Femi Taylor: The Makings Of A Fashion Maverick Spotlight

The ever-eventful world of fashion and lifestyle is one that serves as a beacon to creatives the world over and the most interesting and perhaps significant thing about this is seeing how each person interprets fashion in their own way. A fascinating new player in this vast field is Femi Taylor, a fashion and lifestyle connoisseur who has been able to make a name for himself in Lagos and London through premium fashion content. Speaking to Guardian Life, he talks about his introduction to fashion, finding his path and his views on meaningful collaborations.

Tell us about yourself. Who is Femi Taylor?
I am a fashion, travel, and lifestyle content creator. Although people categorise me as an ‘influencer’, I don’t generally use the term ‘influencer’, because I think I do so much more than that, at least in a creative sense. I do a little of everything: whether it’s full-on content creation, creative directing, writing movie reviews, and styling. On top of that, I also do social media management, digital marketing and have a musical background. There are so many things that I’ve done over the years, I don’t like to put myself into a box with the term ‘influencer.’

At what age did you start experimenting with fashion?
I started experimenting with clothes at an early age, even before secondary school. I grew up in South-western Nigeria and I had a bunch of friends. We used to dress up and run around outside. We made clothes out of what we found in each other’s wardrobe.
In your opinion, what are the skills that are necessary for becoming a successful fashion and lifestyle entrepreneur? My cousin, Seyi Taylor, and I balance each other out perfectly. He is good at developing ideas, stubborn, business-minded, impulsive, and likes to take risks. I, on the other hand, am more creative, careful, and articulate. No one has all the skills that are ideal for a successful fashion and lifestyle entrepreneur, but collaborating with different people means a wider variety of skills and more good qualities added to the table.

What has been your most interesting campaign or brand partnership so far?
Whoa! Well, I would say that experiencing and learning things has always been fascinating to me. Each brand I have worked with has left me with different experiences which I would not trade.

How would you describe your personal style?
Quite the question! I am a mix. I like incorporating a lot of oversized clothing into my wardrobe… that’s basically my daily look. But my style changes depending on my mood; one day I might dress head-to-toe in oversized outfits, the next I might be on streetwear or wearing clothes made by friends, and another day, completely modern, but oversized outfits are where my heart lies.

Do you believe in collaboration within the fashion industry? If so, what would be your dream collab?
Definitely! And I am looking forward to a collaboration with Yomi Casual.

What’s the difference between fashion and style to you?
Although there is some overlap between style and fashion, I believe style is more personal, whilst fashion is more collective.

What’s a major setback you face as a young player in the Nigerian fashion industry?
As a young player, with a growing source of income, it is difficult to get fashionable pieces at an affordable rate, all the major players in the Nigerian Fashion Industry are sort of luxurious creators which basically cuts me out of their target as a Nigerian youth.

What do you believe the future of fashion globally looks like?
Sustainability! Sustainability!! Sustainability!!! Each time major fashion weeks wrap up in Nigeria and hubs like London and New York, we get a wave of predictions based on what’s seen on the runway. Colours and materials get sorted into what’s in and what’s out- chasing the trends that seem to move faster each season. Fashion brands seem to have a new answer for what’s next every week, adding up to millions and billions of garments produced each month that in no doubt land in mountains of waste. We should pay more attention to extending a product’s lifetime and erase the destructive pattern of the current trend.