Chief Executive Officer of SBT Fashion Academy, Bolatito Ogunseye, speaks with FATTEH HAMID on how she started her fashion brand from her mother’s living room to becoming a popular brand
Can you tell us about yourself?
My name is Ogunseye Bolatito Arinola, fondly called Tito by family and friends. I am from Ijebu Ode, a beautiful town in Ogun state. I own a fashion designing brand in the heart of Lagos called Styled by Tito, and I also own a fashion academy called SBT Fashion Academy, where we train fashion enthusiasts from beginners to advanced levels.
How did your educational journey go?
I had my primary education in Lagos before my parents moved back to Ijebu Ode where I had my secondary education at Anglican Girls Grammar School, Ijebu Ode. I proceeded to Moshood Abiola Polytechnic in Abeokuta where I got an Ordinary National Diploma in Accounting before I moved to Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, where I bagged a BSc in Business Administration.
How will you describe your experience as an entrepreneur?
As an entrepreneur with over seven years of running a fashion business and serving clients all around the world, it is very daunting, challenging yet rewarding. I would describe my day-to-day as one where several uncertainties happen even when they have been planned for. Now operating in a market like ours where forex volatility can affect manufacturing, it takes a lot of gut to be an entrepreneur. Overall, it is a sweet bitter experience; some days are better than others but the good certainly outweighs the bad.
How about your childhood? What was it like growing up?
I grew up in a closely knitted family with parents who are believers in religion and education, so I spent most of my childhood gaining knowledge and attending church services. I gained admission into secondary school at eight years old and finished at 14 years old, so all I did was just read. So, my childhood was pretty boring and not exactly exciting like an average child growing up in Nigeria.
Who were your parents and how influential are they to your life’s journey?
My parents are Mr and Mrs Bashiru, two middle-income earners who lived all their lives in Lagos before relocating to Ogun state. They were a huge part of my life as a child growing up, even now, my dad is a very kind and gentle parent who is also very generous. I got my generosity from him while my mum was the disciplinarian and a praying machine, who teaches us closeness to God and helps our spiritual lives. Even when I moved to Lagos and started living on my own, I hardly slept out or stayed out late because it always felt like my mum would appear and smack my head. I also pray about everything and anything because my mother trained us that way.
You shared on X (formerly Twitter) that you quit banking for the fashion business and had to start your fashion enterprise in your mother’s living room in Ijebu-Ode. Why did you quit banking?
Fashion designing is what I’m passionate about but my mom hated the idea of graduating and becoming a tailor, so I decided to take a white-collar job for a while so it doesn’t look like I didn’t put my certificate to use at all. I quit banking because I wanted to focus on what I was passionate about.
Quitting a bank job in Nigeria for fashion looks ridiculous. What were you thinking at the time?
In truth, it was ridiculous to my manager and every other person in my life except my boyfriend who is now my husband and that was all the encouragement I needed. The one person who believed in that crazy dream of mine held my hands all through the journey and here we are today.
Why was your living room the best place to start your fashion business at the time?
I was living in Ijebu Ode with my family and I knew that I didn’t want to fully establish in Ijebu Ode because it might limit opportunities. I wanted to establish myself in a place like Lagos where I’ll be making a lot of money. Also, when I was working, my salary was not that much and at the same time, I was trying to relocate out of the country but that did not work out and I spent a lot of my savings on that. So, I needed to stay home and work for a while because if I got a store in Ijebu Ode at the time and had it set up, the decision to move to Lagos would become harder and also, our sitting room was spacious and could accommodate my work so I decided to start working there before I move to Lagos which I later did. Also, it was even easier because I got a grant from Tecno Mobile. They did a competition for entrepreneurs and I was part of the top two, and one got N1m grant for that.
What were the fears that surrounded that decision when you took it?
One of my biggest fears was the fear of failure, what if things didn’t work out like I had planned in my head? But there was someone who assured me that it was all going to be fine and because there was a clear vision of what I wanted to do, I didn’t look back as well and I continued to develop in the best way possible.
Did your parents agree to your decision to quit banking and focus on your fashion business or do they stand against it?
My mother, as I earlier stated, was not a believer in graduating from school and becoming a tailor, was not pleased at all about it but I’m her favourite, and she decided to trust my decision. On the other hand, my dad was certain that I knew what I was doing and gave his full support.
The fashion business is crowded. What were the things you wanted to do differently for your establishment when you started?
There are a lot of fashion designers but there are not a lot of very good fashion designers who provide the kind of shopping experience that we offer our customers. Also considering that we also do business with a watchword of being an honest business. At Styled by Tito, the one thing that stood us out over the years is the fact that we do not compromise on quality and our attention to the tiniest details is applaudable. Also, we have never disappointed anyone before in almost seven years of doing business and that is a big deal, knowing that Nigerian fashion designers are known for disappointment.
