As the fashion and beauty editor of a brand as popular and important to the lives of so many women of my generation, I feel a unique kinship with everyone who reads Marie Claire Nigeria, and a responsibility to ensure that they are reflected in each article, story or picture editorial we share. It is an honour to serve you all in this position.
As a child, the first thing I remember about fashion was my mum ensuring I looked good. From my hair down to my shoes, she was quite intentional about her baby girl being stylish. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t buying the most expensive things, she made it work and I was always the best dressed.
Growing up with that background inspired my fashion choices over the years. I am drawn to unique, versatile and classic pieces. To me, these are the best foundations to build any stylish outfit on. A question I am familiar with is “Where did you get that?” and even though I used to play it cool with my responses, I realized later on that it was a good thing I discovered my personal style early. I defined earlier on in life that luxury for me, means looking and feeling good, about my body, skin and outfits.
Over the years, I have turned that luxury into a career. With over 11 years in the media industry, I began with an internship at a printing press covering the fashion and style beat. It was exciting and led me to start a fashion blog which I went on to manage for the next 8 years. During that period, I contributed to magazines, covered Fashion Week for media outlets and learned a lot about the business & lifestyle of the Nigerian fashion and beauty industry.
When the “buy Nigerian to grow the naira” trend began years ago, fashion brands had to integrate their culture and business sustainably by venturing more into homegrown products and items. The growth from being big consumers of non-African fashion to our brands getting international acclaim, is one I’m particularly proud of. However, there hasn’t been a lot of spotlight and media recognition for less popular brands off the runway. This is one of the reasons I am excited to, with the help of the team, highlight more female-owned sustainable brands who are driving a change in the industry.
Since then, I have found sustainability to be a drive for my consumption of fashion and beauty. I leaned towards eradicating waste in that aspect by favoring Thrifted pieces, and mastering the art of restyling. This birthed my thrift store (@thriftstoreng) which was one of the very first online thrift stores in Nigeria. It’s been 7 years since the store launched and the values are still the same for both the store and my blog “The Average Nigerian Girl”, which is to inspire everyday girls to be stylish, powerful and confident without breaking the bank.
The favorite thing about my style is that I can pull off any look yet, you will always get a sense of personal style in these looks. From fit and flared maxi dresses to cargo pants to the right tops paired with statement jackets, I love putting together outfits that transcend societal expectations of particular age groups.
My motto is- wear what you want, as long as it makes you comfortable and makes the stares worth it.
At Marie Claire Nigeria, fashion and beauty is every woman’s business. The Marie Claire woman is confident, powerful and stylish amongst others. With us, you will find all the fashion and beauty hacks you need to evolve your looks, relatable stories that will make you feel less alone (because we really do live the same lives) and guides on how best to achieve the look of the woman you aspire to be. I want you to win in every aspect of your life and look amazing while doing so. I am excited to share this journey with you. Stick with us, we’ve got a lot of magic coming.
SCREAMS! YASSS QUEEN