30 November 2008
TOKUNBO Chiedu is a delightful personality you only need to come in contact for you to come away with a feeling of being tickled. Her laughter is infectious, punctuating her every sentence. In spite of a cold, Tokunbo in-between-sniffs, still maintained her laughter.Apart from her beauty and style which is impactful her laughter resonates. And this stayed with me long after we said our good byes.
Tokunbo is the CEO of Compass Consultancy Limited, a company that brings a diaspora businesses to Nigeria through its yearly exhibition. She also has a clothing line to woman where she offers be spoke services to women who can afford the T.C. Women, (TC being Tokunbo Chiedu) is a shirt line specifically designed with the contors of the African woman in mind.
Tokunbo who has lived in the United Kingdom for most of her life confessed to being very close to her father and has a close support structure in her family.
"I come from a house full of very strong characters. The woman one extremely assertive, we get that from our dad, who assertive and has strong presentation many way, I think I am like my dad because, I am a very sensitive person. So, what you see believes the sensitive person in me.
I don't have many friends. I can still count my friends on my left hand.
Because, of my job schedule, I am not able to keep up with sociology. I am freely but shy. Although most people find this hard to believe. In this interview Tokunbo tells about bringing the diaspora business to Nigeria and the TC women brand.
"WE closed our London shop because we wanted to have the flexibility of working in Nigeria using what is available here. We realise things may not be exactly perfect but we are prepared to bring the expartise where we need them to be able to work with the local situation. At the end of the day, we believe that fashion is very profitable. Our vision is not something that has been done before.
The bigger picture is to have a retail choice of stores, selling our clothes.
The only person who appears to have a vision for a retail store like what we have in mind, is Ruff & Thumble's Nike Ogunlesi. Nigeria has the right business possibilities. Inspite of this power problem. But labour is very cheap here. If the power problem is sorted, combined with labour, it would be a marriage made in Heaven and Nigerians are very talented.
So, we are thinking of Industry issues, how we can kick start the Investment of fashion.
We are not thinking of the local market only, we are going to be manufacturing for export. The international outlook is what we have always had, and that will be maintained. We will not compromise on International standard simply because, we are here - we still have our markets in Britain. I voluntaringly chose to come back. Inspite of the success I have abroad, and also because, I am doing a lot of things here.
Besides this, the TC woman brand is built around my personality , in terms of my input into the designs. You don't just buy a shirt, I give more than that. I tell you, how you can combine it to get the best look for your personality. So there is no way, it can work without my being there.
How would you analyse the fashion industry
Nigerians have always been pace setters. Nigerian men and women love to dress. In terms of how much of a consumer they are of fashionable products, they are very high consumers. But, I am not a believer of fashion as such, I am more a style person. I love to be stylish and style is not the same as fashion.
Fashion is what the French call La mode. It's very fleeting, it can be here now and gone tomorrow. But, style is something that is more sustaining. It is informed by self and what one is comfortable with, not accessing what is fashionable.
It is also about self awareness. Are you aware of your body shape. Are you aware of what works or does not work for you? To me, if you ask about how stylish, Nigeria women are, well, I will say, a good number are, but, then a good number are fashion victims, just pursuing fashion blindly. But, that is okay , because they are keeping the industry going. So, it's about balance.
For the industry, you know Nigerians are very talented, but, the creative sector has not really had the support it needs. There is no real structure where we train people who we want to be world class designers.
If, you look around those people, who are giving it a good go, People who come to mind right now are, people like Deola Sagoe, Tiffnny Amber, Folake Coker etc
At the end, the industry has great potentials but, unless value is put, it will not grow. We have not made the connection yet, unlike the music sector and Nollywood. Until, we do that with all the creative Industry, fashion, we are simply not going to realise just how world class the genius people have here is. I am not a trend designer but, I am a creature person. I can illustrate. I know what works.
On the way Nigerian women reveal all
To me, it's a question of what your mindset is. What are you trying to achieve. Because, that is really what determines what you put on.
As an image consultant, the first thing I will ask you, is what's the point. Even ,if its just an outfit,. It means a lot. It's your packaging which is part of our verbal communication. You don't even have to say anything before people sum you up.
If people were informed abut the power of packaging or branding of self, they would make better choices. Or, Perhaps they do, maybe we are presumptuous by thinking they don't understand what it means to dress this way. Either way, what you put in is what you get out. I don't judge anyone but I think your dressing has to be right for the situation. If you want to wear something revealing in your bedroom for your loved one, why not, . It's your choice. But, when you begin to go out of what is the norm for public consumption, then it gives cause for concern.
On the bill in the senate, obviously we have some very concerned people, who are proposing the bill. They must be very aggrieved. When people are aggrieved you have to take them seriously.
However, I think prosecuting women is extreme. I am sure there are other ways we can address these matters.
Simply organising workshops, talking to young girls as they are growing up. Talking to them about self confidence. If you are confident, there is no need to expose flesh. Your presence alone is enough. Women have such powerful presence, they don't need any unnecessary show of flesh so, the bill is unnecessary.
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