I’ve always loved fashion –Kehinde Oniru-Adewole

KEHINDE ONIRU ADEWOLE is an entrepreneur. With her wealth of experience in the manufacturing sector, this amiable woman is the senior project director of the season two of the show. She promises it

to be captivating, entertaining and educative. She is the owner of Ejire Garment Factory, a fashion consulting, private label and manufacturing house. Having worked so closely, for more than 15 years, with amazing multinationals (Coca-Cola and Diego) designers, talented fashion professionals, and business leaders, she plans to offer fresh, innovative insight into the team.

Can you tell us more about you?

I’m an entrepreneur. I grew up in America. I have always loved fashion; I have always been a very corporate woman. I have always been in manufacturing since I was about 19. I worked with Coca-colainternational for 11 and half years. They transferred me to Ni­geria and I moved back to the country six years ago. I worked for coke another five years; I left Coca-cola for Guinness Nigeria, after spending about 9 months.

At what stage did you become an entrepreneur?

God just changed my vision, I just had this passion, when I got there, I like this outfit, and they keep asking do you make it? When I looked back, I think I left ahead God’s timing but I don’t regret whatever I do because I left almost like N20 million salary to go and make clothes. My parents thought that I was mad, you resigned to go and make clothes, and do you know how many designers that are in Nigeria? Toyin Lawani was the first person I reached out to because in Nigeria we have this culture, we don’t share knowledge. I actually became their competitor and it was a problem.

What are your roles in the show?

As the project manager, I bring the manufacturing side of it to the show. I would also bring in the entrepreneur aspect of what I have been learning in the past three years of running my label. I had always had the notion of this kind of platform and I quickly fall in when I was approached. Sometimes you can just join forces with the platform that readily exists. It’s also in the Bible, before you lead you had to serve. In this country, I realised people don’t share informa­tion in the designing world and that was what propelled me to set up a garment factory, where we produce garment for other fashion de­signers. In Nigeria, I believe the garment factory can work, Nigeria doesn’t really understand the concept of becoming a manufacturer, and I really want to change that concept in Nigeria.º