Before you designed clothes, you had a fashion and travel blog. Where did you go?
All around Africa, Asia, Europe, everywhere. I'd say the place I probably found most inspiring was Southeast Asia–Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand. I'd go shopping for fabric, make clothes with the fabric, and then I'd post it on my blog or my Instagram. People would always ask me where I got the items from.
Answers have been edited for concision and clarity.
VIETNAM
Why is travel important
to your business?
CAMBODIA
Could you run
your business without the inspiration you find abroad?
I don't think so. What has informed my creativity is my upbringing in Nigeria. It's tropical, and there's just so much to take in visually. My clothes are very colorful, and a lot of it is informed by my colorful upbringing in Nigeria. I can't imagine getting all of that from London. I love London, and I think London has the most stylish people in the world, but in terms of what I'm actually creating, it is very much informed by the tropics and different cultures. My travel activates my different senses.
Nigeria
Are there routines you follow while traveling?
istanbul
Has a particular travel experience fueled your business?
When I was in Istanbul in 2016—that led to a whole collection in the beginning of Kai. All the fabric for that I found in Istanbul, and the first manufacturers were in Istanbul. If I hadn't gone on that trip, I don't know what Kai would look like today. The whole premise of Kai has been from travel, and that trip was absolutely instrumental. A lot of the people who I have partnered with are people who I have found traveling.