By It is no longer news that some illustrious students are fast becoming entrepreneurs while in pursuit of their first degrees in various universities across Nigeria.
BlackBox Nigeria recently ran into an emerging entrepreneur at Campus Heat Awards where he won The Most Fashionable Male category at the Oriental Hotel, Lagos.
Apart from using his skills as a craft to create a niche for himself, his style also speaks for him as he has been nominated severally for awards and won some of the top contested ones.
In this brief chat with BBN, Kolawole Ibukun revealed how it all started, who motivates him and what has been keeping him going.
See excerpts from the interview below…
BBN: Congratulations Ibukun on your award, can you please tell BBN about yourself?
Response: Thank you. My name is Kolawole Ibukun, a 300L student of Geography and Regional Planning at the Lagos State University, Ojo. Though I’m a native of Ibadan, Oyo State, but I was born and bred in Port Harcourt.
I’m a Fashionista, Male Stylist and Bespoke Designer. I own Kibk Couture, I’m an expert in making unique shirts, natives and suits.
BBN: What do you love most?
Response: I’m a Fashion lover…lol. I love fashion so much that everyone that gets to know me have that feeling. I make most of my clothes myself and always match it with footwear handmade by my roommate who is an expert in leather works.
Basically, fashion is in me and I interpret it outside the in every moment I can get.
BBN: How have you been able to mix your passion for fashion with your academic pursuit which is not in tangent with it?
Response: It has been very hectic I must say, but I have been keeping the tempo on as both are very important to me. I usually make sure to strike a balance so that none has to suffer for the other.
BBN: Who is your biggest fan?
Response: My Dad, he also loves fashion and he has been supporting me from Day One. He inspires me a lot and got me going from time to time.
BBN: Who or What motivates you?
Response: They are actually three male fashion icons that motivates me a lot.
Mai Atafo, Yomi Casual Noble Igwe motivates me a lot with their fashion sense and inputs.
BBN: What inspires you to do more and keep going?
Response: The Pop Culture and how fashion itself has been evolving keeps me on the toes. Also, comments from my clients and friends spur me to keep doing more and better. With this, I continue to create pieces with my unique touch on them.
BBN: How many awards have you been nominated for, how many have you won so far?
Response: So far, I have six nominations to my name and I’ve won three out of them.
The three I won includes; Most Fashionable (Male) Campus Mega Awards 2016
Student Fashionista of the Year, All Youth Tush Awards 2016 and just now Most Fashionable (Male) Campus Heat Awards 2017. All these awards had students from all over universities in the country.
I was nominated for Most Fashionable Male for Scream All Youth Awards and Brand of the Year 2016 for Lagos State Entrepreneurship Awards.
BBN: Thank you for speaking with BlackBoxNigeria, we wish you more successful years ahead.
Ibukun: You are always welcome. Thanks too.
To contact Ibukun simply reach him via mail [email protected] or follow him on Instagram @kibk_couture1
