Soares Anthony, Founder, and CEO of the fashion house that goes by the same name is one of the most sought-after fashion brands in Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos.

By Ololade Bamigbola

You’ve made quite an impression in the Nigerian fashion industry and even globally. How has the journey been?

I started designing at a very young age. I would sketch designs and keep them. While growing up, my parents saw me in the science line. So, I dropped designing and focused on sciences. While in the higher institution studying civil engineering, the universe had a way of bringing me back to my first love through modeling. As a model, you get to wear beautiful clothes and attend a lot of events. So, on this particular day, I was meant to attend an event and I went shopping to get an outfit but couldn’t find what I loved. I had to create a design by myself that I wore to the event.

After the event, I found myself on the covers of various magazines and even made the top 20 most fashionable men that year. From then on, people started placing orders and it continued till after my NYSC (National Youth Service Corp). I decided to stay focused on my passion.

Despite the ups and downs in the industry, how have you managed to stay true to your passion?

Consistency is key! No matter the ups and downs, we always stay focused and always create new designs. This has kept us afloat in business. Regardless of the issues, we are faced with, we keep pushing hard. Even during the COVID-19 lockdown, we still had orders, because we were creating and posting.

You are renowned for adding intricate details to your designs and creating eye-catching pieces, with your pieces being sold in the United Kingdom, the United States, and France. What inspires you into making these unique clothes?

I get my inspiration from nature, art, and travel. Most times, I always love to be on my own in a quiet place while creating new designs. I surround myself with nature and that’s how inspirations come.

Your focus has almost exclusively been on male fashion. Why the special interest in men’s wear?

Soares Anthony brand is nine years presently, although I initially started off with both male and female wears. But I felt it was better to focus on one and be the best at it. And look where we are!

However, maybe in the future, we might consider expanding to Soares Anthony Women. But for now, it’s a purely male outfit.

Building a brand involves a lot of things. How did you transit your business from where you were in the beginning to where you are today?

Basically, it’s all about consistency and your passion for your work. Over the years, people have seen that we are consistent and we have evolved. Therefore, we get a lot of referrals from within and outside the country, which has brought us to where we are today.

How do you ensure that your wears are up to date? Who defines what should trend?

As a designer, you have your own niche and your own clientele. I believe every designer creates his or her own trend through their collections for their clientele.

Which of the factors you earlier mentioned is lacking in this generation of up-and-coming designers/entrepreneurs?

The factor lacking is patience. Most entrepreneurs want to start and grow immediately. But being passionate about the craft is key to starting anything, even in business, and in the fashion world too. Once the passion is there, you will always thrive.

Besides fashion designing, what other activities are you passionate about?

I love sports. I go jogging every morning.

From your experience, what has been the global perception of Nigerian designs?

Everyone now loves to wear African designs. Our designs are loved globally, and the brand gets orders from all over the world, even from non-English speaking countries.

What skills are important for a successful career in fashion design?

Creativity. The ability to be versatile and create pieces that are eye-catching.

• Ololade Bamigbola is a PR practitioner advising multinational brands, a writer, and an avid follower of Nigerian fashion and arts. She is based in Lagos. The article was originally published by Four Points Communications in NCDMB’s Local Content Digest magazine.

Ayodele Johnson

Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.