Popular Yoruba actress, Funke Adesiyan, tells ‘Nonye Ben-Nwankwo about her style
You are one actress that loves to dress well, is it because you are into show business?
I think fashion is inborn. If you have it, then you have it irrespective of your profession. Maybe my love for fashion made me to get into modelling. I actually started as a model when I was 13. You can learn to be fashionable but it is still inborn.
Since you said yours is inborn, does it mean you effortlessly dress well and you don’t try so hard to achieve it?
I don’t try so hard at all. I wear what I find comfortable. I don’t even wear nice things because I want people to compliment me. I wear what I feel like wearing. I wear what my mood tells me to wear.
Must you wear things in vogue?
I don’t have to wear things in vogue, I create my own vogue. I think it is better when you understand yourself and dress for yourself and not for people to appreciate. If they appreciate it, it is okay. If they don’t, it is okay. You just have to be comfortable with it. I don’t do things in vogue at all. In fact, I don’t wear things that are trending.
But don’t you think people would say you are out of fashion when you wear things that are no longer in vogue?
You would remind them that the attire used to be in vogue. By bringing it back, it means you are setting another trend. People will begin to follow you. Then you would become a trend setter.
How many tattoos do you have?
Tattoo ke? No way! I don’t have any. I consider myself as an ‘old school.’ I grew up with great-grandparents and my grandparents. There are things I just don’t know how to do and tattoo is one of them. I cannot have more than one piercing on my ears. I don’t know how to.
But didn’t you pierce your nose at some point?
Me? Never! I am a very traditional person and there are things I cannot do. It is not because they are wrong but because I cannot bring myself to do such things.
But we learnt you enlarged your breasts some time ago.
That is not true. There is no iota of truth in that. It is funny when you read or hear certain things and you would really wonder if such rumours carry your name. It is baffling and funny at the same time.
So how did the gist come about?
I honestly don’t know. People cannot be hungry and somebody is concocting stories about my body. That is crazy.
Is politics not going to affect your acting career?
No. I think the two go hand in hand. You cannot separate politics from entertainment. In everyday life, we mix with people, our fans. That is what politics is also about. You mix with your people and have their interest in your heart. It could even help my career.
But most people still see entertainment as an ‘unserious’ business. Don’t you think you would not be taken seriously in politics since you are coming with the background of entertainment?
This is a misconception. The film industry in particular has grown to the extent that we even have other professionals such as doctors and lawyers as career actors as well. Most people are dumping their white collar jobs for entertainment. Politics used to be seen as an unserious business too until people started seeing a change. It is about how you carry yourself.
Are there things we cannot catch you wearing?
Because of the nature of my job, I don’t think there is anything I really cannot wear. An actor can take up every other person’s attire and not be criticised for it. I can wear anything on a set. But Funke as a person cannot be caught wearing a tattoo, no way!
What is your most loved fashion accessory?
I love wristwatches. I am a wristwatch babe.
Can you count the number of wristwatch you have?
Not really but I know I have wristwatch in all colours and shades.
But wristwatch is just a tiny accessory, nobody might notice it…
I notice it. It is about my closest accessory. I don’t like carrying handbags. I only carry them when I have to. When I need to meet a person, I don’t even carry bag, I might even leave it in the car. But my wristwatch is always with me. If I offer you a handshake, of course you would notice my wristwatch. I just cannot do without it.
How often do you have a hairdo?
I love braids a lot. I wear weaves and other hair extension but I am still a braid’s girl. I find time once every two weeks to update my looks. I love wearing African stuffs at times.
Do you love shopping abroad?
I buy my things wherever I like. I have to like what I am buying; it mustn’t be in a particular place.
What is your most prized possession?
It is God that I value so much. There is nothing else I cannot let go. I have given somebody my car before and I didn’t even have any to use. But I cannot let go of God.
You love wearing minis as well, why?
I love minis but as much as I love them, I also love maxis. My mood just determines what I wear. There are times I wear floor length dresses and you would wonder why I am wearing a dress that is sweeping the floor.
What of perfumes?
I love perfume and my love for it made me open an emporium some time ago. I love to mix and match; I don’t always want people to know what I am wearing.
Can we ever see you without makeup?
Most times, I don’t make up. I travel abroad without makeup. I can go anywhere without wearing makeup.
Don’t you feel you might not be as pretty without makeup?
I even feel I am more beautiful when I don’t wear makeup. If I have to wear makeup, it has to be simple. I don’t like to feel that my skin is heavy. I have sensitive skin.
How long does it take you to dress up?
It depends. At times, it can be as fast as 15 minutes and some other times, it might take up to an hour. There are things you don’t foresee. The zip of your dress may give way when you are dressing up and it would just take you back to looking for another thing to wear.
Do you have a personal stylist?
I dress myself. I combine clothes for my friends; so I style my friends at times especially when I have the time. I can be finicky when it comes to things like that. I like to trust my judgement.
Don’t you think politics will linger the time you would get married?
I don’t think so. Politics has not changed who I am. It has just made me realise who I am and I have understood things I didn’t know about myself.
So when will you get married?
God knows when I will be married, He knows everything.
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