In recent years, Nigeria’s fashion industry has undergone a major evolutionary phase, thanks to the content creators redefining style for a new generation. Among these trailblazers is Nonye Udeogu, also known as “This Thing Called Fashion.” With her infectious energy and creativity, Nonye’s work has captivated a large audience, making her a unique voice in the Nigerian world of fashion.
In this week’s #MCNWorkLife, we’re excited to spotlight Nonye. She’s not just a fashion influencer; she’s also an Economics graduate who has successfully turned her passion for style into a thriving brand.With over 200,000 followers on Instagram, 120,000 on TikTok, and 200,000 views on YouTube (ThisthingcalledFashion TV), she’s built a community that values authenticity and creativity. She shared her journey, her take on the fashion and content creation business in Nigeria, and how she stays ahead of the curve with her ever-evolving style trends.
If you were someone else, who would you say Nonye Udeogu is?
They’d say that Nonye is a creative genius, a content creator, fashion influencer, and an entrepreneur.
What was your childhood dream job and how did it translate to your current role?
Honestly, it’s hard for me to remember my childhood dream job. I knew I wanted to be a dentist at some point because I wanted to make cool braces. However, it didn’t translate to my current job because I ended up studying Economics at Babcock University.
Wow. So, how did you end up becoming a content creator?
I have always known that I love fashion. I had plans after university to travel to Paris and get another degree in fashion, start a fashion line, and then transition into my own fragrance and perfume line, etc. But life had other plans for me because that’s not what happened when I graduated in 2015
After I did my NYSC at PwC, I knew I didn’t want a regular nine-to-five job. I looked for jobs within the fashion industry and then started working for a brand that handled photoshoots and product sales in fashion. That’s how I got into the business of fashion. My role as a marketing associate at StyleMeAfrica evolved because it naturally came to me. I didn’t seek it out. At the time (2016/2017), content creation was also quite new in Nigeria, and it was just a matter of me continuing to do the work until it evolved into what I am doing now. I have been doing this for five-plus years.
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Please walk us through your content creation journey in detail
So, like I said, I wanted to work in fashion, but I didn’t want a regular nine-to-five job. I talked to people, and a friend got me a job with StyleMeAfrica. I learned on the job while there, and then I yearned to do my own thing.
I started with having a website at the time called thisthingcalledfashion.
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What inspired the name “This Thing Called Fashion?”
When I was starting my brand, I did some research, and it said that one of the ways you can come up with a name is to look for a catchphrase. A catchphrase is something that you see altogether, and it makes sense. And I said, “ I want to do fashion. Why don’t I call myself, ‘This thing called fashion?’” It clicked right away.
What were the goals and values you set for yourself as a brand to abide by?
I feel like every human being has the values they’ve grown up with and the values that make them who they are. For me, it is quality. I have a high taste for quality, which translates into everything around me. The things I am naturally drawn to are of high quality, and it just makes sense that it’s one of my major brand values. Even if the fashion brand collaborating is just starting out, there must be high-quality taste around their pieces.
Another value that is important to me is creativity. My videos are creative and fun because that’s who I am. Whenever I want to create anything, I always have in mind that I want this video to be creative and fun.
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A third value for me would be professionalism, and a fourth would be community. I love brands that seek out the best interests of their consumers at heart. I also need to see a level of serious-mindedness because I am also serious-minded. Those are just a few of the qualities I stand by and what I also love about the brands I work with.
How have you been able to monetise your brand while still adhering to your brand values?
Monetisation is very tricky, especially in Nigeria. I believe your environment plays a huge role in monetisation [as a content creator]. Outside the country, more opportunities exist to monetize your craft as a content creator or influencer. Most of the time, influencers can link the outfits they wear in their videos directly to their Amazon accounts via their influencer programs, allowing them to earn commissions immediately. In Nigeria, however, I try my best to diversify my income and have different ways of making money.
