People always mistook me for ‘Yahoo boy’ —IRASA boss, Alayande

When did you decide to go into business?

Spending some months in London opened my eyes to the reality that I could not depend on a white-collar job, it didn’t suit my lifestyle. I returned to Nigeria but my father wanted me to be a banker. I started out little with a multi-level business then, Forever Living products. That served as a springboard to devote myself fully to business and God has been faithful.

Why fashion business given that there would have been some other businesses at that time?

Actually, I am mainly into fabrics business and I have few popular branches in Nigerian textile market; Kano, Lagos and Ibadan. At a point, I thought of doing something diversifying but still around my already booming fabric business. I had a discussion with like I always thought of diversifying, so I want to do something around my major business which is fabrics and ankara print. My Chinese partner and I had a discussion one day on how to build a brand towards our discussion in Nigeria. Eventually, we started in the first quarter of 2018.

So, when did Irasa start?

My Chinese partner came up with the idea. I was in China, and we made a business trip to Hong Kong. That was how he raised it whether we could build a clothing brand around my impressionable fashion lifestyle. That was why we started planning and we had been on it since 2016 and we are able to come up with a direction in 2018. As is expected in a start-up, we made a lot of mistakes at the beginning.  We are getting to the point we envisioned but we still have a lot of work to do. We will be opening IRASA in Ikeja Mall today and it will be a massive one.

What were the challenges you faced then when you started?

There were a lot of challenges but I didn’t let them stop me because I knew where I was heading. I am a fashion lover. As a Nigerian, I always want to give back to the society by embark on projects that will bring out skills, talents in people. Initially, it was very difficult for us to understand the actual need of the market and it is commonly said that every new business in its first three to five years is at the learning stage. So, it was very difficult for us to understand the sizing, what would fit whom and how to put it together with an infusion of Ankara but with time we were able to get an actual direction for ourselves. Another major challenge was copyright. We would come up with something but there was no way one could hide it because you wanted the whole world to see what you were making. The implication was that a similar trend would have emanated from nowhere and become common. At the end of the day, I realized we couldn’t avoid such situation. Instead, we look for ways to be above our game all the time.

Many people are used to buying fabrics at the market then taking it to a tailor for sewing. How did you come up with ready to wear?

On a lighter note, Nigerians believe that two sets of people who won’t make heaven – mechanics and tailors. You will tell a tailor, do this thing for me, this is the style I want, by the time they finish sewing, an entirely different style contrary to one’s taste is produced. Sometimes, they don’t even do anything. So, we tried to find a solution to that problem. A woman came to my Lagos store one day. She had a naming dedication coming up that day but she didn’t have anything to wear. The fact that she came to the mall to get something and she saw a store that could give her exactly what she wanted in that short period of time made her happy. Our mission is geared towards that human problem of collapsing having to go the market and seeking out a tailor thereafter. It is possible for one to have an occasion in less than 24 hours and still find something to wear without worrying about tailor’s disappointment nor market stress.

What is unique about your style of business?

One uniqueness is that our stores are filled with internationally made products. People wonder how we have the kind of finishing in a Nigerian store. You wouldn’t know if you are looking at an ankara print or a foreign print. Our goal is to be able to stand side by side with international brands and in terms of finishing styles, we have been able to meet up with that. People can testify to it.

With these, are you a fashion designer or a businessman?

Apart from fabrics business, I have other businesses I do but I am popular for my textile business. I am an entrepreneur.

Has your brand been showcased at fashion shows?

Yes, we have attended some fashion shows and we are looking out staging our own fashion show at the end of the year.

Looking back on your career decisions, do you have any regret?

In my career, I don’t have any regret. The only regret I have is that I wish I had more education. Business-wise, I am doing very well, for a young guy who has been in business for over ten years. It has not been a bed of roses but to the glory of God, we are doing well. People often wondered why I ended up in women business particularly because of my office in Gbagi. Although, I don’t do my business like the market women do because I don’t have a shop there. I am a distributor and I make goods for wholesalers. Because of the way I run my business and apparent success, people mistook me for a ‘yahoo boy’. I faced that allegation a lot. I also encountered some people who wished to take advantage of me as I didn’t know who was who.

What took you to Gbagi, had anyone in your family opened shop there?

I became familiar with Gbagi when I was into Forever Living Products (FLP). Due to my passionate marketing attitude,I became a manager in two months. It was one of the places I patronised to get customers. Others wanted to go to offices and banks but I knew that my customers were at markets. So, I would go to a market, organize seminars, go to mosques on Fridays and speak with the imam about my products and how people can benefit. I was still selling FLP when I met a guy who introduced me to the textile business. I had a China acquaintance at that time. I spoke with the lady and she was willing to help. with the resources I had then, I started the business.  The guy that introduced me to the business was shady as he kept telling me there was no money, that customers were owing when in truth he had collected the money. I lost about N5 million that period but that never deterred me.

Advice for fashion entrepreneurs who are just starting out

Foremost, have someone you can pattern after.  I didn’t have anybody growing up to put me through. It was tough for me, as I was raised by a single mother and then my grandma. Having someone to model makes the journey easier. The mistake young people make these days is that they trust books more than the reality. Look for someone you can learn from in the line of what you wish to do.