Hot boy summer !!
I recently had the opportunity to sit down with a good friend of mine Cherby and we had an amazing conversation. This is what it led to !
Question/Answer
Witnessing your thought process, the hustle, grind and quality that you put into your work. When you hear “sacrifice for your dream” what does either look like or mean to you?
Sacrifice for your dream to me is asking “How far are you willing to go?” To be honest I’m willing to see this bitch till the end! If I have to cancel going out with friends, not eat for a day, miss out on milestones for my family and sacrifice intermittent love then so be it. I’ve committed to this process and most importantly myself. Realistically I wouldn’t be happy doing anything else, so it’s not even a sacrifice it’s the only path to becoming the best me.
As a Nigerian man who is true as fuck to his roots how has that played (culture) a role on how you view clothing or the overall concept of your vision or clients vision when you’re working ?
As a proper Naija Man! My culture is my nature and nurture. It’s my way of understanding, accepting, and being. It helps me connect to my clients on a deeper level to gain buy in and trust. When dealing with traditional Nigerian clothing nothing is the same. To the smallest detail everything is individual female/male from the types of fabrics, colors, sizes etc. Clothing shows personality and we are all different. My culture allows me to get to know my client so that I can best portray their unique individuality. People are amazing when they can truly be themselves inside and out! My job is to allow them to flex and be their hype man during the whole process.
What was the driving / motivational force to leave corporate America behind and get into the industry you’re in Now ?
The idea that someone has to power to tell me how much vacation I have for the year, when my lunch time is, what time I have to be somewhere, being rated on work that doesn’t define my character, not being able to be an advocate for myself, having to dress up an impress someone as if they are above me, cover my tattoos, have a certain hair style, change my vernacular to appease whoever etc.. Long story short it’s annoying! Don’t get me wrong the fashion industry has its shit but at least here I am able to break down barriers my way. My goal is to change how others view people that look, talk, an act like me because we are out here and not going ANYWHERE!
What’s the most helpful advice you could give to someone that someone has told you or you’ve heard of ?
Nobody knows that they need your art unless you show them!
Photography and Interview by : Cherby Laguerre