My vision came to pass but I can’t stop dreaming
Lanre Da Silva-Ajayi parades a profile that can give her a dignified place even on global fashion’s pecking order. This is gratifying especially for one who did not attend any formal fashion school. Yet, it was by no means a walk in the park, writes OLUSHOLA RICKETTS.
Lanre Da Silva-Ajayi eats, sleeps and breathes fashion. Her dress sense goes a long way to tell that she practices what she preaches. Her style is simply classy and people, especially women often look out for her at gigs.
And at the recent reality show, Game On, she also demonstrated immense knowledge of the arts. According to her, professionalism plays a pivotal role in everything she does in life and it is also a major reflection in her designs. When she was approached and briefed about the objectives of the Malta Guinness reality show, she recalls thinking it was a brilliant idea and a project through which she could exhibit her passion for the industry more.
She told Saturday Telegraph that the Malta Guinness team must have been impressed with her achievements and decided to choose her to anchor the fashion team as captain to mentor the contestants on the reality show. “I was pleased to be part of Game On and I did my best to ensure that the young talents tapped into my wealth of experience to prepare them for the exciting days ahead. It was a great opportunity for the young talents,” she noted.
Nurturing Talents
Da Silva-Ajayi pointed out that there are so many young people who neither have the platform nor the capacity to actualise their dreams. To her, Malta Guinness did what many brands were uninterested in and came up with a brilliant initiative that will enable young people to stand on their feet afterwards. “Our society will greatly benefit from this initiative that aims to empower young talents with all the assistance needed.
These young talents will in turn contribute on a large scale to the creative industry in Nigeria with time, which is a good thing. Also for everyone who watched and has a dream or passion, they will also be inspired to pursue it. Who knows, it could be their chance to-morrow,” she adds. Despite the visibility she has attained, she confessed it has not been a walk in the park.
“Even at this stage, there are a lot of challenges and I constantly strive to be better and reach the zenith of my profession. The Nigerian fashion industry is growing rapidly, so you have to be able to visualize yourself somewhere before you can attain it.
I will say I had a vision that has come to pass, but I can’t stop dreaming and striving for the next goal. It has been an exciting journey so far and I am very thankful to God and my loyal clients.” With a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Coventry University and a master’s degree in finance from University of Leicester, one would have expected her to stick to a career in the banking sector or a related field. But, according to the fashion ambassador, her intense passion for the industry made her embark on that career path.
“When I got back to Nigeria, I made some outfits for my friends, and felt the public interest in my designs. I decided to pool resources and develop my passion for fashion further. It was not easy to find dressmakers to make the kind of garments I liked to wear for me then. I am elated I made the choice.” Before leaving Nigeria for higher education though, she had acquired the basic skills in sewing from her mother who insisted she should know how to put together an apron.
Her words: I did not actually study fashion, but attended short fashion courses while I was living in the United Kingdom. That further led to my strong passion for vintage clothing. I loved going to Portobello market in London and the London Vintage Fashion, Textile and Accessories Fair at Hammersmith. It was something I did frequently and I think that further developed my passion for fashion designing. I made use of my parents’ dining table to cut while my mum helped with my baby. The dining table later became too small for me and I moved to a bigger place.”
Blazing A Trail
The mother of two vividly recalls that when she started designing clothes people were just moving with the norm (blend in and be comfortable). But, she says, she came into the fashion scene and introduced the Victorian era style which includes over-the-top designs, exaggerated collars, bibs and sleeves, mixed colours that people were not used to seeing on a dayto- day basis. “This in my opinion made me stand out and people have come to know the LDA brand for its boldness, colour, and edgy designs,” she said. Since she appeared on the fashion scene in 2005, however, things have been falling into place for her. Her brand is highly favoured among celebrities and fashion lovers.
Notwithstanding her label’s strong historical design roots, she combines pattern, print, exquisite and even traditional fabrics to produce day wear, evening wear, gowns and cocktail dresses The brand has showcased locally in Nigeria and internationally, including the Thisday Africa Rising Festival, London in October 2008; Arise Africa Fashion Festival, South Africa in June 2009; New York Couture Fashion Week in September 2009; Arise Magazine Fashion Week, Lagos, in March 2011and 2012; Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Spring 2012 Made in Africa by Arise magazine in September 2011; London Fashion Week in February 2012; the Pitti Immagine, Florence, in June 2012, MTN Lagos Fashion and Design Week in October 2012 and 2013 among others.
