We were keen to talk to her to find out more about her journey since leaving RGU and moving back home to Lagos.

Madame Modish, the style icon alter-ego of Damilola Oke, graduated from RGU with a master’s degree in Corporate Communications & Public Affairs in 2010. She’s been running her small but successful business, Fierce & Modish, for the last seven years. In that time, she has provided artistic and styling services to over 200 clients; including consumers, celebrities, corporate brands and TV and film production companies.

Sadly, Madame Modish was forced to temporarily close the doors of her agency following the outbreak of COVID-19, which restricted the social gatherings she relied upon; and her clients stopped calling. After seven years of hard work it was difficult for her not to be working and creating. But she has kept a positive attitude throughout, choosing to see her cup as half full and to use this time to do something for herself and her brand.

‘Modish Maxims: a set of style rules’ was the first thing she’d created that she felt was for her brand, rather than the styling services she provides for others. This, in effect, is her baby. As the winner of the Stylist of the Year Award at the African Fashion Week Nigeria in 2015, it’s safe to say her readers are in good hands.

She had planned to write the book when the agency turned five, but it was two years later before it became a reality. The decision to write it came about after researching online and discovering that there was no book that served as a fashion and style guide, so Madame Modish tells us matter of factly, “ if you want to read a book and it’s not been written, you write it!”.

In her video interview, we find out what drives and inspires her. She shares her journey from studying to starting her own business and offers a few pearls of wisdom along the way. We can’t help but be inspired by her, we hope she inspires you too.

Madame Modish can be found on social media on:

• Facebook: @fierceandmodish
• Instagram: @fierceandmodish

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