The Creative Director of House of Irawo, an upscale fashion brand, Abby Ikomi, speaks with Shade Wesley-Metibogun on her journey to the industry, motherhood and advice to women in commemoration of Mother’s Day. Excerpts:
Did you always desire a career in the creative industry or you stumbled upon it by accident?
Yes and no. I always wanted to be a super model because I had it in me. I was very tall and skinny, like size two. My mother used to be worried then. She would insist that I eat well, give me multivitamin supplements and all that. People always say that I ought to be walking on the runway. But, my father made sure that I was not given that opportunity. He did not want me anywhere near modeling. He just didn’t want it. So, he blocked all the opportunities I had to become one.
I met my husband early in life and before we knew it, we got married. Then the children started coming. All that ended my quest for modelling. I have always been a very creative person. My late brother was a big-time artist. His name is Kayode Lawal. All of us are very creative in my family. My fashion business was borne out of the fact that at one point it occurred to me that I had so much more to offer. There is a thing about creative people. If you don’t make use of it, I believe it can slow you down in other ways. The creative part of your brain is bigger and more powerful than any other. I started Irawo Studio when I was 46 years-old. Irawo is seven years old today. My first daughter and her siblings at that time wanted something African to wear. They said I should make them something. I went round and later got someone in Ikeja, but the person ended up charging a lot of money. When I sat down and looked at what I got, I was not satisfied. When I travelled to America to see my children, I had to look for a Chinese woman to work on the dresses again, the woman had to redesign it. I gave her instructions on what to do and I ended up paying another round of money. When I got back from the trip, I said no more. I went to the market, bought machines and got the necessary things needed. That was how I started the fashion business.
But prior to this, you were into furniture making and interior decoration. Do you still run the business?
Not anymore. I ran it for a very long time, but when I started the fashion business, three years into it, I shut down the interior company.
Why?
I don’t want to say I had tunnel vision. That will be counter-productive. I didn’t want to be distracted. I wanted to be focused and give it my all. I can’t afford to be distracted. This business is not even where I want it to be. I want it to be a global brand, I want people to be able to order from Spain, from anywhere in the world. Almost like what Zara is.
I am not trying to be a super luxury brand, no. I want to be affordable and fashionable at the same time. I wear my brand and I represent my brand. We have not even scratched the surface of what we want to do. We want to be in every corner of the world, exporting everywhere, having shows and exhibitions. We make all our fabrics ourselves. I design the fabrics and I tell my artisans how I want it, the colour and the shape. We have not even started. We have the potential to go further. I have to be different because we incorporate African styles, our culture and modernise them. We don’t do culture appropriation; we will use what we have here and take it over there.
How do you get the inspiration to create such beautiful pieces as I’ve seen?
I have a lot of ideas in my head. If someone is walking, I could look at the person and visualize the fabric and style that would look nice on that person. There is an idea in my head about how I want the average woman to look. You don’t have to wear the most expensive clothes. You can still look clean and stylish in a clean nice shirt and trainers.
At the end of the day, transitioning from wearing something casual in the day can be transformed to an event at night. You could change your shoes, drop your hair, put on more makeup. Such is the image on the profile I want Irawo Studio to have, the ability to transition from casual to looking chic. Those are the things that get me inspired.
What challenges have you had running the brand over the years?
It is quite challenging, I cannot lie. Funding is the biggest challenge facing the average Nigerian businesswoman. It is a major challenge. You can have all the ideas in the world, but if you don’t have the funds to bring the ideas and dreams into reality, you will just be stuck. That is one of the issues women are facing today. Banks don’t give loans to women. I heard that Access Bank is doing that though.
I want a financial institution to believe in my dream. The second challenge is staffing. It is very difficult to get the right people that can carry on with your vision. There are so many challenges in the country. If you believe this person will come and do this thing for you at a particular time, what if they don’t come to work? They will come up with all kinds of excuses.
Electricity is another challenge. We hardly have it and even if it is available, the charges are too high. If I tell you how much I pay to Eko Electricity Distribution Company every month, you won’t believe it. It is quite outrageous and I still have to buy diesel. It can be discouraging. If you don’t have a passion for it, you will give up easily. At the end of the day, it is your passion, you are not even focusing on the profitably of the business. Even if you are discouraged, just move to your place of work, the energy will come. Any time I get to my office, there is usually a burst of energy I feel.