Also, LDA has been featured in various African and international media including L’Uomo Vogue, Vogue Black, Arise Magazine, Daily Mail, Essence.com, Fashion Bomb.com, Zimbio.com, WWD.com, ITN News, NTN24.com, ABCNews.com, Reuters UK and Centric/ BET. For LDA, as her brand is fondly called, inspiration comes to her naturally, especially when she is in her creative zone. “I get inspired by magazines, people I see, places I visit.
The list is endless. My latest collection, the Rock Delight SS15 collection, which I showcased in Milan, Italy, was inspired by Olumo Rock in Abeokuta.” In the course of her sojourn in fashion, she has met with fashion prodigies like Anna Wintour, Roberto Cavalli, Suzy Menkes, Angelica Cheung, Franca Sozzani, and a host others.
The World Is Her Stage
Sometime in January 2012, designer Cavalli and Franca Sozanni, editor- in-chief of Vogue Italia and Goodwill Ambassador of Fashion 4 Development made a special trip to Lagos and visited LDA’s flagship boutique to view her collections. The visit resulted in Da Silva-Ajayi showcasing a capsule collection during the Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week Fall 2012/13. It was also a fashion business initiative to attract the attention of potential buyers and investors.
Da Silva-Ajayi, who is the first of three children of her parents, hails from the famous Brazilian Quarters of Lagos Island. “While growing up, discipline was instilled in us and my father taught us how to be humble. Fashion has always been a part of me, and it was easy to transform my passion for the industry into a full time career.
My parents supported my decision from the get-go which made it easy; having family support definitely helped in my decisionmaking,” she said. Her mood, she says, determines her dress sense. “I like to be comfortable, chic funky and classy with my style.”
LDA has created four different collections for international Dutch wax print giant, Vlisco – Urban Beat, Gallery of Poems, Reflet de Lumie`re, Tresor Brillant and Delicate Shades. With the image she has carved for herself in the industry, she now stands as a source of inspiration for younger designers. While admitting that the industry is still growing in Nigeria, the 36-year-old designer sees fashion like any other business in the world.
With the level of exposure in the country today, she says everyone is starting to see the returns on investment that fashion could yield. “I believe the idea of fashion seen as underpriced is long gone. Fashion is a multi-billion dollar industry and Nigeria is starting to tap into it.”
She sees every moment in her career as a highlight. But one of the highest points of her career was showcasing at the Pitti Imagine held in Florence, Italy, which led to the LDA brand being the first African fashion label to stock at the Dolce & Gabbanna multi-concept store in Milan, Italy.
Local Innovation
Da Silva-Ajayi has high hopes for indigenous fashion designers, noting that they’ve been able to use ankara to make remarkable designs. “There have been a lot of supports for the designers through the media, individuals and companies that have aided the industry to where it is today and all the international runway shows. Omoyemi Akerele of Style House Files has helped a lot of designers through the shows and exhibition platforms.
Also, Mr. Kola Karim who facilitated the coming of Franca Sozanni and Roberto Cavalli to Nigeria and so many others have played huge roles in the industry. We are growing and that is something to be proud of,” she said.
Asked if she is worried by the intensity of competition, she dismissed ever having such fears, insisting she is rather happy that designers in the industry are making strides. “It is good for the industry that more designers are coming up.
This does not pose any threat at all to the existing designers because there is always room for more.” But her greatest nightmare is with regard to the kind of training tailors are getting, which she describes as challenging for the business. “There are so many machinists around, but the pattern makers are hard to come by and we need good fashion institutes to teach the skill required in the fashion industry.”
Not Elitist
For people who fear that they might not be able to afford LDA products, Da Silva- Ajayi has a word of hope. Her clientele cuts across all the classes, she said: “What you want could be different from what another person wants. Taste differs from one person to another.” Regardless of her hunger to conquer more areas, she extremely remains thankful to God for her achievement thus far. “My appreciation and gratitude goes to so many people that have shown support and have helped push the LDA brand to the heights it is today. Hard work, patience and endurance are germane to be successful in any field of career. I try to exude all these traits as best as I can, and keep delivering good customer service to my clients,” she said.