Kehinde Oladeji is a spoken-word poet, a women advocate, a professional dressmaker and the founder of Slitz Fashion Academy. A 2016 YALI RLC fellow and a 2018 Mandela Washington fellow, community outreach and woman empowerment are a major drive for her. In this interview by KINGSLEY ALUMONA, she speaks about how she happened to study Russian language, her love for fashion, the need for continuous learning and why she considers herself as a sapiosexual.
Briefly tell us about yourself.
I’m studied Russian language at the University of Ibadan. With over eight years of experience in the fashion design sector, I run a fashion school, Slitz Fashion Academy—a safe space for young women who are fashion enthusiasts—where I teach professional dressmaking. Over the past four years, I’ve taught over forty young women in my school. Community outreach and woman empowerment are a major drive for me, and the impact I make at my school has earned me a 2016 YALI RLC fellowship and a 2018 Mandela Washington fellowship.
Was it your conscious decision to study Russian language? And in the course of studying Russian language, did you visit Russia?
Studying Russian language was not a conscious decision. The course chose me first before I eventually chose it. If I didn’t study Russian, I would have loved to study Communication and Language Arts, and maybe pursued a career in media.
I spent a year in Russia doing my exchange program. I studied in Ivanovo State University (ИВГУ) for a year. It was a great experience because I had the opportunity to meet people from all around the world—Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, etc. I got to learn their differences and appreciate the diversity of the world.
How would you generally describe the challenges of securing a job as a foreign language graduate in Nigeria?
The challenges are much similar to what is obtainable in Nigeria. However, students of French seem to have greater chances of getting jobs because of the proximity of French-speaking countries and also because French is taught in many secondary schools in Nigeria. Russian language speakers often don’t have it as easy as French speakers because Russian is not taught in schools and not many organisations are in need of Russian translators.
After graduation, did you struggle with job or employment?
Before getting admitted into the university, I already learnt free-hand tailoring for almost two years and further went to a fashion school. So while I was studying I was also perfecting my skills as a designer. Upon graduation, I fully went into clothe making. However, some of my course colleagues are currently working part-time as translators while holding other jobs that aren’t Russian related.
You are the CEO of Slitz Fashion Academy. What inspired you to found the academy?
In 2016 I was selected as a YALI RLC fellow, and one of the requirements upon completion of my programme was to engage in either a community service or an internship. I chose a community service and organised a three-week free fashion design training for fifteen women. After the training, more than half of them indicated interest in continuing with the programme. This gave birth to Slitz Fashion Academy. The students from the free programme became the first set of paid students in the school. We’ve been running for four years now.
Do you have any fashion/design certification?
Yes. I’m a certified pattern maker and fashion design instructor. Getting a certification in business and entrepreneurship has helped hone my skills as a business woman. So, when I think about making impact through women empowerment, I also have been better equipped on how to think about maximizing profit while doing so.
These days, almost every woman is going into fashion design or business. What makes your products and services unique?
For the past one year, I’ve been focusing more on training. So, I’ll be talking about the fashion school. What makes our school exceptional is how we’ve been able to combine learning, empowerment and comfort together such that our students see the school as a home where they feel acknowledged, respected and powerful. This helps to build their confidence which in turn translates to excellence in their chosen field of fashion.
As a spoken word poet, in what ways do life and art influence your design? And what type of fashion/design do you specialise in?
I look at life experiences—joy, wins, laughter, love, growth, disappointments, unity and put them back into design, telling a unique story with every single piece of clothing.
My main focus is modest fashion which is for every woman who would like to achieve class within the context of modesty. I work with ready-to-wear and bespoke designs depending on what’s trending and what the client demands for.
You recently, in partnership with Zero to One Foundation, hosted a virtual session titled ‘Continuous learning as a journey to professional development’. Could you briefly give us the major highlights of the session?
I talked about the interrelationship between learning and growth. The moment we stop learning, we stop growing and ultimately die. I talked about the steps to setting a professional development plan, starting from self-analysis to goal setting to research to decision making… execution, revision and tracking. I rounded off by mentioning how being intellectually curious would bring a lot of growth. I also narrated personal stories of how self and professional development resulted in phenomenal achievements in my life journey and how I won’t be stopping anytime soon.
You are into women advocacy too. In what ways do you advocate for women, and which platform(s) do you explore for this advocacy?
I’m an advocate of women empowerment through fashion design. I strongly believe that every woman should be financially independent. Being a teacher of fashion design gives me a platform to not only teach, but also to mentor young women. I help to guide them in making major career decisions. My experience in business and entrepreneurship also comes in handy when my students need business counsel.
You are quoted to have said that you ‘look forward to seeing a world where every youth is actively engaged in productive and profitable activities’. Currently, in Nigeria where the economy is bleak and unemployment is high, do you think this your vision is realistic?
Not only is this vision realistic, it’s gradually becoming our reality. Nigerian youths are slowly coming to terms with the economic situation of the country. The expectation from the government has dropped drastically and youths are actively striving against all odds by learning skills, updating their educational qualifications to give them an unprecedented edge in whatever craft or job they eventually find themselves in. In less than a decade, it’ll be difficult to find a Nigerian youth who is not skilled in one craft or the other.
What does being a 2016 YALI RLC fellow and a 2018 Mandela Washington fellow me to you? And where do you see yourself five years from now?
Being a YALI fellow and a Mandela Washington fellow has helped raise the bars for me on what excellence really is. Now I strive to always engage in personal and professional development so that I can maximize the impact that I make in my community and also be ready for whatever opportunities life throws at me. I constantly remind myself of the responsibility on my shoulders as a Nigerian woman and also as a fellow to always live up to standard.
A consequence of being a Mandela Washington fellow is that I had the opportunity to study business and entrepreneurship at the University of Austin, Texas, USA. Every day, I’m actively engaged in teaching, mentoring and empowering young women.
In 5 years’ time, I want to have empowered 250 more young women in the art of professional dressmaking through my school.
Why do you regard yourself as a sapiosexual. And, what three qualities do you look out for in a man you are interested in?
Sapiosexual means being highly attracted to intelligent people. I always look out for people who can hold stimulating conversations, giving real-life anecdotes. The ability to meet people who challenge you intellectually cannot be over emphasized.
Three qualities I look out for in a man are: kindness, honesty and discipline. Kindness comes first because, in our world today, empathy is becoming a lost emotion, yet it’s very important in building any relationship.
What advice do you have for young people, especially the female ones, who are aspiring to be like you?
Be consistent—consistent in improving your skills, consistent in believing in yourself, consistent in applying for opportunities, etc. I would like every youth to remember that success is a process and hardly ever comes in an instant. Celebrate the small wins and anticipate the bigger ones.
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