I
have never been intimidated by the opposite sex
By CHRISTY ANYANWU
Monday, February
6, 2006
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Folorunsho Alakija
Photo: The Sun News Publishing |
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Mrs. Folorunso Alakija is a well known name in the Nigeria
Fashion Industry. Her achievements in the fashion industry
can also be seen in her contributions towards the growth and
prominence of the Fashion Association of Nigeria (FADAN) when
she was elected as president in 1995 and further re-elected
unopposed in 1997.
Later, she stepped aside as a fashion designer to start The
Rose of Sharon (prints & promotions). She diversified
into another area of clothing and accessories which includes
the manufacture of T-shirts and caps with emphasis on monogram
and screen print including picture transfer on clothing.
She has continued to put in her best to satisfy the needs
and requirements of the general public and to professionally
promote the image of companies, corporations and associations
of fashion and also The American College both in London. She
went on to take millinery course as well at the very popular
Mitzi Lovenzo’s, London.
Alakija came back to the country and joined the then budding
Nigerian Fashion Industry in 1986 to start Supreme Stitches
fashion house. She married to a corporate lawyer Mr. Modupe
Alakija with four children.
Background
I was born 52 years ago to the family of Chief L.A. Ogbara
from Ikorodu. I left the shores of this country in 1959 to
attend my primary education at Harodunos Hall in Wales, England.
I came back to Nigeria after four years in Britain to attend
Muslim High School, Sagamu, for my secondary education and
later Adeola Odutola College in Ijebu-Ode for Higher School
Certificate.
I later went back to Britain to bag the Prestigeous Pitman’s
College Diploma in Secretarial Studies. I came back to Nigeria
and became the Executive Secretary to the Managing Director
of the International Merchant Bank (IMB) in 1974; position
I held for six years.
My motto is ‘whatever is worth doing at all, is worth
doing well”. This is why I proceeded once more to England,
where I took a formal course in fashion design at the Central
School.
Life as a businesswoman
It’s been very challenging. It’s been wonderful,
I’ve enjoyed every bit of it. It is the kind of work
I have wanted to work all along. To be in business to enjoy
being a businesswoman. When I was growing up, I watched my
parents as they progressed towards being a business woman
and turned out they way they are.
How the business started
The Rose of Sharon (print and promotion) business, is something
I find myself in. I didn’t plan originally to go into
promotions. At the time that I decided it was time for me
to move on as far as fashion was concerned due to the various
reasons. I felt a need for choosing something that would give
me time to spend in the presence of the Lord, time for other
businesses, time for my family, time to begin to relax a bit
more than the fashion business. I needed to choose something
that I wouldn’t need to be there personally all time
as the fashion business required.
I also wanted to choose the business that was still in the
fashion industry that will be a diversification from the art
of contour that would still give me pleasure, because fashion
has always given me and it will continue to do that. So, I
felt that mass production of T-Shirt, when you mass produce,
the fashion designer does not need to be there all the time.
All you need to do basically is to van the signboard and once
you have set your factory the factory could run itself by
a factory manager or supervisor. That was the plan.
When we started manufacturing the T-Shirt, the customers started
asking for monograms on the shirt, we brought the machines
and I started providing that service. My marketers told me
that my customers were asking for screen prints on the shirt,
that it wasn’t everybody that wanted monograms. Some
wanted something a little it cheaper some wanted pictures
on them, something that is difficult for monogram maduries
to achieve.
So, I set up that department as well. And then they started
asking for heat transfer, picture transfer which gives you
clearer picture than screen prints would. It is more expensive
than screen prints but it did the job, they are two totally
effect. I added that department as well.
After all that, customers started asking for gift items. Now
we are running different department that I didn’t plan
from the beginning, apart from the mass produced T-shirts
that I planned for. One thing led to the other, the rest is
history.
Discrimination against woman in business
Never ever, I have never been intimidated by the opposite
sex. Infact, there’s no business that the opposite sex
can intimidate me as a person, I believe that there’s
nothing a man can do that a woman can’t do. I’m
ready for challenges at any time, I look forward to it I enjoy
it. I see it as a task that must be overcome, that must be
conquered.
Any task before me I do it with all my heart I put in my best
because I believe that anything worth doing at all is worth
doing weel. So whatever best a man can put into something
I don’t see any reason why a woman can’t do it
I don’t see any reason why I can’t do it. That
is the way I take my task in anything in life, so I don’t
feel intimidated at all in this business or other business.
Role model
My role model in business is Richard Brandson. I have attended
many management courses and his name keep popping up in those
courses. His name is used for those courses all over the world.
The man is in every type of business that you can think of
and the guy is very clever, he doesn’t use his money
he uses other people’s money.
That is unique. Another thing I admire about Richard Brandson
is the fact that no business intimidate him either. He too
do business in any country I admire that it’s not easy
going into new grounds and you are still able to make money
in which ever business you do. I’m not saying that all
his businesses are successful. In business, you win some,
you lose some but majority are successful.
Vision
My vision is to enter the market not only within Nigeria,
but to extend beyond the shores of Africa.
Competition
It’s very competitive companies that offer the kind
of services that we offer, not all of them have the heavy
machines but they have some of the machines to offer some
other services.
Target audience
My target audience are the multi-nationals, companies and
we also service middle men. We also get private individuals
who are organising one celebration or the other. Weddings,
burials, graduation and who wants souveniors we provide them
with gift items screen print for them, we monogram for them
and very soon we are coming out with other services that the
public would love.
Promotions to customers
We started two years ago. January last year, we had our first
promotion and a woman won the star prize– a car. We
commenced the second promotion and the grand prize for that
was a cheque of 500,000 and we are going to start this year’s
promotion very soon.
We do this to appreciate and encourage our customers to continue
with us and to give back to the public.
Our relationship with customers is very cordial and warm.
They are dear to us and we are close to them.
Management style
I run an open door system. The door is always close because
of the airconditioner. We are one family. The staff sees me
as their mother and the older ones sees me as their aunt and
that is the way I relate with all the staff.
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