Did you ever regret leaving the bank for fashion?
Yes, I regretted my decision for the first two years because business was very difficult and sometimes, I felt like giving up and getting a 9am to 5pm job.
You said you regretted your decision in the first two years of quitting your bank job. Was that a result of not being capable of handling some financial responsibilities along the line or there were other reasons?
Not like I completely regretted the decision, it was a decision that I was glad that I made and has paid off. But at the time, I went from earning a constant amount that is fixed. Where I work, our salaries are paid on the 22nd of every month and sometimes, on the 20th of the month if the 22nd falls on a weekend, it was like that. Then, there was a 13th month salary, bonuses and tips from clients sometimes. So, migrating from that to a life where you run a relatively new business, my customers at the time were my colleagues and a couple of people who knew that I sew. So, because my customer target was not in Ijebu Ode, I didn’t want to build my base there, so I built my customer base majorly on Twitter where most of my clients came from in the first three years after full establishment.
How challenging was that?
Trust me, it was not easy. I had only a staff at the time and it was more than challenging. I handle customer service and all social media pages. Another challenge at the time was the financial implications for me. The kind of clients I was getting in Ijebu wasn’t the type of clients that I wanted, they couldn’t pay me what I wanted in terms of money and I was trying to gather money to fully set up in Lagos, so, it was hard for me. While all that was going on, I won the grant from Tecno Mobile and added it to what I had saved then moved.
How easy did you settle down when you finally moved to Lagos?
It wasn’t easy. Human resources was the biggest challenge I had to face after moving to Lagos. It was hard getting the right people for the right roles. The cost of living in Lagos was way higher than where I was coming from, so, it took me over a year or two years to balance things out.
When did the breakthrough come for your business?
That was 2020; the year where everywhere was locked down but it was the year I made the most money for my business. I did a nose mask job for numerous big brands. My store did some of them while I contracted it out to other tailors. It was a big break that allowed me to move to a bigger store and it’s been up ever since then.
So far, what is the highlight of your career?
In the last four years, I have served over 200 customers across the world in over 10 countries and counting and in the same period, I have trained over 100 students in the Styled By Tito Fashion Academy who have gone up to become fashion designers themselves and building their respective businesses.
What decision will you refer to as the key decision that reshaped you and your career?
Relocating my business from Ijebu Ode in Ogun State to Lagos, was one decision that changed everything.
What is the biggest lesson that life has taught you?
Never say die, until the bones are rotten.
It is known that you are married. How has marriage been?
Amazing! I’m married to the sweetest man in the world. It must be said that combining being married and building a global and world-class brand is not easy considering other commitments I also have.
How did you meet with your husband? Can you recount the experience?
I met my husband on a social media platform, formerly called Twitter but now X in 2016, it is funny because I take it as a rule of thumb not to reply to my direct messages at that time, and I made a tweet about being single and enjoying it. A friend of his mentioned him under the tweet I made and he sent me a message afterwards and one thing led to the other and we became married.
Many young women at your age are scared of getting married with the idea that marriage limits career advancement for women. Do you have a different opinion?
Their fear is very valid which is why it is important to ensure the person you are getting married to is aligned with your goals and aspirations. The marital institution is a different institution that requires a whole lot of commitment, energy and time to build and when you do not marry a man who understands your career trajectory and vision, it can become a thing of competition, ego and other pecuniary issues between you both because he can’t see the vision. I have always believed that if any woman has big dreams, the right goal is to get a partner who is also ambitious to go on the marital journey with. Otherwise, it would be too calamitous a journey for you as a woman.
Do you have kids yet?
No, I don’t. I want to enjoy my marriage for a while before we start having kids.
Have you been looked down on because you’re a woman?
Many times than one, even by other women.
We live in a world where opportunities are scarce for women and you are automatically at a disadvantage especially as a business owner because you are a woman. You have people who write you off, even though the statistics in Nigeria say we have more female entrepreneurs than males but you still have people who think you aren’t serious with the business and it’s just something you’re doing to while away your time till a man comes to marry you. You would even find women with this mindset and point of view when dealing with you. But the goal of building a global brand from Nigeria doesn’t allow these reactions or comments to get to me.
What is your drive?
Happiness. I grew up seeing a lot of adults doing jobs that are not exactly what they like but they do them regardless to meet ends meet or please their folks and I was certain I didn’t want to live like that; I always wanted to design my outfits as a young person and being able to create outfits that spark joy for other people makes me even happier.
