Nigerian fashion designers are set for global domination— Kotila Adefolake

Adefolake Kotila, the creative director at Hfsclothings, formerly known as House of Flakkystitches, has revealed that Nigerian fashion is currently the toast of the diaspora and would be the cynosure of global brands in the nearest future.

Speaking to Friday Treat during the Ankara Runway Festival recently held in Ibadan, the graduate of Biochemistry from Olabisi Onabanjo University spoke on her journey into the fashion industry.

She said, “I got trained in 2009 when my mother advised me to pre-NYSC and fortunately for me, I fell in love with fashion which then was more about cutting and sewing. I kept training myself to be better until I decided to open a fashion business”.

According to her, the journey had not been easy as she faced a lot of challenges which, till date, she keeps surmounting.

“There are many challenges we face everyday as designers. Electricity, availability of raw materials like the fashion fabric and lining, original sewing accessories, connection with good suppliers that come at expensive prices and we don’t have a choice because we are all out for the best for our customers. As for the power, I had to invest in a good generating set. One thing in business is that something has got to give”, she said.

She continued, “To be a leader in the global market is ensuring a total customer satisfaction. Also, I have been able to train quite a number of women who are doing well today in the fashion industry. I have trained a number of women for free in conjunction with Bezelel skill acquisition centre at the Global Harvest church,  Ibadan, Oyo State. I also served as the zonal South-West coordinator of the AFDEC women fashion community called AFDECFamily for two terms whose activities were coordinated within the states”.

Speaking on how Nigerian fashion was poised for global domination, she said, “The fashion industry in Nigeria now is thriving and our designers are doing very well. I would say we are a 9/10. A lot of dresses we see now from Nigerian designers are super amazing. You can see my summer designs on the runway today.  I see Hfsclothings penetrating the global market, consulting and mentoring upcoming designers. That is my next plan. Nigerian fashion will dominate major walkways on world stage soon”.