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“I ENJOY DRESSING UP STYLISH LADIES” – FUNKE FOWLER

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Leila Fowler is an upscale fashion boutique on Etim Inyang Crescent in Victoria Island, Lagos owned by the young and enterprising lady called Funke Fowler, from the popular Fowler dynasty. After acquiring all the necessary qualifications abroad, Funke came home a few years back to establish the boutique named after her mum. Presently, she has become the toast of the many stylish ladies who seek her attention for glamorous outfits, so much so that her outfit has now become the converging point for young-at-heart celebrities who like to stand out in their outfits. What a lot of people like about her, apart from her unique pieces, is her personality; she carries herself with humility and does not allow things to get to her head. In this interview with BOLA AKINBOADE, she opens up on her business and what makes her tick.

Bola Akinboade (Bola): You came back to Nigeria after studying abroad and the next thing you did was to establish Leila Fowler, does this mean that this is what you have always wanted to do?
Funke Fowler (Funke): Yes and No. After I graduated from University, I went through the motions like most people starting off their careers do, I was not quite sure what exactly I wanted to, but I always knew that I wanted to own a boutique. My late Aunt owned one in Liberia and when I was much younger I wrote in my journal I would own a boutique with the same name as hers, hers was called Bulls Eye. My original idea was to work in the corporate world and run my boutique but things have turned out differently.

Bola: At the point of setting up your outfit, did you ever have a second thought considering the risk factors of establishing a new business in Nigeria and the fact that it was a new terrain for you?
Funke: Yes I did, but I would not say that my skepticism was solely because of the risk factors of setting up a new business in Nigeria but also fear of the unknown. I put a lot into setting up the store, a lot of physical effort, finances and my general ideas went into this project and with any new venture, you want the general public to like it and appreciate what has gone into it. There are so many boutiques in Lagos alone that carry beautiful pieces and I guess I was concerned mainly with how the store would be accepted by the public.

Bola: So what is Leila Fowler all about?
Funke: Leila Fowler- the person, is a daughter, grand-daughter, sister, niece and friend. Leila Fowler – the store, is a contemporary ladies boutique, although over the period of time we have been open, the boutique through an unconscious or conscious effort of the customers and myself has become more of a dress shop. So I would define Leila Fowler the boutique as a ‘Dress Shop’.

Bola: What motivated you for going into this line of business?
Funke: I am a lover of beautiful things in general and appreciate the work that goes into their creation. It is amazing how a new dress can help increase a woman’s confidence in herself. Sometimes when we do not necessarily feel good on the inside or have had our confidence knocked down for some reason or the other, a new look sometimes helps us to walk differently or talk differently. We hold our head up higher than usual or walk with an extra bounce in our step. I get very excited when someone buys something they absolutely love and look amazing in. For me it is not about the sale, but that the customer is happy when they leave the store. In addition to that, as I mentioned earlier, my beautiful Aunt was the inspiration behind the boutique.

Bola: So how has the experience been so far?
Funke: All in all, I am very thankful for the reception the store has gotten, and I continue to seek ways to improve the quality of our service and product.

Bola: What makes your store unique?
Funke: I have tried to create a shopping experience for our customers. I want them to get excited when they walk into the store. The general ambience of the boutique and the courteousness of the staff are very important to me and for that reason, I have tried to pay as much attention to detail as possible and seek feedback from our customers. I think this is what makes the store unique.

Bola:Where do you get your stuff from?
Funke: Different designers, it is difficult to say where every piece comes from geographically and by designer, but I try to have a mix of different types of dresses and different designers with varying style techniques. We stock Cocktail Dress, Evening Dresses, Maxi’s even Prom Dresses.

Bola: So what runs through your mind when you are shopping for your boutique?
Funke: When the boutique first started out, most of the stock was just pieces that I liked or that my mother liked (as I sort her opinion quite a bit), so at the time, it was just me picking out what I considered to be beautiful clothes. But as time has gone on and we have built a client base, I sometimes see certain pieces and envision a particular client who would look beautiful in it. But in general, depending on what the piece is , different things go through my mind, pricing being one of the most important. Our economy has gone through a rough patch and it is important to recognize this fact, women are a little more conscious about their financial decisions and for right now I think that pieces that are beautiful yet relatively inexpensive is where our focus is.

Bola: It is believed that Leila Fowler caters for young ladies within your age bracket, who exactly are your target customers?
Funke: I do not think that is necessarily true. The store caters to the contemporary woman regardless of her age, women who like beautiful things and appreciate the work that has gone into their creation. We have had teenage clients buy prom dresses from us, women in their 40s, 50s and even 60s shop with us. So our target market is not just the twenty something year old but fashion conscious women in general.

Bola: Since you stock other labels, do you have any plan of having your own fashion label?
Funke: At the moment the answer to that is no, but I cannot predict how I will feel about that a couple years from now. Right now I am enjoying being a retailer and being able to stock different pieces from various designers in my store.

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