The Founder and Executive Director of Style House Files, a creative development agency for Nigerian and African designers, Omoyemi Akerele is widely regarded as a driving force behind Nigeria’s burgeoning fashion industry.
Style House Files works with Nigerian brands on image, creative direction, brand positioning and retail strategies. Omoyemi also helps brands gain essential international exposure through showcases at Pitti Immagine in Italy, and through Lagos Fashion and Design Week.
Founded by Akerele in 2011, LFDW runs a four-day schedule featuring a select list of up-and-coming designers and fashion entrepreneurs. Partnered with the British Fashion Council , the show has been instrumental in raising the profile of the Nigerian fashion industry, and has drawn international attention and acclaim from journalists such as Suzy Menkes and Cristina Manfredi, as well as attracting a host of international buyers.
Prior to Style House Files, Akerele worked as senior style editor at popular fashion magazine True Love, and set up an image consulting agency with Bola Balogun, a local Nigerian celebrity stylist.
Trained as a lawyer from the University of Lagos, Akerele has also completed a masters in international economic law from the University of Warwick, and worked at prestigious Nigerian law firm Olaniwun Ajayi & Co from 2000 to 2003.
Omoyemi Akerele shares some of her thoughts on entrepreneurship on the #LadyBossQuickFive series.
What does Entrepreneurship mean to you?
Entrepreneurship means being a solution provider. At Style House Files, we believe fashion can be a vehicle for socio-economic change so we are driven daily by the need to contribute to closing some of the missing gaps in the textile / apparel sector and sub sectors.
If you weren’t an entrepreneur, you would…
I would teach in rural communities
If you could have a lunch date with one Lady Boss you admire – who would that be and what would you ask her?
Serena Williams – I’ll ask her everything!!
3 book recommendations for entrepreneurs?
Shoe Dog – Phil Knight
Know Your Why – Ken Costa
The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari – Robin Sharma
Outliers – Malcom Gladwell
Blow – By Blow
The social media platform that has helped your business the most is?
That’s easy – Instagram (The business of fashion)
