Women are hard to please when it comes to fashion —Doyinsola Akande, CEO, House of Doyin

Doyinsola Akande is the founder and creative director of House of Doyin, an Ibadan-based fashion brand that has earned plaudits on the social media for its high customer satisfaction rate. The Obafemi Awolowo University graduate, in this interview by ADEOLA OTEMADE, sheds light on the challenges of working with females and her plans to empower women. Excerpts:

You have a degree in English Language but you’re now a fast-rising fashion designer, which is a far cry from what you studied. What inspired this career path and how did it start?

My fashion career did not start after my university education. I actually started after I finished secondary school. My initial choice was hairdressing but my dad urged me to consider tailoring. From there, I started learning then I picked it up after I finished my degree and during NYSC. Particularly, I love sewing and I enjoying dressing people up. It started as fun for me because fashion is something I enjoy and at the same time, it brings in money. I went full time into fashion after I completed NYSC in 2017. I had a gig from a cousin. Someone in the UK needed Ankara dresses to sell over there. The cousin needed tailors to sew the clothes and would then sell to the UK person who would brand the clothes. I made over 50 pieces and got paid. So, it occurred to me that I could start this fashion business thing and face it squarely. I started by sewing for myself and friends but I really didn’t get customers. I was advised to sew ready-made clothes and advertise them on social media. Even though I ended up giving out most of the ready-made clothes, the strategy eventually brought in customers and it became more or less a roller-coaster from there.

Women are known to be hard to please. As someone who is mainly into female fashion, how have you been satisfying your customers and coping with the seeming insatiability?

Creative works are relative. To you the creator, it may look like you have done the best but the customer says no, then it is no. The first thing I do whenever I get complaints after I finish a job is to ask, what can I do to rectify? Trying to refund customers is not a solution. Many even see it as an insult. Hence, refunding is not really an option. There was a lady I worked with three, four years. She used to change her wardrobe regularly. She called me for a job. She needed a white dress and a vintage cap. I assumed that it fascinator. I sent her samples of the fascinators and the dress. She picked the particular styles she wanted. When I went to the market, I picked the best fabric for the dress. But on delivering the dress, she said it was an inferior fabric that she would never wear that. Then the vintage cap was not a style, that it was a pop of colour. I was dumbfounded. She asked me to drop the dress but she rejected the cap. I almost cried that day because the client was my peer, someone I had worked with for a while. The embarrassment was not from here. I made an attempt to replace the cap and sent it through a dispatch rider. The following day, which was the day of the event for the client, I got a tag on social media from her. I was even thinking that my business was over because with her attitude towards me the previous day, it was sure that there would be an outpour of vituperations. To my utmost surprise, it was the opposite. She mentioned that she was initially critical but her husband was wowed by the dress and on getting to the event, everybody wanted to know the person who made the dress. What she thought was bad eventually brought her admirations. Coming from a client who never tags her designer, I was hugely relieved and gratified. I must have read the post many times.

I have come to learn that in dealing with females, just be patient, no matter what they say. The reality is that it is difficult to please everybody. Some could leave in the process. Some would even block you. Only a very few are appreciative of the job we designers do. And another thing is that once clients pay you, they automatically become your boss and start lording themselves over you.

When a job is good, you are hardly appreciated but once something goes wrong, that’s when they’ll be eager to vent their anger. I have also realised that this business is not a one-style-fits-all. Two persons may have the same height and shape but want different things. Some like extremely tight clothes, some like their clothes to be free. You have to be patient and meticulous to know what each client wants.

In what ways are you looking to expand your brand?

I’m looking to have a walk-in store where any female can get any kind of (ready-made) dress they want for any kind of occasion or body type. House of Doyin aims to be your go-to fashion store for any female fashion needs. Then, I’m looking to have an academy for aspiring fashion designers, which will be a platform to train and empower people. I have been a benefit of empowerment; I also aim to give back to the society by doing the same.

Would you say that you have a niche in female fashion?

For now, I’m still a generalist but then my focus has been on owambe wears and corporates. In the nearest future, I’m looking to specialise in children fashion and ready-to-wear female clothes. I like ready-to-wear because of the freedom to create your styles, to choose your fabrics and be creative with everything you do. Party clothes, otherwise known as aso ebi, are often inhibiting creative-wise because I see it as a copy and paste kind of job. However, aso ebi will always be in vogue because there will always be parties for people to attend.

Have you ever found a corporate career path tempting?

I have never found corporate jobs appealing. I don’t think I can cope with the demands of a corporate career. Entrepreneurship has always been my thing and it’s difficult to see myself doing anything other thing than run a brand.

That means that your degree certificate may never be used?

I’m using it, maybe not just in the way you think. Even though I’m not submitting it for jobs, being an educated fashion person is different from a roadside tailor. The exposure, enlightenment and even the kind of people you call friends and walk up to, these are ways in which I’m putting my degree to use.

Many entrepreneurs have claimed that the pandemic has been a blessing in disguise. Do you share the same notion?

No, I do not share the same notion. Before the pandemic, I had a lot of inter-state customers. Immediately the pandemic hit, that stopped. Also, our business is seasonal. Celebrations and festivities bring money in. I was also hit when events were cancelled. Business was slow and did not even pick up after the lockdown was eased. When I chatted clients up, they remarked that they are still looking for what to eat before they will sort what to wear. But thankfully, business has picked up now. We have all found a way round the pandemic.

What’s your advice to females who are just starting out in the fashion business?

My first advice is patience. Dealing with human beings generally is not easy. They need to persevere too. The first year of a business is always rough. People may not even ask what you’re doing let alone patronise you. Also, have your target market, you can’t sew for everybody. For me, I prefer to work with the youth. They are relatively easier to please than the older ones. With time, the business will pick. It is also important for young entrepreneurs to not be too hard on themselves. Mistakes are bound to happen, negative remarks will come. Most importantly, try to never disappoint your customers. There is a cliché that Nigerian tailors can’t make heaven because they will always disappoint. In a situation where there will be a delay, try and reach out to the client ahead and explain. It is better than giving excuses after missing the deadline.