Arabel boss, Mrs. Shareefah Andu, tells ‘Nonye Ben-Nwankwo about her career and why she changed her style
Why did you choose to be a journalist?
After I left the University of Lagos in 1982, I did my youth service at the University of Ilorin. I still had that academic thing in me. I wanted something that was more intellectual. I liked journalism and decided to pursue it. I got into it and then, I felt I needed more money. I had a young family. I decided I could do something that could fetch me more income, so I went into banking.
Really?
Yes. I was in the bank for a long time. But I had to stop to set up my own business.
Did you retire or resign?
I resigned. A lot of things happened along the way. When I was in journalism, I was handling the women and children’s pages. I was doing the fashion pages and it exposed me to a lot of people, especially designers. So when I left journalism, I started a fashion house. I operated it for some months and I felt I wasn’t getting the kind of fulfilment I thought I would get. That was when I went into banking.
So why did you leave banking?
I wanted to do something more fulfilling. I wasn’t fulfilled. There was money, yes. But I just wanted to do something that I had passion for. Then, I became more conscious of my religion, Islam. Thereafter, I felt I could do something towards my calling and my faith. That was when I started Arabel, an Islamic shop. At least I could do my entrepreneurial skill around my faith.
You had quit banking then?
No. I was still in the bank but I had lots of energy. I could do so many things at the side. But after six months, the response I was getting was very nice. This was in 1998. So in 2000, I decided to leave the bank entirely and concentrate on the shop. There was a dearth of Islamic shops back then; there was really a need for it.
What made you to become more conscious of your faith?
In life, you go through ups and downs. When you have challenges, you tend to get closer to God. You want to do something for God. That was what happened in my own case. In spite of all that happened, I was still blessed.
Did your fashion sense change when you became more conscious of your religion?
I have always liked to dress well and look good. But I thought if I was going to be more conscious, more Islamic, I could do it and still be stylish. So instead of wearing short sleeved dresses, I specifically looked for dresses with long sleeves. I started wearing dresses that had longer lengths. And then, if I was going to cover my hair, I decided I would do it in a cool way so that you won’t even see me as if I was totally covering up. So yes, I would say my style changed a little bit but it wasn’t drastically. I still cover my hair, I choose what to wear and I am so conscious of what I wear.
How would you rate the dress sense of Nigerian ladies these days?
It is what you see in the shops that you would buy. When people don’t give you so many options and the only things you see are the skimpy things, then those are the things you would buy. During my 50th birthday, I wanted something nice and stylish I could wear. I went all over but all I could get weren’t things I wanted to wear. I wanted an evening dress but all the ones I saw were sleeveless. I can’t blame Nigerian women who take fashion to the extreme. It is what they see that they will buy. I try to create my style. In my shop, we sell only long skirts.
How did you cope when you were in the bank in terms of your fashion?
I was always looking for long skirts to buy. I didn’t want to keep wearing trouser suits all the time. And because I wanted long skirts, I would buy big sized trousers which I took to my tailor to convert to long skirts. It was clumsy but that was the best I could do because I wanted long skirt.
You don’t look 50. Is it natural or you go all out to look younger?
I thank God. I think I was blessed with a good gene. My mother is 83 and she looks very well too. Maybe I also make a little bit of effort to look nicer. My children would always say they want to have a nice mum that looks stylish and funky.
How did your colleagues in the bank feel when your style changed?
It was a gradual thing. I first started with covering my hair. For a long time, I was still wearing my short skirts and short sleeves. I would still wear hair extensions but then, I would put a small cap on my head. Gradually, the hair extensions went and it became just my cap alone. The short skirt went eventually and the long skirt came in eventually. It wasn’t really something I did overnight. It wasn’t as if I came to work the next day and I was all covered up.
Don’t you miss those days of short skirts and weave-on?
No way! I have never missed them for a day. I think I look better with my hair covered. I look at myself in the mirror and I feel I look better. I would ask myself why it took me long to do away with those stuffs.
But some people would have felt you were taking your religion to the extreme…
Oh yes. Some people felt that way. I remember a particular friend who asked me if I would be covering my hair if I was invited to a party. I told her I would and if she didn’t like it, I would rather stay back home. It is about me and not about anybody. Some time I wear my full hijab. Sometime I just wear a cap and sometime I just wear a veil. But my hair must be covered and I have a decent dress on. I don’t believe Islam has a particular uniform. It has a dress code and that is, you must be modest. As long as you can achieve that modesty, it is what matters most.
Do you wear trendy and classic designs?
I still wear my iro and buba. I wear my skirt suit. I wear boubou . I wear anything I want to wear. It is not as if I am putting myself in a box. My religion is simple and wonderful.
Is your family okay with your style?
They are very okay with it. I remember one day, I went to visit my son. I hadn’t seen him for a long time. I wore my full hijab that day and he was very happy. It made my day. So why would I want to change my style? If I try wearing a low neck dress, my son would point it out. He encourages me. So it makes it a lot easier.
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