Firestyle Magazine: Issue 1 - Autumn 2015

Tomiwa, what first attracted you to the
Fire Service?
“I initially studied at Brunel University in Uxbridge, where
I acquired my first degree in Sports Science and Business
Studies. Having then worked at the London Fire &
Emergency Planning Authority, I found myself in positions
with Cancer Research UK and the NHS. I also studied
part-time at St Marys College obtaining a diploma in
Health, Nutrition and Physical Activity.
I had played semi-professional, for Leyton FC and
Carshalton FC and it was during them amateur football
days which I made a lot of friends who worked
for the fire service. Combined with my work at the
procurement department, the fire lads highlighted the
pros of being a firefighter and I found these tied in with
my core values..... fairness, integrity, and the physical
aspects of the job. One of the fundamental attractions
to me, are the rewards you get helping people and the
impact you can make on their lives”.
When did you join the Fire Service ?
“I joined around four and a half years ago. I love the
variety of the job and its’ daily duties. Being based at
Chelsea, which is considered an affluent area, we may not
have as many turn outs for fires, however, there are many
more aspects of the job we have to deal with. The biggest
incident I have attended though, was at the fictional
home of Hercule Poirot, on Clerkenwell Fire Station ground
a couple of years ago. I was one of the first fire fighters on
the scene and the whole place was up.”
Tomiwa has had an eye for fashion since a very young
age, which eventually led him to not only a ‘Foundation
degree in Cordwainers Footwear Design’ which he
achieved at The London College of Fashion, but also a
Master of Arts in ‘Fashion Menswear Footwear’. This he
obtained in June this year, at the Royal College of Art.
When did you first become interested
in fashion?
“When I was young, around 11, my friend and I used
our spare time after school and at weekends, to design
trainers. It was a passion from an early age which rekindled
when I reassessed my life later, having the memories of
being very happy doing it, still with me. To this day, I still
have a general love of trainers and as i consider myself a
creative person, I looked into the subject in greater detail.
When I was a child, Airmax 95s were massive, in fact the
whole Airmax series and the likes of Reebok Pump, Fila and
Adidas. Footwear now though has exploded, when I was
young there was only a limited variety and the releases
were few and far between. Now there is so much choice,
with remakes, colour ups, new brands etc.”
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