Ronke Ademiluyi was born in London to a scion of the royal family in Ife Kingdom in the South Western part of Nigeria. She is a rare combination of beauty and brains. Ademiluyi, the founder and Chief Executive officer of Africa Fashion Week London and Nigeria is on a mission, fuelled by the lack of retail space, production factories and start-up funds and how it is hindering the growth of the potentially multimillion dollar Africa’s fashion industry. In this interview with Solomon Elusoji, she talks about what to expect at the Africa Fashion Week 2015, holding at Eko Hotel and Suites in Victoria Island, Lagos, from tomorrow till Sunday, 24th, and burning issues in the Nigerian fashion industry
What are your expectations for this year's Africa Fashion Week Nigeria (AFWN)?
A much bigger audience, the event is spread over 4 days this year, starting off with the mall catwalk at the palms shopping mall, followed by the global fashion management workshop, then the emerging designers catwalk, followed by the established designer catwalk and then the closing Gala for our celebrity designers. The closing Gala night billed to be the most glamorous night of the fashion week, The 'Oscar night' of fashion, stars in dazzling outfits
What is being done differently this year?
More awareness is being created for the brand, more designers from different African countries and the African Diaspora are participating this year. We also have a global fashion management workshop for young designers in collaboration with the Nigerian British Chamber of Commerce.
Who are those involved in organizing the week?
Ms Abiola Okoya, our global goodwill ambassador, Oreka Godis, our brand fashion ambassador, Denrele Edun our red carpet host and we will be putting a glamorous end to the fashion week with Globacom ambassadors strutting down the runway.
What got you started into fashion?
It started in the 90's when I was studying in the university. I used to getting a lot of compliments from my friends, so I decided to start selling to them, so it actually was a hobby that turned into a sustainable business, initially it was selling of western clothes as I had 4 boutiques RUKKIES.
Then 5 years ago I diversified into African clothing as African fashion now influences a lot of fashion around the world, and that was how Africa Fashion Week started.
How has been the journey so far?
Very interesting, I get to meet so many different people from different parts of the world. I have been invited to speak about African fashion on a few occasions, and the journey continues.
What inspired Africa Fashion Week London and the subsequent African Fashion Week Nigeria?
It was that lack of an international platform in the UK to showcase African designers. Also, the fact that London is one of the fashion capitals of the world with a huge ethnic diversity.
Regarding the Africa fashion week in Nigeria, we thought that the world had not yet seen the best of Nigerian fashion and there are so many young talented designers in Nigeria who do not have the financial backing to showcase on an international platform, that was why we launched the platform in Nigeria to bridge the gap between the designers and their target audience.
The inspiration came in 2011 from the lack of a platform that supported and showcased African designers. That was how the first Africa Fashion Week London was launched. We decided to bring it home to Nigeria, last year to support talented emerging Nigeria designers, who cannot afford to showcase their designs on an international platform, a lot of emerging designers use the Africa Fashion Week platforms to launch their brand to the media and the general public.
How would you describe the Nigerian fashion industry vis-a-vis the current state of global fashion industry? Where do you see the industry in the coming years?
When it comes to African inspired fashion we set the pace in Nigeria, the new generation of Nigerian designers have added a modern twist to creativity, using traditional prints to make pieces that appeal to a global audience. I see the fashion industry growing to a level, where it becomes sustainable for the designers, because a lot of our young designers are now creating modern ready-to-wear pieces and clothes for everyday life.
What are the necessary steps needed to take the Nigerian fashion industry to the next level?
Our young designers face a lot of challenges like lack of financial support, lack of factories where they can do mass production, lack of knowledge of the business side of fashion, like branding, marketing, and pricing and how to become global brands. If these challenges can be tackled it will assist the designers in getting to the next level of becoming sustainable brands and household names.
What would be your advice to upcoming fashion designers and models who are looking for their big break?
My advice would be to work hard, be passionate about what you do, attend workshops, seminars and training that will help perfect their skills and become the best in what they do.
I would also advice designers to be aware of the power of the middle class and tap into it, as the middle class is increasing, so to create affordable pieces for them.