For example, aside from the usual sponsored posts by brands and being featured on campaigns, affiliate marketing is another avenue to make money. I like collaborating with Nigerian brands, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be fashion. The first one I did was with a hair brand where we created styles together, and my cut was a percentage of the sales they made per bundle (or piece).
I also similarly collaborate with fashion brands. In this process, I help develop products for a collection and receive a percentage of the sales. This arrangement is beneficial because my image is associated with the products, and I actively promote them to drive sales.
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Also, because I’ve grown my knowledge of fashion content creation, I have written e-book tutorials and have hosted classes where students from across the world registered for a fee. You can create a business around your content creation by training other people who can go out and do the preliminary work of getting the content for you. For instance, most people these days love doing mobile videography for their wedding reels on Instagram. You can offer your services and then have the people you have trained go out there and create the content. That way, as you’re getting paid, you have people on your payroll. You just have to brainstorm and think outside of the box.
In terms of technology, how have you managed to stay ahead of the curve as a fashion content creator?
How we shared videos then isn’t the same way we share videos now. Then, we could share videos in a square format, so they can be easy, light, and random, which is quite different now that videos are in portrait format. They have evolved with the advent of different editing apps.
There’s also a change in the type of videos people like to watch. Before, people could watch longer videos where you’d sit down and talk. Then, after the 2020 lockdown, people started enjoying shorter videos like Get Ready With Me (GRWMs) and transitions. People are even getting bored of the GRWM content style now and are now fully hooked on transitions. You must keep paying attention to trends and sign up for industry news.
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However, one thing I like to tell people is that they should find what works for them and own it, as there are cases where you will be a breath of fresh air because you stand out. You don’t always need to follow trends religiously. A more brilliant way to go about it would be to find a way to infuse trends into what you already do.
Let’s talk about staying ahead of the curve for fashion. How would you say fashion has evolved over the years since you started?
Like I’d always say, I am a fashion girl and enjoy fashion. I love seeing it change. Fashion has constantly grown and evolved since the beginning of time. If you are observant, you will notice that we often wear clothes that were trending at a particular era in history, but in a more modern or different way.
I am enjoying this year’s fashion looks; they are more comfortable and kind of laid back but also very chic and classy at the same time. I can’t remember what was trending back then when I first started, but I believe in staying true to my style (which is being classy) regardless of the trends. Even my definition of classy changes every year, to be fair. Human beings also evolve, and as you change, your style is also allowed to.
To stay ahead of the fashion curve, I make sure that I only consume the sort of content I want to see. This includes the type of people I follow, my environment, people around me, etc. My hobby is online shopping, and I don’t necessarily have to check out, but it helps me see what pieces are trending, how people are styling them, etc. That way, I will always be in the know. I am also the type of person who gets bored easily, so I am always looking for new ways to do things.
If I’m creating content in a particular way, I’m always thinking of new ways to share the same story but in a different way. Then, I experiment. If people like it, I stick with it. If they don’t, I try something different again.
Speaking of style evolutions, you are known to have various ways of dressing and styling. Which look(s) would you say is your favourite?
Hmm. So, I would say that I always aim to look stylish and classy no matter what story/feeling I try to tell with my outfit. I have to feel good in that outfit before I leave the house.
How do you balance creativity with business acumen when it comes to making decisions and business deals?
I am signed under a management company. It helps a lot because these people already know the industry’s inner workings. These agencies typically have specific budgets, and they can always bargain. If I’m to collaborate with a brand, insider information about the brand goes a long way when it comes to bargaining because you don’t want to short-change yourself and you also don’t want to hyper-overcharge at the same time, so having a management agency just helps to balance things out.
But apart from having management, I know what I want for myself. So even when brands reach out to management for my services, they come to ask me if I would like to work with the brand. It is a win-win as long as they align with my brand values and the deliverables make sense.
Some people don’t have management but do well for themselves because they are good at networking. Another way to balance out creativity and business acumen is to consider being more open in conversations with your peers at events and engaging with those outside your immediate circle, including representatives from agencies. This openness can help you gather valuable information and insights from diverse people.
