Encomium
PARIS, France born Nigerian stylist, Dimeji Alara is the fashion stylist and editor-in-chief of Kelechi Amadi-Obi published Stylemania. The stylist extraordinary has plied his art in top international magazines like Elle, GQ, Made, Blast, Elan and others. In a chat with ENCOMIUM Weekly, the man of style drops his thought on the state of the Nigerian fashion industry and his brief as the editor of Stylemania.
Give us an insight into what you are into?
I am a very creative person, I wouldn’t want to say I’m into a lot of things but somehow I am because before I became a fashion stylist, I was a writer, reporter, I am into editing. I edit the entire Mania magazine. I also style major shoots, I do interviews, and I am a journalist too. Even though I really don’t show that side of me like I used to, but I still do it.
What inspired you to go into the fashion and style industry?
I have always been a creative person, I have always been inspired by imagining things and making them come to life. There’s this excitement, it’s not about whether you’re getting money or not, you have an idea and you see it come to life just the way you want it to. It’s a nice feeling. As a kid I used to create a lot of things with drawings, funny things, things that are strange, that cannot even be explained. It feels good thinking of something and bringing it out in paper, so it started since I was a kid and that’s how it developed into what it is today.
What did you study in the university?
I studied fashion and I interned with a lot of magazines abroad. I worked with Genevieve here when they started, I started as a writer, a journalist.
What was growing up like?
I grew up in two different worlds. I was born in Paris, I lived in Paris. I couldn’t speak English, my first language was French, I lived here and there. It was a huge contrast. It was very good as a kid to be able to see different parts of the world, different culture, people, different ways of thinking. You are not restricted to one way of life. What was very beautiful about my growing up, I wasn’t restricted to a certain way of doing things or one way of seeing things. It broadens your mind when you can see things differently and in more than one way. You realize that there’s more than one way you can achieve whatever it is you want to achieve. There’s a million ways to achieve one thing.
Have you ever been stereotyped in the fashion industry?
I think it’s a human thing, not just in this industry, generally human beings stereotype. When people are used to seeing you in a certain way or doing certain things they expect you to be like that and once they see something changing, they react to it. Humans react to change very quickly, so it’s easy for people to say this is what he does, and that’s it but once you do something different people would react to it. Yes, I stereotyped a lot of times but I just think it’s normal, it would be strange if I don’t.
What are the challenges of being a stylist in this country?
There are a lot of challenges, not even being a stylist in this country, working in Nigeria, creating a business in Nigeria, it’s a very tough environment. It has to do with diesel, electricity issues, everything seems to be going high now and its very tough. You need to be able to withstand it or you will just fizzle out like every other business that comes and goes.
What has the reception been like for you?
It depends, there are a lot of people who appreciate my work, there are a lot of people who think its rubbish, it’s fun when people are actually able to say what they like and what they don’t, not everybody is going to like everything you do. Of course, there are people who are going to like what you do whether its good or not, just for the fact that they like you. There are people who are going to look at your work critically and be able to say I don’t like this job that he did the last time, but I think I like this one. There are people that, whatever you do, whether it’s good or not, they just hate you, they just want to say something bad about your work. But I think it’s okay, I’m not complaining. I think it’s certainly great to have that balance. If everybody is telling you what you are doing is great, then you might get too comfortable, you need those people that would tell you you’re doing crap, it would push you to do more.
So far, has it been profitable?
I think it’s been, depending on how you look at it. It’s a very tough industry and that’s why when people say everybody wants to be a stylist, I don’t see it in a bad light. I think it’s good that everybody wants to be a stylist. We have gone past those days when everyone wanted to become a lawyer or a doctor. It’s a bit refreshing to hear that people want to become something that wasn’t really accepted.
You’ve worked in top magazines abroad, what would you say is the difference?
