Nigeria’s luxurious vogue panorama is formed not solely by designers but additionally by a small group of retail companies that act as key intermediaries between creators and customers.
Whereas Nigerian and worldwide designers produce high-end clothes, equipment, and way of life merchandise, it’s these retailers that curate, import, and distribute such gadgets inside the native market, figuring out how luxurious vogue is accessed and skilled.
Equipment embody purses, footwear, watches, jewelry, and different premium way of life items.
Working on the higher finish of the market, these retailers deal with model choice, merchandising, and retail presentation quite than manufacturing.
Their shops provide platforms for each international luxurious labels and Nigerian designers, offering customers with merchandise that meet the best requirements of worldwide luxurious vogue whereas additionally highlighting native creativity.
This text examines a few of Nigeria’s main luxurious vogue retailers and the people behind them, highlighting the position they play in shaping the construction, accessibility, and evolution of the nation’s luxurious vogue retail ecosystem.
Folakemi Olaosebikan – Founder, The Regalio
Folakemi Olaosebikan is the founding father of The Regalio, a luxurious vogue retail retailer situated on the second flooring of the Ile Oja shopping center in Victoria Island, Lagos. Opened in 2023, the shop sells ladies’s luxurious attire, purses, and footwear.
The Regalio carries worldwide vogue manufacturers together with Space, 16 Arlington, Pucci, Marni, Paco Rabanne, René Caovilla, Retrofête, Jimmy Choo, Cult Gaia, and Celine. Olaosebikan curates the choice, drawing on her background in private buying and styling, with a deal with night and event put on.
Since opening, the shop has constructed a customer base that features vogue professionals and social figures in Lagos. Olaosebikan has mentioned she plans to develop the shop’s providing by way of further wholesale partnerships.
She holds a Grasp’s diploma in Worldwide Human Useful resource Administration from Middlesex College and a Bachelor’s diploma in Worldwide Relations and Affairs from Houdegbe North American College, Benin.
Reni Folawiyo – Founder & CEO, Alára
Reni Folawiyo is the founder and Chief Government of Alára, a luxurious vogue idea retailer in Victoria Island, Lagos. Based in 2015, Alára blends African designers with international labels comparable to Stella McCartney, Dries Van Noten, Marni, and Valentino, providing curated high-end vogue, equipment, and way of life merchandise to Nigerian and worldwide customers.
The shop showcases Nigerian design by way of creators like Maki Oh, Lanre de Silva Ajayi, and Tiffany Amber, offering a platform for native expertise to succeed in discerning clients alongside established international manufacturers.
Born in London and raised in Nigeria, Folawiyo studied legislation on the College of Warwick earlier than returning to Lagos. She additionally ran an inside design enterprise producing customized furnishings previous to opening Alára, figuring out a niche out there for African designers to showcase their work at a global commonplace.
Uche Rita Ukpaka – CEO, RJ4
Uche Rita Ukpaka is the Chief Government Officer of RJ4, a luxurious vogue and way of life retail enterprise primarily based in Victoria Island, Lagos. The shop operates a multi-category format, promoting males’s and girls’s clothes, footwear, equipment, magnificence merchandise, and different way of life gadgets.
RJ4 presents a mixture of native and worldwide labels. Its menswear and womenswear alternatives embody each modern and conventional clothes. The shop additionally retails designer equipment comparable to sun shades, wristwatches, ties, cufflinks, belts, and small leather-based items, in addition to purses and footwear for each women and men. Further merchandise embody fragrances, house scents, skincare, and make-up.
In 2023, RJ4 added a medspa and salon to its operations, increasing its providing past retail.
Ukpaka oversees the corporate alongside Managing Director Ignatius Ukpaka, managing its vogue, magnificence, and way of life operations. The shop focuses on curated alternatives and commonplace retail practices to supply entry to high-end vogue and way of life merchandise.
Yinka M. Ashogbon – Founder & CEO, Ashcorp Group
Yinka M. Ashogbon is the Founder and Chief Government Officer of Ashcorp Group, a luxurious vogue retail and way of life firm with places of work in Lagos and London. Based in 2016, the Group operates retail manufacturers together with Ashluxe, Ashluxury, and Plus234LABS, providing curated high-end vogue, equipment, and way of life merchandise to African and worldwide customers.
Below his management, Ashluxury, launched in 2017, turned an idea retailer introducing international luxurious vogue to the African market. In 2019, he launched Ashluxe, a streetwear model mixing African tradition with modern design, now accessible in Lagos, London, and different main cultural capitals.
Yinka studied Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Caleb College, Lagos, and Luxurious Model Administration on the College of Arts, London. He additionally accomplished the Stanford Government Program (SEP) in Enterprise Administration and Administration and the Government Program for Rising Firms at Stanford Graduate School of Enterprise, in addition to the Excessive-Efficiency Management Program at Saïd Enterprise School, College of Oxford.
Yinka has been acknowledged on the Forbes Africa 30 Below 30 record (2022) and the BOF 500 (2023).
Ms. Jennifer Obayuwana – Government Director, Polo Luxurious Group
Ms. Jennifer Obayuwana is the Government Director of Polo Luxurious Group, one in every of Nigeria’s longest-standing luxurious retail corporations. Based in 1987 by her father, John Obayuwana, the group launched high-end watches, jewelry, and vogue manufacturers to the Nigerian market and continues to function throughout a number of luxurious retail segments.
In her position, Obayuwana oversees the group’s strategic course and operations. Polo Luxurious Group represents international manufacturers comparable to Rolex, Cartier, Breguet, Chopard, Piaget, Omega, Longines, Messika, Roberto Coin, and Montblanc, whereas its vogue arm, Polo Avenue, carries labels together with Gucci, Valentino, Bottega Veneta, Berluti, Alexander McQueen, and Versace.
Obayuwana has an intensive educational and government schooling background. She studied at The American College of Paris and Franklin College, Switzerland, and has accomplished government programmes at INSEAD, Columbia Enterprise School, Lagos Enterprise School, Wharton, Cranfield School of Administration, the Gemological Institute of America, and the Proprietor/President Administration (OPM) programme at Harvard Enterprise School.
She started her profession inside the group as a gross sales affiliate and has progressed into government management, enjoying a central position within the administration and enlargement of the corporate’s luxurious retail operations in Nigeria.
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