That’s the only way you can make informed decisions regarding the business side of things. If business is not your strong suit, try to find someone who can help. It might not be easy, but you have to find someone who has your best interest at heart so that they don’t rip you off.
What were your motivations for your fashion retail line, “What Nay Likes?”
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It started out as a pet project, which is why it is called “what Nay likes.” When I come across a brand or outfit I like, I just reach out to the brand and stock some pieces because people tend to want the things I curate. These are just Nigerian/African brands that I see and like. Also, not everyone likes shopping, so I have found it easier to curate looks for people to make their purchasing decisions easier for them.
It came from a place where I curate things I like so that people can easily shop and wear them together.
Awesome! What would you say are the pros and cons of fashion retailing?
So, let me start with the cons. You do not have control over production. There are times when I want to sell more pieces, but the brand doesn’t have a lot of production capacity yet. Sometimes, I can’t get the standard of quality that I want, which would mean discontinuing the design sale, not because it does not look nice, but because the standard isn’t up to par yet.
The pros are that I don’t have to worry about production, only about selling the products. I just promote them, and then I can easily make my money or percentage. I do not have to think about the creative process of the designs or what style I want to create.
What would you say are the pros and cons of being a fashion content creator?
So the con, as always, is location. The struggles in a developed country differ from those in a developing country. In Nigeria, finding shooting locations can be a bit hectic because everybody has a claim somewhere. If you want to shoot outside, people meet you to pay them. If you want to shoot in a restaurant, it might either be banned or you have to pay again.
It can be very limiting because many people’s intellect or thought processes are backward, compared to outside the country. The lack of basic amenities like constant electricity is another con too.
But the pros are really good. Because content creation is purely online, you can reach many people in many different places. It is easy for you to go international with social media and interact with people you’d never met. To be honest, the pros outweigh the cons for me.
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What are your achievements as a fashion content creator?
My growth is an achievement. What I was earning when I started is not what I’m earning right now. Being able to diversify my income outside of pure content creation is also another achievement. I was nominated for and won different awards, worked with brands that I have always wanted to work with, was invited for interviews and panel discussions, and was able to get into rooms that I never thought were possible. These are my major achievements.
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Who would you say has inspired you in your fashion journey?
Fisayo Longe was one person who inspired me when I started because even though she’s Nigerian, she was also making her designs for an international audience, and it inspired me. She inspires me because she has her own fashion brand, which is a dream I still have.
Another person who inspires me is Rihanna because you can’t tie her down to just one style bracket. All you know is that she will look stylish in whatever she wears. And that’s who I am as well. It doesn’t matter whether I want to look like a tomboy today or a girly girl tomorrow— I will show up looking good.
What advice would you give young fashion content creators or enthusiasts looking to make their mark in the industry?
I will tell them that the earlier you start, the better so they can learn faster. If you want to start something, just start. Don’t overthink it. Don’t dwell on your mistakes. If you make a mistake, learn from it and keep moving forward.
Always be open to growth. Level up on your skills. While watching your content, you don’t want people to feel that you’re always doing the same thing. I remember my pastor saying something about how people stand out by just doing ordinary things in an extraordinary way, and that’s something you should always think about too.
As a Christian, I believe God wants us to strive to do everything well. Always put your best foot forward because you never know who is watching or looking at what you’re doing. If you’re doing something and you’re not satisfied with it, do it again until you’re satisfied.
Where do you see This Thing Called Fashion in the next two to five years?
I plan to work with more international brands and have my fashion brand as well. “This Thing Called Fashion” will be more global and a household name.
What are 2-3 work-life tips that you absolutely swear by?
I usually tell people that nothing is as serious as it seems because if you’re not there to do the job, they will find someone else to do it anyway.
So, I believe in setting boundaries regarding when I start and finish work. If you know that after 6 PM, you don’t want to answer work calls, then don’t answer work calls. You can always message them later to apologize and explain that you don’t work within those hours. That’s how I have hacked it. Setting boundaries is the best way to establish a work-life balance.