They have a structure, we don’t. They have an agenda. Most magazines here are still trying because it’s not something one person can do. The designers need to have a structure, the fashion editors need to have a structure then a proper distribution network. Let’s say I am a designer and I am trying to bring out my collection here, how many people am I going to sell it to? There’s no proper distribution. If you stand on the road and start pointing at what people are wearing, how many people are wearing Nigerian designs, why are they not wearing Nigerian designs? So, we need to put proper structure in place from the magazine to the designers, fashion editors, even the writers, there needs to be a structure. If there’s a structure, things would work the way it should. I see designers from here, going to showcase at New York Fashion Week, South African Fashion Week. I think it’s nice but I don’t think it’s going to solve anything and I think personally that it’s going to put them on the international market because the major fashion editors from New York or South Africa don’t see the small shows which is where our own designers are put under. Our designers are put under a small tent at these shows. You don’t get the major fashion editors, the buyers and the press to cover them which is sad because they come back here and say they showed at the New York Fashion Week, but at the end there’s nothing to show for it. Things need to change. The Nigerian designers have a lot of work to do on their brands and how they see things. They need to stop thinking, ‘Oh, I have to be in Essence or Vogue.’ If you are not represented well by your own people or press they would never take you well internationally. Everybody wants to go international but you can’t jump over, it’s a process.
Who are Mania magazine’s target audience?
We are targeting women, from their 20s to their 60s, there’s no limit. We try to provide content for a young girl, we try to provide content for women in their 60s. What you should wear at 60, 70, 80. We try not to limit it because every woman wants to look good at any age. We try to relate with every woman and we think we have been doing that right.
Who are the celebrities you’ve styled?
I don’t like dropping names (laughs). I have a lot of people under my belt.
What’s your take on the Nigerian fashion industry?
We have a long way to go, until we realize that this industry is a money spinner that can change everything, we will never get there. The government needs to explore other avenues that would put Nigeria on the map aside oil. Fashion is not some flimsy thing that people that are not serious do. It’s a big industry that can bring in a lot.
What inspired your partnership with Kelechi Amadi-Obi?
We were frustrated about our works not being properly represented and we started talking about it and from that we thought this might actually be possible. I have worked with a lot of magazines and I know it’s not a child’s play. I can tell you it’s not easy. Life is about taking risk, you never know, you need to try before you find out if something will work or not and from there we thought of the medium to use, we thought of something edgy, feminine and we came up with Stylemania. From there we started doing shoots, stories and started planning the launch.
What stands Mania out?
Mania is very, very, very different in terms of its perspective of fashion. It has lifestyle but we aren’t shy away from the focus which is fashion. There are a lot of magazines that I appreciate in Nigeria. I know it’s difficult to produce a magazine in this environment, especially if you can’t print here and you want good quality. It’s really frustrating, you have to go out to get good quality printing, shipping and all that. All the magazines are doing great, we are all working towards the same goal which is to put Nigeria on the map. We might be competitors but our dream is the same, represent Nigeria, which is what Genevieve is doing, TW, ENCOMIUM, all the other magazines. In the process of making money we represent ourselves.
We’ve seen a lot of magazines pack up almost as soon as they started, do you think Mania would stand the test of time?
Yes, I’m not saying that because I’m part of it but I know it’s going to stand the test of time. Whatever you build, your foundation is very important. I built this, personally for me, it was built on passion. Dimeji is very passionate, of course, it’s a business, we have to make money. But when you are passionate about something, whatever comes your way, no matter how tough it still keeps you going, which is the passion. So far, so good it’s been tough, but it’s not that bad. I can’t complain, I think we’ve done extremely well, now we are just building the business side of it. Like you said, a lot of magazines have come and gone, it’s very challenging and we still need to give them credit. But I can assure you that Mania is here and here to stay, 50 years from now.
Would you say Mania has gained enough popularity?
I feel surprised, I wasn’t expecting it to get this big. When in your little room doing something and wondering would people accept it or not. You don’t realize how much people are appreciating it until you go out there and people start telling you. I always push myself hard so when people tell me I am doing a great job, I think, really? You can’t get too relaxed, it’s best to be on the brink.
What do you love most about your job?
I love everything about my job. I feel incomplete if I’m not here going after pages, doing shoots and it gives me joy, which is what I was telling you about doing something based on passion. Though you also need to think of the business part of it which is what we do here but that passion is always there. I love everything, I love sitting down in front of the computer, editing the stories, editing the pictures, looking at the shoots, sliding the pictures, deciding what pictures go in or not. It’s great to do what you love (laughs).
Your most expensive fashion item?
I really don’t buy expensive stuff. I have someone that makes my stuff for me. I like them to fit. I have a guy who makes them for me. Come to think of it, it’s actually funny, I’m not into buying expensive things, my style is simple.
OLUSOLA ADARANIJO
This story was first published in Encomium Weekly on Tuesday, February 28, 2012