I think that in the long run, Nigeria will get better. We will get there. A few days ago, I was really challenged. My tailors didn’t come to work and a customer needed to wear aso ebi. She needed it for a function. I had to call everyone I had on my contact because I needed a tailor. Those are the kind of things that will make you ask yourself why you are doing such business. At times, I tell myself that I am stressing myself at my age with what I do, but once you overcome it, you keep moving.
As a very busy businesswoman who still runs her home successfully, how do you navigate through your tasks with ease?
I have to thank God and my husband for that. I have to really thank God for the kind of husband that I have because he really helped me. He came through for me as much as he was still a busy banker when the kids were young. Whenever I am stuck, let’s say during production, he will come home on time and fill in the gap, maybe help the kids to do their homework and stuff. And my kids will tell you that their mom sacrificed a lot for them. They often say it. Now that they are bigger, they keep sending me gifts. They will say: ‘Mom, you did so much and you could have been more. We know that you are a very creative person, we know but you didn’t really focus on yourself.’
As much as I had a business to focus on, my primary focus has always been my family. I don’t joke with my family, my children. All my friends know that I don’t joke about my children. I make sure that they are sorted out first. My husband allowed me to be myself. I am not caged. I am like a butterfly, anywhere I go, I bring in my colour. You cannot find me anywhere that is dull. I am for positive vibes. Anywhere I see negative vibes, I take my leave immediately.
It is not as if life has not brought me some challenges. Life has brought me a few challenges, but I am thankful God kept me, it means he still wants to use me for the benefit of people around me. I am so energised because I chose to be that way. In life, you have to be intentional about everything, what you do, the things you wear and the kind of people you interact with. If not, you will just lose focus.
Which project gave you the big break?
I think my big break was when we took part in the Arise Fashion Week. That was it. I just started this business a year before then. I remember some people told me not to do the fashion show, that I would mess up and become embarrassed. I was asked what I knew about the business and my collection. They said that I should leave the fashion show to those who had been doing it. I got a lot of discouraging words then. However, within a week and half, I came up with the collection and I had the show.
We did very well. My oldest daughter came all the way from her base abroad and she told me she wouldn’t let me do it all alone. That was really what put us on the map. We were a baby brand then. I am still a baby brand now and we are still learning. I came into the business with nothing but my own passion and my gift. I didn’t go to any school to learn this. It was just me being fashionable. A lot of people doubted that I could do it. They said I shouldn’t just say because I was fashionable I would be able to run the business. But I kept on pushing and I knew that greater days were ahead.
How much effort did you put in the fashion show that gave your business a bounce?
The fact that people became aware of us gave me the incentive to continue pushing. So I was not going to give up. I was motivated to work hard and keep pushing. Now, I can’t say that we are a household name, but a lot of people know us and relate with us. We produce pieces that are of good quality and our clients keep coming back. My phone is always buzzing. Rome was not built in a day. People need to realise that. You just have to put in the effort. Let me say to people that are in a similar business: Keep pushing. Obstacles will come, but you will get there. In anything you do in life, if you give up easily, you are not going to get to where you are going.
Which of your three daughters is interested in the creative business and can take after you when you retire?
I want to give each one of them their own area of strength. My oldest daughter, Dola is very good with administrative work. She is the one coordinating all the things that happen in the back room. She studied Public Relations and Marketing. My second daughter is an accountant. She has a Masters degree in Accountancy. She is the one checking our numbers and making sure that things are up to date. My third daughter attended Parson School of Fashion in New York, USA. She studied fashion marketing. She would look at the pieces we have and talk to other brands that can carry us, anything to put our name in the International map out there. She will send emails to similar brands. The three of them are involved in the business.
Maybe my eldest daughter can say she will be interested in taking over from me. She is an artist, too. She draws well. It is a family-owned business run by women. As for my son, he is only interested in the numbers. He wants to know the profitability of this and that. When we make good numbers, he congratulates us for a job well done.
How does it feel having children who are involved in what you do?
It is a blessing for your children to be interested in carrying on your vision. It is a blessing. They attended the best schools in the world, but they are not looking down on my business. They see the vision and want to carry on with it. They do the rebranding and handle all the things going on our social media pages. We hold meetings every weekend and exchange ideas. If anything comes up, they call me. They wake me up. They all have their respective jobs abroad, yet they combine their jobs with the fashion business. They multi-task.
Most parents would want their children to focus on the more lucrative jobs.
