allure 27022022
FOLASHADE BALOGUN: SHOWCASING AFRICAN FASHION GLOBALLY
FOLASHADE BALOGUN: SHOWCASING AFRICAN FASHION GLOBALLY
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INTERVIEW<br />
Hmm… we lived in a one-room apartment where we<br />
didn’t have access to a proper toilet, and those were very<br />
interesting times. I tell my children that when we send<br />
them abroad to school, it’s a privilege, it’s not as if they<br />
are entitled to it. So, I let my children know all these. I tell<br />
them, to go out there and work hard like their lives<br />
depend on it. And that has really paid off, because all my<br />
children made first class, and are doing well today,<br />
thanks to God. My upbringing really gave me a different<br />
view of life.<br />
How do you cope with work and family?<br />
When I first started my business, it was a bit<br />
challenging because I had to do school runs, go to the<br />
depot, then; my filling station was in Seme, before I had<br />
one in GRA. Now my kids are all grown up. I am a<br />
grandmother of two. All my kids are graduates, my first<br />
son is happily married with two daughters, my second<br />
son is here with me, my third son is a pilot in the US, and<br />
he is flying already. My only daughter graduated in 2020,<br />
she is a psychologist working in the US. I have four<br />
children, three males, and a female.<br />
What is your perception of the fashion industry in<br />
Nigeria today?<br />
I must say we are doing very well.<br />
What, in your opinion, are some of the ways African<br />
fashion designers can be supported so that they can<br />
become global businesses?<br />
The government needs to support us financially.<br />
African fashion is really out there, and globally people<br />
love what we are doing. We are very creative in Nigeria,<br />
but we need the government’s support in every way.<br />
Apart from finance, they should put the right structures in<br />
place, so we can have ease of doing business like our<br />
counterparts in other countries, and be able to massproduce.<br />
When this is done, a time will come when you<br />
can walk into a shop and buy a Nigerian-made dress off<br />
the rack like in western countries. It is achievable.<br />
What is your eventual dream for House of Sota?<br />
My dream for House of Sota is for the brand to<br />
become like Zara. That is why we are opening outlets in<br />
different parts of the continent.<br />
I want the House of Sota to live after me. When I am<br />
gone, there will still be House of Sota, just like some of<br />
the popular international brands that we don’t know who<br />
owns them.<br />
When you are not working, how do you relax?<br />
When I am flying, I relax on the flight, I love travelling<br />
a lot. If I am not in Lagos, I am in Abuja, if I am not in<br />
Abuja, I am in Owerri, or in the US. I love travelling a lot.<br />
Where in the world is your favourite holiday<br />
destination?<br />
I do not really go on holiday. I can’t remember the<br />
last time I went on vacation, maybe on a business trip<br />
because even when I am in the US, it is not a vacation.<br />
Throughout the Christmas and New Year holidays, I was<br />
working, setting up the second store. On Christmas day,<br />
in the US, we went to the motherless babies home and<br />
gave out blankets and food. In Lagos, we normally do<br />
orphanages. So I can’t remember the last time I went on<br />
vacation.<br />
So what lessons have you learned about life?<br />
A lot; don’t look down on people, be friendly, be nice.<br />
When my children were young, I trained them not to look<br />
down on people, but to be nice. Even if that person is a<br />
beggar, be nice, because that beggar might be a<br />
billionaire tomorrow. You never can tell.<br />
My upbringing<br />
has really<br />
impacted my<br />
life greatly.<br />
Makeup Artist: Kabire for<br />
@kamanismakeover<br />
Hairstylist: Destiny for<br />
@pdhairconvenient<br />
Fashion Stylist: Funmi<br />
Lefevre<br />
Photographer: Bamiyo<br />
Iselema Emina<br />
Clothes by House of Sota<br />
February 27, 2022 / 5