Bola Yahaya Nigeria is a 2 year old eponymous label founded by Taofeek Abolarinwa Yahaya, a gender questioning individual and an active artisan in the Nigerian fashion industry. Bola entered the fashion scene after winning the design category at the fifth season of Dare2Dream, a competition set up to promote the presence of some of the country's best talents.
The designer released thought provoking and unconventional collections by piecing together ideas that stem from personal experiences and relationships with the self and others. Yahaya creates pieces that go beyond culture, sex, femininity, queerness and androgyny. Each piece has graced runway shows like the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, Lagos Fashion Week, Kwara State Fashion Week, and Lé Physiqué Fashion Week.
Yahaya received a year's mentorship program with one of Nigeria's leading premium brands, Atafo Official, under the founding leadership of the talented veteran designer, Ohimai Atafo. In 2017, they co-founded a talent management agency, Qraft Republic, where celebrated Nigerian figures like Kiki Osinbajo, Toke Makinwa, Seyi Shay, Reekado Banks, Runtown and a host of others were managed. 2019 was a phenomenal year for them. In the same year, they were awarded by highly recognised media company, yNaija, as one of the most influential Nigerian designers. They were also part of the top five finalists for Green Access, an initiative put together by the organizers of Lagos Fashion Week to celebrate young designers with a visible authority in sustainable fashion. 2020 saw them in the top 10 finalists of the Heineken Design Challenge hosted by Lagos Fashion Week. It was during this event that their illustrations paid tribute to certain Nigerian Yoruba river goddesses.
Hi Bola. Can you tell us who you are outside of fashion?
I am someone who could be described as an all-round creative. From being an active member in my high school’s drama society to being a former president of Press Club (a prestigious social gathering in all Nigerian high schools). I also dabbled with media and journalism, where I spent half a year training for Effective Writing and Communication in the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Lagos, Nigeria.
Can you tell us about your early career days?
Yes, sure. After being an active member in my secondary school’s drama society and a one-time president of the school’s Press Club, I moved to being a member of Junior Chamber International (JCI), a leadership organisation that focuses on character building. There, I was introduced to the handiwork which spiked my creative side. I loved sewing for my dolls, so it all came naturally for me. Then, on most days, I’d literally spend my last cash buying fashion magazines.
From there, I hosted my first fashion show, which was called Fashion for Humanity. During the compulsory National Youth Service Corp (NYSC), I met someone with whom I shared fashion stories and resources. He shared books with me, making my whole transition into fashion very easy. In 2017, I co-founded a fashion brand called Qraft Republic, where I hosted my first collection until we separated. I just grew the brand from there.
And how would you describe your brand?
With this brand, I wanted to create stunning, beautiful and sophisticated garments for women. I also wanted to do sustainable fashion in a way that was beautiful and genuine without lying to myself or clients. For example, most known sustainable Nigerian fabrics like Aso-oke and Adire are not really sustainable. Some Aso-oke actually have synthetic threads, while most Adire are produced with chemicals. I just wanted to create a brand that understood the intricacies of genuinity.
How did your journey into sustainable fashion and living begin?
Sustainable fashion isn’t something I just decided to do. My first internship with a premium brand here in Nigeria afforded me opportunities to re-use some fabrics they’d consider as wastes. That was how I started. Then, my winning Dare2Dream and travelling to the Netherlands gave me a platform to have real-life experiences of the country's sustainable living and economy. They really encouraged sustainable practices, and the lifestyle sort of rubbed off on me.
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How are you involving yourself in your brand ethos?
This might actually sound weird, but I sort of have multiple personalities which I infuse into my works. Also, by [my] non-binary identity affords me such easy process. Sometimes I want to be him, other times, I want to be her. I create pieces especially when I am in my feminine element. When I am in this element, I consider myself as a Bola Yahaya woman. I like to create pieces that'll make them feel glamorous, stunning, daring, confident, powerful and beautiful.
Can you tell us about your relationship between these traditional goddesses your works are about?
