ELEGANCE WITH AN AFRO TWIST: FASHION DIRECTOR TAYO SHONEKAN

Name: Tayo Shonekan

Age: 35

Born and bred in: Lagos

Role at FAB/title: Fashion Director

FAB part of your job: Seeing an original idea come to life and working with such a creative and dedicated bunch.

Least liked but still FAB part of your job: Going from store to store sourcing clothes for fashion shoots.

Aspirations/goals: To build a successful fashion brand not only within these shores but abroad as well, to touch lives and leave my kids with a worthwhile legacy.

Inspirations: I am inspired by the journey of life, the ups, the downs and the in-betweens. I am also inspired by different cultures around the world and strength of the human spirit.

Hero/Heroine: My late Dad... He was the epitome of humility mixed with integrity. He had the perfect balance of discipline with a healthy dose of love and he had a gentle strength that took him right to the top.

FAB motto/saying: You are only as good as your last gig.

Best piece of advice you can offer: Keep on keeping on because where there is life there is hope.

Your kind of music: Neo soul

Your kind of book: Motivational and self-help titles tend to grab my attention span a little longer...

Dream destination: I would love to visit the Far East as I am totally fascinated by the culture and their way of life.

Your style in a nutshell: Eclectic individualism with an Afro twist.

Kryptonite: Fashion, chocolate, fashion, chocolate, fashion, chocolate... Did I say fashion and chocolate?

Pet Peeve: Double standards and people who still think women are the inferior sex – aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhhhh!

Your USP: I am a total bundle of contradictions!

Log on to my blog if you like: African fashion and lifestyle with a unique twist.

Tayo Sonekan is the creative director of Aimas, a label that produces hand-decorated T-shirts, hand-finished bags and accessories. She has also contributed as a fashion and style consultant for several publications like True Love and Today’s Woman, and was resident stylist for Elan the style magazine for the Sunday Next Newspaper. She is currently the Fashion Director of FAB magazine.

She was born and raised in Lagos, a vibrant city rich in culture, which is strongly evident in her designs and her style. She is a graduate of engineering but a lover of all things beautiful and stylish. Her personal style is creative with a hint of eclecticism.