NIGERIAN FASHION
AK Fashion House
My kinds of fashion oozes elegance, simplicity, comfort and class. I like creating pieces you could dress up or down from casual to occasional depending on how you style them.
M
y kinds of fashion ooze elegance, simplicity, comfort and class. I like creating pieces you could dress up or down from casual to occasional, depending on how you style them. My name is Nafisah Suleiman Uthman. I am originally from Kano state, Kano city. I am a sociologist in the making, and I had my early education within Kano – Abuja – then finally Bayero University, in Kano. 2. (Laughs) the initial AK stand for my three kids initials which each their names starting with A and their surnames with K, Aisha, Abdullahi and Abdulrahman – Kabir. 3. I grew up with a fashion designer as a mum, who's still my mentor. We have our house with two or three interns coming from Lagos and Ilorin to learn from my mum, so naturally, we find ourselves knowing how to use the sewing machine from an early age. I love cutting pieces of fabrics and making unique designs out of them. I have always styled myself, and sometimes, my sisters and cousin. Fashion designing is like breathing to me; it is my way of life. 4. I focused on school for a bit, then I got married, and after my second child, I dived fully into the Business of fashion designing. Still, from a young age, I had always known I can't escape it, my husband knowing this talent in me, pushed me and supported me to follow my dreams. 5. a. First of all, I had so much passion for what I do, so I spare no amount spending so much on quality, I do not compromise quality, and perfection is what I intend to achieve. With the mindset I have, I spent more than what we earn for the first year, and I had to reconcile being a fashion designer and a fashion entrepreneur. 5. b. I was a science student, so I knew little about putting structure into my Business. I had to undergo Business classes, from EDC, SMEDAN, and a few other online from the US and UK and Masterclasses from re-known designers to understands the business aspect better. 6. I love cooking; I am a proudly certified chef. I use to own a diner with one of my closest friends, we still do. Sunday's are only days off, so I use it for cooking for my family personally and some Saturdays for my staffs at the workshop (Lol) it's another talent I like to show off (Lol). 7. Fashion to me is a way of life. It's like breathing, bathing, feeding etc. we can't escape it, and we can't live without it. For every piece of clothing your wear, the design was carefully designed by a team of designers in a room somewhere as "Karl Lagerfeld" said, "fashion designers are the dictator of taste". 8. I have lived by this quote by Bob gill "I have never had a problem with a dumb client. There is no such thing as a bad client. Part of our job is to do good work and get the client to accept it" – Bob gill. In my case, I work better under pressure, and where people see demanding clients, I see challenges that result in me creating a masterpiece. 9. The fashion industry in Nigeria is an ancient one I must say. We have the FADAN, an association for fashion designers and entrepreneurs to prove that. Still, it has evolved in these past few years drastically, people are more fashion-conscious now, and we have put a lot of structures into the industry. We have 5-7 fashions weeks now every year in Lagos, fashion fairs in Abuja, and with every year we give Nigerians something new to look onward. We are currently on the right tracks; Nigerian designers are full of surprises. 56
cometonigeria
Fourth Quarter 2020
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