Nigerian fashion designer Mai Atafo stars in the latest issue of This Day Style Magazine. The Abryanz Style and Fashion Award winner shares his journey in the business; from when he decided to leave a thriving marketing career at Diageo to pursue his dreams as a designer. Many were unsure about this decision. But Mai had a vision and was determined to see it through.
The designer sat down with the magazine’s Executive Editor, Konye Chelsea Nwabogor, and broke down his growth process while highlighting the many challenges faced in the industry.
Scroll down to read the excerpt from his interview with the magazine.
Since launching in 2010, you have maintained a prominent profile in the Nigerian fashion industry. Why do you think you’ve been able to do this for this long without sacrificing your brand’s vision?
I will take this question as a compliment, so thank you. The key is remaining customer-focused and innovating in line with the ATAFO brand essence while constantly improving design, tailoring, and craftsmanship. The most important factor which should never be overlooked is God.
A couple of years ago, you announced a name change as part of your rebranding strategy, was this part of a technical process or purely aesthetics?
It is both and a lot more. The idea is to build a global African fashion brand which is bigger than me as an individual. When people begin to attribute our well-tailored and designed pieces to the name ATAFO, without Mai Atafo as an intermediary, the vision for the name change will be fully achieved. The rebranding to ATAFO will enable creative and business collaboration in other areas like kidswear, streetwear, accessories, home etc.
Let’s take it back to the beginning. Prior to this, you had a thriving career in marketing and branding. How did it all start?
Yes, I did have a career in brand marketing. It all started by making aso-oke waistcoats for weddings and then offering tailoring services for pretty much any garment my clients required—no aesthetic, technical knowledge, vision, or mission. I had to learn on the job. My last role was as a senior brand manager for Guinness foreign extra stout at Diageo managing. I started my fashion brand while still working at Diageo and managed both for three years before I resigned to focus on ATAFO. My big break was dressing Pasuma and Omowunmi Akinnifesi for ‘Celebrity takes two’, a reality dance Tv show.
Read the full interview, HERE!
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