Ogunbiyi Taiwo Olusolademi is the Creative Director of the brand Prolific Couture established in 2012. An indigene of Osun- State, he holds a BSc in Psychology from the University of Ibadan. For him, fashion has been nothing short of an interesting journey of sorts. Saturday Sun spoke to him recently in Lagos.
Tell us about your foray into fashion?
As a fashion enthusiast, I found myself always recommending fashionable trends to my peers until I chose to go professional, I started creating designs of clothes and foot wears. In order not to be a mediocre in the field, I decided to receive a formal training in fashion and I enrolled in Zaris Fashion and Style Academy, Lagos for professional knowledge in Basic and Advanced course in fashion designing from where I received a certificate of completion and competence in Basic and Advance course in fashion designing which includes Fashion Illustration, Pattern Drafting, Fashion Designing, and in Management courses. It was challenging but Interesting with the huge tasks doled out to us daily, just for us to come out with good grades. It has been an interesting journey so far.
Why did you go into making male urban wears?
The decision to go into male urban wears came about when I noticed the huge gap between Western and traditional designs. In the past, it was either you were dressed in your suit and tie or buba and sokoto, unlike the female wears that have variety of styles and looks. So, in my bid to bridge the gap, I made the choice to delve into the male urban wear, just to give more style options to fashion enthusiasts.
How do you get inspired?
I get inspired primarily by nature and my immediate environment. It could come from the arts, music, history or the media, especially TV. My favourite channels are Fashion TV and Telemundo. Most of the times, I get inspired by female designs, Yes! Female designs, all I do is fine-tune it for masculine appeal. I love watching Telemundo because of the actors’ incredible sense of style, architecture and interior decor.
What are the essentials to a man’s style?
I think every guy should have the following in their wardrobes: A white and blue long sleeve collar shirt, one white T-shirt and a polo, a pair of black pants, a pair of blue and black denim pants, a black and Navy suit, One or two native attires, a number of urban wears from me of course, a pair of black and brown Oxford shoes, a brown and black leather belt, a pair of loafers, slippers and sandals.
What make up men’s urban wear?
Men’s urban wear is a slight deviation from the regular western or native attire, It’s the option if you don’t want to look formal or traditional. It satisfies the smart casual needs, the 21st century man is fashionable and stylish, hence the need to satisfy his fashion cravings. Just like the word implies “urban”, it is meant for the city guy who is already bored with regular old fashioned trends.
How should a fat, chunky male wear his urban clothes in order to look stylish and trim?
Dressing a plus size comes with its challenges, but to conquer that, you have to study the body shape of your client. It isn’t okay to just make an oversized shapeless outfit for your client just because they’re plus size. Fit is important as well; nothing too tight or too loose, For instance, if its a tunic, just give a little room to hide all the folds and two slits at both sides to give it extra room and balance. This will help keep your client look trim and smart.