•CEO, PRISBUM Concept
Olubunmi Mary Ajiboye is into Hats. She is the CEO of Prisbum Concept. The hat industry has grown beyond what we know today. This led City People’s Oyinlola Sale to interview Olubunmi Mary.
Milliners, who are also hat designers have become innovative, looking back at when you created Prisbum Concept, what has changed, in terms of the industry?
A lot of things has really changed over the years, from how things are done in the past to the present-day design.
Let me start by saying most of our hats in the past are imported ones but now, we have a lot of talented women/men out there doing a great job in the industry.
Also, getting materials are not easily accessible to us but now, we have access to most of them.
To be a hat designer, you must think relatively outside the box, how do you get that inspiration?
I get inspiration from what I see around me, sometimes when on my own, an idea can just drop, then I will see myself imagine it on the head, the next thing is to try it out. I also open myself for training and make use of YouTube.
You are a trendsetter in making fascinators in Nigeria, how did you achieve that?
No one can be a representative of your brand as much as you can. I always showcase my job by wearing them out/any occasion be it church, owambe, anywhere that I know will be a gathering of people.
You can’t give what you don’t have.
Looking at our tradition in Nigeria, the idea of wearing hats or fascinators, is a western culture, so how do you infuse the African style?
I would like to make it known to us here that wearing of fascinator/hat may not be our way of life then but we have our own made local headwear like Aso-Oke and Ankara fabric which we beautifully wrapped around our head, it’s our beauty and pride.
The way we wear it may be different from the way it is being made now, we have it tied on our heads.
What did it take for you to establish the Prisbum Concept?
Hmmm.
Passion, determination, consistency, focus and prayers.
It takes all the above.
The economy is unstable and yet you import most of the materials you use for hat-making, how have you managed to survive over the years?
When you don’t have passion and you don’t know what you want in business, you get easily discouraged. Thank God for the knowledge, for this enables us to shift our attention to other available material without altering the quality of the work.
Where do you see Prisbum Concept in 5 years?
I see Prisbum as a renowned brand in the next 5 years to come.
I see Prisbum Concept as a successful brand that takes Nigeria millinery to the world fashion map.
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