I Have Not Dumped Law For Fashion – Mariam Afolabi

Mariam Afolabi is a fast rising young fashion designer who owns the popular, Mademoiselle Aglaia located inside Lekki Phase 1. Industrious and dynamic, the law trained fashion and style enthusiast whose father is shipping tycoon, Taiwo Afolabi, opens up in this interview about her growing love for all things fashion, beauty and style

What motivated you to go into the fashion business?
I have been a lover of art since I was really young. I have always liked working with fabrics as I see it as a way to express myself and my artistic inclination.

You recently launched your fashion arcade, an all encompassing outfit. What are some of the services you offer?
A lot. Manicure, pedicure, hair, there is a gifts shop, a Spa, a barbing salon, a boutique etc. It is a one stop fashion and style arena.

How long has this been in the making?
I started small in 2010 because I was still in school. After school, I moved back home to focus fully on this which necessitated me to establish a bigger place.

What prompted you to want to have everything in one place?
Well, first and foremost, I am not the only one managing this entire establishment, Everything here is attached to my whole family. I came to the table with the idea of my fashion house and everyone felt we should get a place where everybody can have their own idea implemented; my sister, brother, mum and dad, we all came together to do this so it’s not just me, it’s all of us.

So can we call it a family business?
You can call it anything you want so long as the people coming in are happy, then I am okay.

What are some of the challenges you have faced as a fashion designer?
To be honest I think everyone has their personal challenges but to me I think it’s just making sure people who come in here get what they want. You can have idea of what you want and nobody may like it. So, it’s about knowing what your customer wants. It’s not easy to know what people want to wear especially when you have not been based in Nigeria. So now, I have to try and get my acts together to make sure I am in tune with what people want.

Do you have people you look up to in the fashion business?
I look up to a lot of people who are doing really good and are making Nigeria proud like Tiffany Amber.

Considering the location of your business, one would assume you don’t come cheap
Everything here is very affordable, we are not trying to rip anybody off. In fact the natives I make are sold from 20,000 naira upwards and I have heard of people charging higher than that.

You make both male and female dresses. Aren’t you afraid of competition?
I don’t feel threatened. In every market especially fashion business, it cannot be monopolized. It is a business whereby if you have an idea you can run with it and make a difference. Today, I may get tired of always going to one person and decide to move on to another. Nobody wears the same designer all the time. If you look into your wardrobe, you have apparels from different designers.

Have you dumped your law degree for a career in fashion?
No. I am actually a student at the Nigerian law school. Fashion is just my side hustle while law is my main passion.

Did your father influence your decision to read law, being a lawyer himself?
No! I have always known that I would end up being lawyer, growing up. I have a passion for law. I think it is because I argue a lot about political, social, religious etc. I am like a human right lawyer activist.

How do you manage customers who tend not to share the same idea with you?
Well like they always say, the customer knows best. You have to let them shine and you have to make the customer happy no matter what but in fashion you have to let your customer know if something is not really looking good on them, you have to be honest because at the end of the day, it is your reputation and your brand at stake. I try to guide my customer to make sure we meet ourselves in the middle.

How fashionable are you?
I prefer to dress and style people than to style myself. I am very simple fashion wise. I used to like mostly dark colours but now I am embracing bright colours.

How were you able to convince your parents that you really have the passion for fashion?
It wasn’t easy. I made sure, I got good grades in school and then I worked hard for the fashion part too. When they realised I was burning the candle from both ends, it became easier for them to see the passion. I also had to pray about it and just show them I was going to work harder in everything and try and be responsible and make them proud.

On a lighter note, how much was your first pay cheque in business?
Honestly I don’t know that part because my mother handles a lot of the financial aspect. I try to stay away from the money because what I do is because of the love I have for it and not the money. I don’t want it to look like I am making too much and it is making me to feel too pompous. I am more concerned with how to make money by the price tag I place on my finished products and not how much I am making for my pocket.

You’re a beautiful young lady with friends who will love to hang with you. How do you manage your friends without it affecting your business?
I don’t have too many friends but when it comes to fun, weekends is time for fun. From Monday to Friday, everyone has to work and when it is Saturday and Sunday, I can make myself available. Besides, my friends are busy people too. We are all trying to work towards achieving our goals. So, I don’t have friends who just want to party all day or hang out all day.

What do you do in your spare time?
I hang out with my friends and play my guitar.

You play the guitar?
Yes.

Are we expecting you to branch out into music soon?
No,

Where is your favourite vacation spot?
To be honest, I have been schooling and working, so I haven’t really gone on real vacation. But if I want to take a vacation now, I think I would like to go to Seychelles hells or the Bahamas.

What is your favourite perfume?
Hanako, a fusion of Arabic and French fragrance. It has a very peculiar smell. We have different Arabic oil that we mix here as well to get our own signature scent.

What advice would you give to anyone coming into the fashion business for the first time?
Know who your customers are. You can’t just open a new business and think you’re going to be successful. You must consider the risks involved and how to manage them. They should be creative and should continue to put out good materials. They shouldn’t give up, they should keep pushing the boundaries and remain prayerful.