With their new line, Shola Designs will bring color and flair to the runway at Haute Accessories Week.
The Designer - Shola Yusuff
Born
and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Shola Yusuf is the founder and creative
force of Shola Designs. As a young girl, Shola loved to mix
and play with patterns, textures and colors in her mother’s luxury fabric shop.
She developed the sense of style and love of fashion that she carries with her
to this day. “I always apply my West African design and fashion sensibility. I
am very proud of my roots. My people are colorful, my designs are colorful. I
am colorful.”
Shola moved
to New York City from Nigeria in 1989 with less than $100 in her pocket. Taking
security guard positions, she put herself through the College of Pharmacy at
Long Island University, graduating in 1995. Next, she moved to Tampa, Florida and worked as a
retail pharmacist for 8 years. In 2003, she opened her own pharmacy and now
owns four in the Tampa Bay area.
In
2009, Shola was in a near fatal car accident in New York City. In the
hospital ER, the first thing she asked the doctors was the whereabouts of her
favorite pair of Christian Louboutins. “That motivated me to actually walk
again because I couldn’t imagine never being able to wear them. At that moment,
my life calling and my passion became clear to me. I would build my pharmacies
and also design objects I wanted for myself -- starting with shoes!”
Shola always
treats her shoes like art objects, selecting new designs with great care. She
is now working on her second collection - all made in Italy. Shola and her team
have created all the elements of an exciting new brand.
She
admits it - she is addicted to shoes and accessories. "I devour every form
of media when it comes to fashion. I travel 20 times a year. I am always away
somewhere – West Africa, New York City, Hong Kong, Italy, and London. These are
my main shopping and design destinations. I follow leading designers and the
best retailers."
"I
love being in the fashion world but then I always have been! Fashion Is
An Art."
Visit Shola designs
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