Janet Busayo Akinyanju, a Nigerian who is currently based in the United Kingdom in pursuit of a second Masters degree in Project Management, is a seasoned fashion designer is the owner of the brand; Buskin World Designs despite having a first degree in animal nutrition. In this interview with OYEYEMI OKUNLADE, she speaks on her experience, having streams of income and prevalence of nudity in cloth designs among other issues.
You trained as a fashion designer while serving, was this due to pressure to fend for yourself?
Not at all; my training process was cumbersome and difficult as I learnt from more than one place. Knowing I could do better with training others in a shorter time, I decided to use the service year as a testing ground for my passion as I had a lot of free time and willing corps members to experiment with.
Why did you train from different places?
The first person I learnt from focused mainly on wedding attires and female garments. I had to get more training from other people who were professionals in suit making and at another time someone who made men clothing. Being a student gave me opportunity to spend time with them as it was during the holidays and I had all the time to myself. In fact, there are several occasions I passed the night at my boss’s house to complete jobs.
Why do you think nudity has become top of the fashion trend?
Nudity has become fashion trends as a lot of people tend to focus on wrong things and so-called people of influence continually celebrate nudity. The upcoming generation feels nudity helps to gain influence and so they continue the trend. I believe the private parts of our bodies should be kept private.
Holidays are for leisure, what prompted you to learn the vocation during vacations?
For some personal reasons then, I did not like going home for holidays. I lived in a self-contained apartment which was very comfortable, making it easy to stay back in school. I had been disappointed by tailors severally and decided to take up the challenge of learning fashion designing to occupy myself and also give a reason to stay behind in school.
Despite your degree, you are passionate about fashion, what fuels this?
I sincerely enjoy doing it and love the fact I can make stylish and trendy garments that do not reveal private body parts. For me, I was surrounded by people who lacked integrity and did not deliver on time. This is what I meant by disappointments earlier on and was what drove me to learn. Having learnt, I discovered I could plan jobs properly to deliver on time and I possessed the ability to train people in shorter periods to achieve professional standard regardless of age or educational background.
What value do you wish to add to the fashion world?
As a devoted Christian, I believe clothes are meant to cover nakedness first before anything else. This drives our focus to make garments that are comfortable and presentable to the entire world while still being fashionable and trendy.
Would you say it is easy to be a female entrepreneur?
I am from a family with three siblings made up of all girls. My father always had this belief which stuck in my head that what a man can achieve, a woman can do also. This has helped me to find my own place as a female entrepreneur. I understand the challenges of raising a family and also managing a business, though it is not easy; it is definitely achievable. I had always wanted to have time for my family and owning businesses that affords me the flexibility of being a woman but not a liability.
What are your thoughts on women having streams of income?
A woman is a home builder so women should not wait to be spoon-fed all the time. We should be able to embrace and explore different legitimate ideas that can help us improve the income of the home. We are naturally created to be resilient, so we have the ability of multi-tasking. I believe in using this God-given ability to increase our streams of income rather than wasting precious time chatting irrelevancies on social media.
Can women be good leaders?
Yes, I believe strongly that we are and can be good leaders. Women are influencers, and have this gentle way of encouraging people to get things done. We are home influencers as children learn first from their mother before any other person. We are naturally resilient as I said earlier, so let us fulfill our purpose by birthing the next generation into having the right ideas.
What fashion statement makes your work unique?
One of the fashion statements I have been able to make is addition of accessories to make the clothes stand out from others. Being able to add accessories and make unique garments for every member of the family is also an addition.
How can other designers stop the habit of disappointing customers?
Planning is key along with the fact that you do not take up jobs that you cannot deliver.Another thing is to do away with procrastination, as many keeps on postponing to commence jobs until very late or almost late to deliver. I have the understanding that for any business to thrive, the customer is king. My tailors did not give me satisfaction and this was why I was adamant on changing that narrative in my own business and the fashion world at large. I improved upon several methods I got from different training platforms to come up with my own style. This helps me deliver quality at good time. Hence, our slogan “Always there to make your dream a reality.”
Who are your target customers?
I started out making clothes for myself. I focused on female garments initially, then I added children clothing along the line and presently, I have added male clothing as well. Presently, we make clothes for both male and female adults and children likewise.
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