The clothing line of business in Nigeria has come of age. Kudos to the many creative young minds coming in to change the narrative and take the industry by storm. Their venture in the fashion world is an indication of many good things to come. Notable among these young minds is Funmilayo Àmòké Eseosa Afesumi, a native of Ogun. She is indeed making waves and enjoying lots of patronage by fashion lovers.
Come September 29th, 2024, Amoke will be unveiling a fashion store called “AS Exquisite Fabrics”The new store which is located around the ever-bustling Awoyaya axis of Ibeju Lekki area of Lagos state is a big statement announcing her and showing her expertise as a clothier of repute.
Her brand of fashion stands her out among her contemporaries. She is known for her uniqueness in fabrics selection special designs which exactly suit the occasions of clients. She has a taste for uncommon designs, not something you buy and see on the street, but something specially made with a touch of uniqueness.
12 years of experience doing what she knows what to do best as a clothier speaks volume of why Amoke is renowned. She began showing traces of being lucrative as a young girl when she had a show glass in her mother’s shop which she used to showcase the Ankara and Guinea materials she has in stock. She usually traveled as far as Cotonou in Benin Republic to buy some clothing materials in order to resell them.
Amoke’s resilience and dedication have been part of what paved the way for her as a young clothier. When asked to make mention of those who she looks up to in her line of business she said; “Then it was Halleluyah textile of blessed memory. May her soul continually rest in peace. Now my motivator in the industry is Oyebanji Exclusive Textiles he is a young guy doing very well, I pray The Lord enlarge his coast”
Her understanding of the dynamics of business ventures made her adopt being a Real Estate consultant. She combines her clothing business with the sale of landed properties with genuine documentation in Lagos , Ibadan and Abeokuta precisely. She was able to achieve a lot in the property business. She is married to a Real Estate Developer and speaks fluent Real Estate language. When asked how she managed to cope with combining fashion with Real Estate, she responded by saying; “Psalms 18:1 I will love you Oh Lord my strength. Whatever good thing we set to do; His grace is sufficient for us to manage everything well. Secondly, the power of delegation; I do not have to be everywhere at the same time, I learn to entrust people with things they can do. “Thirdly, I am grateful to God for I married an understanding man, he made it easy for me
A peep into Amoke’s profile and background says a lot about her growing up and the pedestal on which she grew from grass to grace. She is the first child of the family of 5. Though an Ogun state indigene, but born and bred in Lagos state. She had her primary education at Golden International Nursery and Primary school, in Ketu Lagos. From there she proceeded for her Secondary School education at United High School Ikorodu Lagos.
She didn’t end her academic pursuit at the secondary school level. She furthered by proceeding to Abraham Adesanya Polytechnic in Ijebu-Igbo where she acquired her OND in Accountancy and later went to Moshood ABIOLA Polytechnic Abeokuta for her HND in Accountancy. She came out with flying colours as she graduated with an Upper Credit before proceeding to Auditor General Office in Calabar Cross River state for her NYSC.
Upon the completion of her NYSC, Amoke never sought for white collar jobs. She took courage in pursuing her line of business which has paved the way for her. Since then, It has been from sales of Ankara, Atiku to ÀDÌRE fabrics, then Real Estate consultancy.
Her story is nothing but a source of motivation for the young ones. They can take a clue from how she finds a purposeful life in the clothing line of business. She therefore admonished young entrepreneurs what they needed to know to remain in business despite the many economic uncertainties in the country. In her words, she said: “Never despise days of little beginning, I started from a show glass in my mother’s shop and from there I upgraded to putting fabrics inside a bag and taking it to Ojota park selling to their chairman at the park, drivers and passengers. When anyone shows interest and doesn’t have money to pay yet I have a friend at the motor park that I will give the clothes to when those that show interest finish with their payments, they will collect their clothes from him. I am not where I ought to be yet but I am not where I used to be.”
She concluded by charging them to aim high, stay focused, and know what they want. “Things may not look like it yet but please don’t stop believing in yourself”
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