Were you not at first reluctant to allow them to join the business?
No, my children are very hard working. Even in the field they choose over there, they have been able to combine the two together. It is not that they are coming to Nigeria to sit down with the business. Right now, the world is a global village, everything can be done on the Internet. You can be working in a corporate firm over there and still reside in Nigeria. I don’t need them to move back to Nigeria to help to make the company grow. I also don’t need their time 100 percent. If I can get 10 percent, I am okay. They also need to focus on their careers over there. I am not Oliver Twist, I am okay.
If you were asked to give your daughters a piece of advice that you would have given your younger self, what would that be?
Not to rush into anything. I will still tell that to anyone, irrespective of their accomplishments in life. Also know that people change. Don’t rush easily into things, take your time and give yourself time to understand people and situations. In anything you do, exercise caution, and take your time. I started the business in my forties. Some people would say what will I achieve at that time, but the business restructured my thinking. It was like having a new baby that you need to nurture and watch it grow. That is having hope. People used to say that I look younger than my age, it’s because I am doing something giving me hope.
What is the best way to raise kids in the present dispensation?
Spending time with your kids is very key. Don’t just leave them to nannies. Yes, nannies are needed. When my kids were growing up, I had a couple of them, but quality time must be spent with your children so that you can instill positive values in them. You must be able to transfer the values your parents instilled in you to them. If not, they will pick things from the society and it will mould them into something you don’t want. Once you transfer those things to them, they will know what to do each time. Younger people should find that time. And it is not the responsibility of the mother alone, the father too should be involved. It’s a dual responsibility, the two of them must do their parts. Most of the issues we have now come from the things the children pick from the Internet. My children know that I will block all channels apart from cartoons. When they were in high school, they knew they couldn’t use phones. They put their phones down. At a point they didn’t even have one. It might look as if you are strict but you need it. Once they leave home for school, that’s the end.
You do not look like a 54 year-old. Are there things you do to enhance your looks?
I am one woman who does not joke with her beauty routine. I eat right, take my vitamins, exercise regularly and get enough sleep. I avoid toxic people. Anything that would deprive me of my peace of mind is usually avoided. I also educate myself. Look at my skin. I can’t be doing this business and my skin will be looking dull, you wouldn’t want to buy from me. If you see my dressing room where I put my makeup, some professionals don’t have the things I have there. Then, I read a lot, research about things I can do. I drink a lot of green, I blend different fruits and drinks. Care for yourself. Look after yourself, nobody will do it for you.
What advice do you have for ladies looking to venture in your kind of business?
Make sure you follow your passion. Don’t do something because your best friend is doing it. It will cost you a lot. Do not venture into anything because you think it is easier to do. There is no business that is easy. There is no business that is a walk in a park. If you cannot work, the business will not grow.
How best do you think a woman can be a career person and still be happily married?
It is about respect. Respect your marriage, husband and children. What is the role of the woman in marriage? She has to maintain her home. You must know how to manage your home. You cannot do anything else above your husband. Don’t be confrontational about issues. You are traveling for work related duties, manage your home before going. Put everything in place before leaving. You have to balance it. I was able to balance mine. When my kids were in school in Nigeria, I was picking them up every day unless I am not in Nigeria. You need to make sacrifices, be involved in their daily routine, be in control and give respect.
Why is it difficult for marriages to stand the test of time nowadays?
A lot of people give up so easily. Social media is one factor for me. A man will wake up in the morning, instead of talking to his wife, he will go on social media and be looking at naked girls. Please note that those girls have not had kids and they have undergone body enhancements a lot of times. The man will begin to compare the ladies with his wife. This is a woman who will be there for you and has been there for you. If push comes to shove, she is the only one that will stand. These social media girls will collect money and leave. They have a lot of people they collect from.
Some men are so distracted and a lot of women are quite aggrieved. Women in my own generation and that of my mother’s took a lot, they endured a lot. We can’t tell our daughters to take certain things and it still boils down to social media. The young ladies nowadays are more aware of their rights so they will not take certain things. The day that people start respecting one another, things will change.
My husband will not deliberately hurt me. He respects me, we respect each other. No matter how crazy in love you are, it will not last for 50 years because of the challenges of life but the respect you have as friends will keep you going. There are no respects in marriages again. Then, you have to pray, it is important to pray, pray together. Let your children know the importance of prayer. There are a lot of things we have forgotten, people are no more humane, no empathy again.
