Olabisi Saunders is a fashion designer noted for paintings and flamboyant sleeves, with which she has carved a niche for herself. After her degree in Fashion Designing in Ghana, she came out with her label O’Saunders. After a four-year break, she recently announced her comeback into the fashion industry with a preview of her collection titled, “Metamorphose”, which took place in Victoria Island, Lagos.
In this interview, she talked about her four-year absence from the industry, her new collection and fashion generally.
Why did you take a break from fashion for some time?
For a long time, I have withdrawn inside. What is about a butterfly is, it starts from its lava stage and metamorphose into full blown butterfly. So it’s like withdrawing from the industry; taking a time to figure out myself again, and also medical issues. My doctor told me that I should stay indoors. I should slow down on my work.
How long was that?
The thing is that I had four miscarriages, so the break was for about four years. I do have a child now, a son. So I am fully back with my brand going higher. That is what the collection is all about. It is a comeback.
What is the new thing that you have put into the collection?
One thing is that, I have not lost my niche. From the ongoing, it is about painting, massive sleeve, but one thing is that my brand is going to be refined. Again, I do colours now. Before, people know I do mostly white. I am venturing into colours now.
Why did you decide to do that?
Like I said, I have metamorphosed from the lava stage to a full blown butterfly.
Don’t you think you have missed a lot in the industry?
Somehow, I have, but somehow again, I know the industry also has missed me, and I know my brand will catch up.
What does it take to come up with the kind of styles you do such as painting, and the rigours of having to paint your fabric?
It takes a lot of financial responsibility, hard work, and sleepless nights, because one thing about
painting the pieces is that you cannot paint the front and the back at the same time. Sometimes you have to cut, paint before you sew. Sometime you have to sew before you paint some of the pieces. It depends on the continuation of exactly the paintings that you want. So it has not been easy. These are pieces that I don’t know, if I can sell so many of them, but it takes a lot.
What inspires your outfits?
Life, art, painting and nature.
It’s like your collection is for particular people?
To some extent, yes, and to some extent no. For my collection, you have to be very free, eclectic, and confident. Some of the pieces make people feel confident, but at the same time you can put the pieces on two different people and this person can rock the pieces better than the other person.
Who is the O’Saunders woman?
The O’Saunders woman has to be confident, willing to take the risk because my clothes are all about the risk. It is the future. My sleeve – some are about two yards on one sleeve, so you have to be able to take the risk. At the same time, it is not something that people can wear on daily basis, but you can wear to just go out somewhere.
Do you do unisex wear?
Some of the pieces are unisex.
What is the favourite accessory that one can find in your wardrobe?
The funny part is that I started with accessories at the beginning, but then one thing with my brand is that, I have a niche, especially with my accessories. I do only leather, but sometime if I don’t get people that produce well for me, I just don’t do it. I cancelled an order of about 20 bags literally just because the lady did not do it right. So that’s one thing about me. I need to make sure that from my linen to the fabric, everything, I am conscious of the leather.
Do you love bags?
I love them; I am obsessed with bags and shoes. You can tell someone’s personality by their handbags and shoes.
What are some of the challenges you face in this job?
One of them is manual labour. Sometimes, finance too. It is stressful, especially with my kind of design that I do. A cup of paint now is N2,000. You have to dab an entire cup of paint on one gown and then you meet some kind of clients that would tell you that the clothes are too expensive. In my head, I don’t need to start breaking down to you how much I have spent exactly. One cloth sometimes have two to three yards of sleeve already, plus the paint. Some of these fabrics don’t come cheap, plus you have to sit down one night on just one piece.
Are they wearable clothes?
Yes, they are couture, but at the same time wearable clothes.
How did you start as a fashion designer?
I started from my mum. I grew up in a house where my mum is a fashion designer, even though she has retired. Then I went to a fashion school in Ghana and bagged a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fashion Designing. Fashion was the part I chose from the beginning.
How long have you been into fashion officially?
Since I was a child, but at the same time, I finished fashion school in 2015. I started my brand in 2016. I took a break in 2019. I was also out of the country for a year.
What are some of your experiences with your clients?
Sometimes you have a client who come and tell you they want something very fitted. When you give them fitted, they say they it is too fitted, they want you to open it. When you open it, they would tell you it is fitted. Sometimes some clients can be very rude. Sometimes some clients don’t understand how much you put into your work.
So how do you handle such clients?
Smile and say sorry. If I say sorry you cannot insult me with my sorry.
For how long do you intend to be in this business?
Forever. That’s what I did in the University. So I know nothing other than that. I attended University in Ghana for four year in Fashion Designing.
How has it been?
Ups and down, but we thank God. That is why I took a break in 2019, but I am fully back.