I am born a Muslim, but in building that relationship between religion and my sexual orientation, it was pretty difficult to piece together. I didn't want to be in a relationship that doesn't make me feel loved. With traditional religion, I found peace and comfort. With the Oshun goddess, it wasn't just a visible healthy relationship and safe space, it felt more than that. Personally, I believe in the presence of a supernatural being, but I would rather cling to the concept of a god that is traditional and can be "seen", than be controlled by the concept of a god from the perspective of people who have colonised us. I therefore want to forge a relationship with these goddesses.
Wow. That's a nice angle. But you could have been inspired by any other thing. Why them?
I honestly do not think that we're talking about them enough. We really aren't venerating them to the best extent. It felt like we've left our culture in a place that's allowed for exploitation, and I didn't like that. If you noticed, a lot of westerners are imbibing their ideas of Oshun, Oya, Sango, Oba and Iya deities. They're actually now taking a particular interest in Ifa. It's sad because we as Africans are not using what we already have. It's why I wanted to do this.
Have you learnt anything since you started this journey of using traditional goddesses and deities to tell stories?
Quite frankly, yes. My first collection in regards to this was in relation to Sango. I was not well grounded in my knowledge of gods and goddesses. I only just focused on the colours I wanted to use for the collection. It came out very disappointing, and I didn't want to release the collection.
"I really do not want to live by the terms of others because when we do, we wouldn't live fully, and living fully is something I really want to do."
Oh wow. What were your take home points?
I'm actually grateful for it, because from there, I sort of began to learn more. I saw the need for proper in depth study on what I wanted my next collections to be about, and it has really been going well since then.
Awesome. So, tell us how you build your collection.
Before I start my collection, there's honestly usually no idea, (laughs). I just start draping fabrics around myself, then an idea pops, after which I try to flesh it out. From there, the idea just grows. So, I move from what choices of fabrics and colours, to thinking up the silhouette for the collection. From there, I get a good idea on how many looks I'm looking to release for the collection. I actually don't sketch. I just write out the design plan – what the neck would look like, the sleeve pattern, etc. After which I decide on what I want to use for the collection. So, if it's upcycling or the use of the traditional Aso-oke and Adire, I begin my sourcing.
Major challenges?
One of the major challenges is finance. Money is something that will always be instrumental in any business. There are things in my head that I'd love to create but do not have the finance to. With money comes the ability to hire good and competent staff members. It’ll also afford me the chance to fully experiment with my ideas.
How would you say your gender identity has shaped you as a person?
Gender roles have over time prescribed penalties for people who do not conform. Although my insecurities jump out at most points, I've learned to not care and allow it affect me; because quite frankly, we only live once, and I really do not want to live by the terms of others because when we do, we wouldn't live fully, and living fully is something I really want to do.
What have you learnt over the 2 years of building Bola Yahaya?
If I had the chance to change something, it'd be to have had a well grounded knowledge on how the Nigerian fashion industry works, because of course, experience comes with actions and involvement. I think I'd have worked a few more years to get more funding, so some things, like hiring a PR agent, would come easy.
What are some of your best moments in creating these pieces?
Oh wow. It is definitely the creative process. I like to call myself a staunch creative. So, it's definitely the creative process. I love how clients interpret these works, but it's definitely the process of pulling together these amazing pieces.
If you had the veto power to change something in Nigerian fashion, what would it be?
The orientation of tailors, first of all. Honestly, most tailors do not care how the pieces come out. They just want to do what they can/want, and get paid for it. Also, it'd be the industry in general. I really think we need functional regulatory bodies and organisations to make the industry more standardised. Currently, there's one, but it really looks like they're just there to collect money from the political sector.
What would you say are your top three greatest achievements?
Oh, they're definitely winning the design category of the season five Dare2Dream competition. Then, showing at Lagos Fashion Week and Mercedes Benz Fashion Week.
What advice would you give to other young designers like yourself?
First off, keep learning and do not be afraid of criticism. It's also important to persevere and stay true to oneself. Certain comments from people might make us doubt ourselves, our aesthetics and our abilities; but I think it's this originality and difference that makes you stand out especially when you're doing something really creative. So keep pushing, be patient, and be consistent.
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