Why I Started The StylePen Memoir.

I grew up as a pretty smart kid who loved to write. When my father discovered this, he helped me hone the skill. My siblings and I grew up without him, although he would visit at intervals. If you wondered, my parents are not separated. My father just lived and worked in a different city. So, each time he visited, he came bearing loads of gifts–including books. Since he found my knack for the English language, he would make me write short stories.

My mom on the other hand is a fashion girlie. I would have included images of her youth in this piece, but thanks to the multiple flooding we experienced during the formative stages of our lives, properties with lots of sentimental value were lost. I know it’s pretty cliché, as every person you’d ask about their entrant into the fashion industry would tell you that they've always wanted to work in fashion. But this was true for me. My mom made me view fashion through a different lens.

I grew up wanting to write, but also wanting to work in the fashion industry. At the time, fashion journalism wasn’t popular largely because of where I’m from. Being an author or a fashion designer also wasn’t practical. If you’re ever familiar with African parents, you’d know that there were barely any professions other than medicine, law, nursing, or engineering. My lower to middle-class background also didn’t help. I don’t blame them. They wanted some level of security, and at the time, very few career paths proffered that.

After multiple attempts, I got admission into the university to study Crop Science, Agriculture. Four years down the line, the revered covid-19 pandemic hit. Two years prior, I had registered at a fashion school–more like a fashion house, as Nigeria, where I’m from, doesn’t have many accredited fashion schools. I wouldn’t bore you with how I tried to balance studying Agriculture and fashion design, but I soon found myself learning to draft patterns, draw illustrations, sew, and understand the fashion business.

As the pandemic hit, students were dismissed. While others made their way home, a friend and I booked a last-minute bus ticket to a different city. We were visiting someone. When we arrived, the state governor imposed a forceful intrastate travel ban, locking us in. A proposed weekend visit turned into three months–if I remember correctly. While we were there, we decided to make money to support our host. For me, I was going to fall back on sewing, but I didn’t travel with my machine. Hence, my genesis back into writing. 

By this time, freelance journalism had become increasingly popular in Nigeria. My friend and I jumped right into it, got lost in the sea, and managed to ride the waves with time. Many shoutouts to Robert Solomon whose portfolio now includes the likes of Google, Spotify, Rolling Stone, and Canvas8. My first paycheck was in 2020, and it was 1,500 naira. Going by today’s current naira to dollar exchange rate, that’s less than $2 for an article. It was a copywriting gig for a Nigerian fashion brand I had pitched, and I was pretty excited about it. I didn’t know anything about pitching, as I was just focused on building a portfolio.

In a few weeks, I found myself being the first African fashion editor for a European magazine, Vanity Teen, where I spearheaded everything African fashion and culture. In full transparency, the pay wasn’t entirely great, but it worked at the time. I held the role for two years and four months, before officially terminating it. I have also been a weekend contributor/columnist for local newspaper, BusinessDay Nigeria, and Content Director for UK-based media agency, Marmalade Collective. I recently began to work part-time with the incredible U.S.-based beauty business publication, BeautyMatter, as a Staff Writer (Africa), where I write stories that cover the African market. As you will find in my welcome email when you subscribe, my repertoire is quite expansive. For good measure, I even created a very helpful eBook on navigating the fashion industry jungle. You’ll get a download link in the subscription email.

I have run a fashion business, worked with multiple highly coveted fashion week platforms, and gone full-time freelance (until something substantial comes in, of course), where I pitched to an array of magazines. I have consulted for an endless list of e-commerce platforms, fashion business owners, and marketing agencies. I have had the pleasure of one-on-one interviews/conversations with leading industry professionals, and have also been privileged to speak to students on both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Again, why does TSPM exist?

In all these years, I have made multiple mistakes and learned invaluable lessons from them. History is repeating itself, but not with me–just the few young (and sometimes established) fashion professionals I know. Many people want to learn to pitch magazines but are unsure of how that works. In fact, at the time of compiling this, a stranger had asked me how to go about it. Fashion business owners want to be featured in magazines but have no idea on the first things to do. I also see them make certain mistakes when starting. Entrepreneurship apparently requires certain levels of skills and knowledge they’re not abreast with.

In the same vein, I have received some of the worst–and best– emails from Public Relations Officers about their clients. The same goes for Marketers. Many people are even unable to tell the differences between these roles. Speaking of roles, the industry is awash with them, but design often seems to be the go-to. Thank you, dear lack of orientation. Even many industry heavyweights are looking to tap into markets in spaces like Africa but are unsure what the right route is. This New York Times report details how the world will be looking to Africa soon.

This, really, is the premise of The StylePen Memoir (TSPM). If you’ve ever wondered why I am building this, this is it. One of my biggest passions is to share my knowledge and experience with others looking to navigate the industry, in whatever capacity. I didn’t have that in my early days, and therefore want to make transitioning enjoyable. Heck, I am even currently obtaining a Masters in Fashion Communications degree from the prestigious Nottingham Trent University. 

I am looking to work with a community of next-gen fashion professionals who are not afraid to challenge, support, and build a working standard and landscape, and I genuinely hope that you join me in this. There’s no obligation, but if you know anyone who’ll be interested, please share this with them and have them subscribe. If you’ve read this long, I appreciate you, and I look forward to steering these waters with you. Cheers, and thank you for reading!