Bringing together simplicity, contemporary design and experimental form, Kate Ewanehi Kukoyi is a womenswear designer based in Lagos. The style curator of Cool Fashion house is simply Interested in translating conceptualism into wearable products, Kukoyi is often inspired by paradox and enigma. She is also concerned with innovation and sustainability and often utilises unusual materials in her pieces.
How did you get into fashion design?
As a second-generation fashion designer, I grew up watching my mum and learning. I fell in love with fashion designing at a very young age. My initial plan was to work in the corporate world and retire into my passion for fashion but along the way, I decided to take my love for fashion to the next level by registering in a fashion school. After my training, I was part-timing with sewing jobs till I left the corporate world and fully gave myself to the craft in 2010.
Who are your biggest influences in the fashion world?
First off, I would say my mum, because she gave me a solid foundation in fashion, introduced me to the craft and made me fall in love with it. Another person is Coco Chanel, the consistency in her career inspires me and she was also one of the people who changed the ideology of women’s fashion by being bold enough to effect change in her era from corset dresses to more easy-wearing outfits that still spoke class. Coco Chanel built a solid brand from scratch and was able to diversify from just clothing to other aspects of fashion. Building a strong brand that is consistent and always delivers quality is what I stand for.
What was the first thing you ever designed?
When I was in fashion school, I was given a project to design something using dart manipulation and I designed a dress with different colours and matching prints. I was very proud of the outcome, that was the first thing I designed, except you want to add the dress I designed for my doll when I was eight
years old.
Can you describe your style?
My style can be described in two words, SIMPLE and VIBRANT. I love simple, comfortable
clothes and accessories but I also love vibrant colours. I love to always add an asterisk effect to my look. Something always has to stand out! If you see a pink hairdo somewhere, it’s most likely me.
What’s the coolest project you’ve ever worked on?
That has got to be a collaboration I did with some other fashion brands. It was a fusion of different elements from our various brands to create a total look. The collaboration was with a jewellery brand, a bags and shoes brand and a graffiti artist. The pieces in the collection were gorgeous.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
As a creative person, everything around me inspires me. Everything around me every day
inspires me on different levels. Nature is filled with different things that inspire my creativity.
Tell us all about your fashion brand.
I am the CEO and creative director of
Cool Fashion house where we create luxury couture outfits. We also have a bulk garment factory service. Certified in pattern drafting and garment construction I am well established in the fashion industry and have worked with various individual clients, corporate organisations and government parastatals in areas of styling, consultation and production for over 15 years. I am a certified manager and a graduate of the University of Lagos. My business was passed on to me by my mother and I have taken great care and commitment to building it up so it can be passed on to the next
generation.
What do you most enjoy about your job?
There are a lot of things I enjoy about my job.
I love meeting people and experiencing new things. Now, imagine the joy when you hear a client is getting married, working with her and her bridal party, seeing her through the planning and marriage, she gets pregnant and you make clothes for her through that season, the baby arrives and you do a Mummie and Minnie set for both of them. The cycle continues and it’s a beautiful thing to be a part of.
Experiencing clients’ birthdays or the feeling you get when you receive a brief from a corporate
client, and at the end of the event the client is satisfied with the quality of your service.
One of my goals is youth empowerment and I hire mostly young people in my organisation. I have mentored over 200 youths in the course of my career and it allows me to impact lives positively. The young people I am privileged to mentor and give a better life amongst others are some of the things that would make me choose fashion again and again!
What is most challenging about a career in fashion design?
When you have tight deadlines and you are almost at your wit’s end. It’s quite
challenging because, sometimes it can be due to a shortage of power supply or a shortage of fabrics and other raw materials. Now that prices are increasing every day, a shortage of funding has been added to the list. In all, it takes the grace of God and a wealth of experience to deal with these challenges.
What do people need to know about a fashion design career?
People need to know that behind all the glitz and glamour of the fashion world is that a lot of hard
work and perseverance goes into every single piece and design. To succeed in a fashion career is to keep learning and expanding your knowledge every chance you get. Learn about the business side of fashion to sustain the business, collaborate to expand and diversify your reach. Fashion isn’t about clothing alone, it involves different aspects like accessories, merchandising, marketing, designing
and supplies. There are a lot of opportunities in the fashion world.
What other skills are important?
Aside from being creative, it’s essential to know how to manage the business. No matter how small your business is, it’s good to have structures and processes in place. It is essential to have good people management skills, believe me, you will need them to manage staff, customers and suppliers. It’s also
important to take advantage of the tech available to fashion, from computer-aided design software to Artificial Intelligence, being tech savvy is an added advantage. Overall allow yourself to learn on the job and don’t be too rigid in your ways.
What do you think is unique about Nigerian fashion?
Nigeria is a country with diverse cultures and these cultures are usually evident in Nigerian fashion. We as Nigerians are gifted and we take advantage of our rich heritage to create unique pieces that are not only appreciated in our country and continent, but it is also well sought after all around the world. Nigerians in the diaspora are some of my best clients. They always want to have their clothes
made in Nigeria so they can show off our rich culture and fashion. Most of our handmade prints and woven fabrics like Aso-oke are some of the well-known fabrics that stand out in Nigerian fashion.
Which designers have been the biggest influence on you?
I remember when I was just starting in the fashion world and I attended a fashion business
seminar and listened to the likes of Lanre DaSilva, Lisa Folawiyo, and Adenike Ogunlesi amongst others, those women opened my eyes that day. They spoke about how there was more to fashion than just knowing how to sew. What they said and how they have run their businesses over the years have influenced my growth as I started to see the many opportunities for exponential growth in the
business.
Where would you like your business to be in 20 years?
I aspire to have five fully equipped garment factories in major cities in Nigeria (Kano, Aba, Abeokuta, Lagos and Calabar). Our factories will provide employment opportunities for up to 2000 youths in different areas from production to sales and marketing.
What do you think are the biggest challenges for new designers starting today?
of the new designers fresh out of training come out half baked, they don’t allow themselves to see the big picture.
How is the economy affecting your business?
Even in the economic hardship, my business has experienced growth, just that to sustain the growth, I have to keep working very hard and challenging the norm. After experiencing the lockdown in 2020, I feel like, with God by my side I can survive any economic situation.