesia. But I eventually settled in Italy because it became clear why Italian shoes are what they are. They have the best craftsmanship that you can find anywhere in the world. I have been lucky enough to find a small artisanal factory that pays the best attention to detail. All the shoes are specially handcrafted by passionate Italian artisans and it’s surprising that the shoes are now out there competing with the likes of Jimmy Choos and Sophia Webster when it comes to quality. Big international stars such as Carrie Underwood have worn my shoes to numerous events and she just loves them which I am so happy about. Then Fifth Harmony, Ilana Glazer from Comedy Central. Then in Nigeria more and more celebrities are getting to hear about OYSBY. Recently, Bolanle Olakunni and Fade Ogunro have also been part of the OYSBY clientele and fan base.
How do you get your design inspiration?
Well, I travel a lot and that really helps. I also look at different inanimate objects like furniture, architecture and generally, everyday objects just give me great ideas.
As creative entrepreneur who do you benchmark yourself and your brand against?