Interview with Reni Folawiyo

Reni Folawiyo

You cannot visit the city of Lagos state in Nigeria without paying a visit to the Alara store located in the highbrow business heart of Victoria Island, Lagos State. A luxury concept store housing the most intricate and delicate african fashion, art, and furniture, as well as luxury goods from other parts of the world, Alara has quickly become the go-to destination for unique luxury items, as well as a tourist attraction for fashion lovers and visitors to Lagos. It also boasts a contemporary African restaurant - Nok by Alara - which reinvents the basics of African cooking by fusing traditional concepts with modern twists to offer a unique dining experience. At the heart of Alara is the ethos of love; a love of beauty, a love of culture, a love of the unique, a love of the best, and a love of people who want all these qualities in the items they choose to own. The building itself is a work of art, masterfully designed by the world famous David Adjaye, now Sir David Adjaye, as he was recently knighted by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, for his services to architecture. In this issue, Zakaa sits down with founder and CEO of Alara, Mrs. Reni Folawiyo to understand her perception of the Nigerian luxury scene.

Q: What inspired your passion for Luxury?

My love and appreciation for beautiful things and my value for artisanal products and respect for artisanship.

Q: What influenced your decision to venture into luxury retail?

I am surrounded by beautiful products with great history culturally and was always inspired by our own version of Luxury. I felt we needed a platform that challenged us into making traditional luxury objects covetable by ourselves and the rest of the world. Also I looked around and saw that we have great taste and love of Luxury but not many people were investing in retail in a formal way. I am also aware that Luxury Retail is becoming very experiential and that creating our own unique version of luxury retail will be interesting educative and inspiring.

Q: You are also a designer in your own right, designing and producing custom furniture. What inspires your designs?

The exceptional beauty and versatility of Timber and the variety and abundance that we have here. Again the skills of the makers. For me honing those skills to produce simple streamlined and sophisticated designs is rewarding.

Q: How has running a store like Alara impacted on your perception of the Nigerian Luxury Scene?

Oh that's a huge question. That we do have the appetite and the ability to consume luxury but that we have the ingrained habit of buying Luxury in the major fashion cities of the world like Paris, Milan and London. This is changing with pioneers of Luxury and style like Deremi.

Q: How would you say Alara is affecting the idea of African Luxury within Nigeria and beyond?

The Alara concept was founded to expose and elevate our own version of Luxury, sometimes it's a shock for people to see African inspired objects in this context but we are getting there with education and more inspiring products people will be converts.

Q: How do you choose the brands that are represented within the store?

Brands I believe embody the spirit of today’s Africa in terms of aesthetic and culture, luxury and fashion brands that people know, love and aspire to own and exceptional African brands.

Q: Recently you were named by BOF as one of the people shaping the global fashion industry, what did that recognition mean to you?

I felt very honoured and it has inspired me to continue to push the boundaries for the future of Luxury in Africa because we have a large part to play in the production and consumption of luxury fashion in the future

Q: How would you say Alara is affecting the idea of African Luxury within Nigeria and beyond?

The Alara concept was founded to expose and elevate our own version of Luxury, sometimes it's a shock for people to see African inspired objects in this context but we are getting there with education and more inspiring products people will be converts.

Q: Are there plans to expand the Alara brand?

Yes the Alara brand is a global brand with an African point of view. We have plans to be in all the major cities of the world.

Q: What are your favorite luxury items?

The luxury of having a purpose, identifying it and being able to realise it. It's rare, it's valuable and it's is covetable. That's Luxury

Q: What is your favorite tourist destination?

Senegal, my spirit country

Q: What brings you the greatest joy?

My Family