Capital Living: ALARA FOUNDER & CEO RENI FOLAWIYO SPEAKS TO STYLE.COM….

ALARA FOUNDER & CEO RENI FOLAWIYO SPEAKS TO STYLE.COM….

For their new issue of style.com/ print,Photographer, Nick Waplington travelled to lagos, Nigeria,to shoot some of the city's most stylish women.Nigeria being one of the Largest economy in Africa,and growing richer by the day,bustling lagos is a city filled with moneyed,Cosmopolitan fashion consumers.Habit among them has been to travel abroad to do their shopping.cities like paris,london,dubai being amongst the popular ( as writer Uzoamaka points out in her story accompanying Waplingtons photos ) but all that is set to change,because next month Reni Folawiyo opens the doors to Alara, an ambitious concept store in lagos.The official launch of the store is not until April 2015,but in the meantime,Folawiyo elaborated on Madukas piece,telling Style.com about Alara and the women in Nick Waplingtons amazing shots.

There are some well-known brands that you are planing to stock in Alara- Valentino,Dries Von
Noten,Marni,Stella McCartney,etc-But what else should people expect to find there?

Alara is an expression of myself-My travels,my interests.And its an expression of this place,how we live here.So theres furniture from Moroso,the italian brand,but also objects i have picked up in markets in say Turkey.We have designers from south africa making furniture for us,baskets from women in Zimbabwe,scarves from Ethiopia,weaving and leather goods from Nigeria..

And in terms of fashion?Maki oh is one of the designers based in lagos i know you will be
stocking,but are there others who might be less familiar to people outside Nigeria?

Yes,Maki Oh of course,but also Tiffany Amber,Lanre da silva Ajayi, Lisa Folawiyo, ReBahia,Tsemaye Binitie..Both in terms of the international brands on our aesthetics.I have tended to go for Brands that have a lot of work,a lot of colour.Its not about a streamlined look here,I love Jil Sander,but thats not our Aestetic..