The Nigerian fashion industry is evolving at a very fast pace, emerging designers are taking over the fashion scene and Fruche is one of those brands that cannot go unnoticed. Frank Aghuno emerged winner at the Fayrouz L’Original fashion show, taking home 4million Naira alongside his team members. Since then, the designer has been making waves in the fashion industry. His pieces are creatively distinct from your everyday designer, Fruche is that brand you always dream about from the future. We got the opportunity to have an exclusive interview with the young lad and he led us into his fashion world. See Interview below
Who is the brain child behind FRUCHE?
Frank Aghuno is the brain behind Fruché
Have you always had the dream of being a Designer?
I grew up wanting to be an accountant. I loved money and calculations Haha! When i was younger i used to sew actual life sized dresses by hand at like age ten. I would steal my mothers ankara scarves and sew the skimpiest outfits, all this while hiding. When my mum finally realized this even as bazaar as it was she would give me entire wrappers to practice with. She was really my first source of inspiration. I went on to university to study finance but it was clearly not where my head was at.
What Steps did you take to get to the point you are now?
I registered my brand, put out my first ever lookbook in 2014, At the time there were castings for this new designer program so i thought why not and went on to signed up for Lagos fashion and Design week’s Fashion focus and i qualified, which was a big shock at the time mostly because i was so new to the industry. I learnt a lot from the seminars on branding and the business of fashion as a whole. That really opened my mind to the industry and how to navigate to where i needed to be.
What is your brand aesthetic?
My brand aesthetic is ready to wear with artisinal sensibilities. The fruché brand is quite fun, quirky, edgy and in some sense radical.
What is your target market as a designer?
Anyone that is adventurous, knows who they are, what they want, how they want to feel and overall is confident in themselves or at least wants to look that way!
What inspires you on a daily basis?
Passion. I think without passion i would have given up a long time ago.
What principles do you live by?
Create your own path; You’re not all those people. You are you. Get off the beaten path, and create your own. If I’m not pushing myself beyond my comfort zone, I’m not really living. Life in this world is for growth and struggle. And also Make list! Every single day.
What are your greatest achievements so far?
My debut collections Vogue italia review is one I’ll always remember and also being a part of Lfdw’s fashion focus and winning the instituto maragoni short course scholarship.
What is your worst designer disaster so far?
I wouldn’t say this was a huge disaster but being restricted and not being able to do certain things because you’re young is definitely one of the most frustrating things that has happened to me.
We love how distinct your look books are, what inspires you? Our look books are always inspired by art. All our look books in the past have been hand painted by Nigerian Artist Fred Aghuno of Dricky Stickman.
Where do you envision the ‘Fruche’ brand in the near future?
We hope to be a leading fashion brand both in Nigeria and globally.
What is your take on the evolving African fashion industry?
The fact that the world is now more than ever aware of African creatives and their ability to push the envelope and go against the norms is a beautiful thing. This has exposed us to greater opportunities and put us on the pedestal i think we duly deserve. Our local brands are able to compete on a global scale and churn out the best quality pieces
If you were to have another life,would you still be a designer?
I would definitely still choose fashion as a career path. The only thing i would do differently is probably study it formally in university.
What fashion item is a must have?
The one fashion item you can’t do without would be my flared pants i guess. They’re so comfortable!
How do you relax?
Well i don’t relax very often but when i do it’s usually with a movie, music or sketching up new ideas.
My Inspirational words would be perceiver and be determined to succeed. Never let your circumstance limit you or stop you from pursuing your dreams.
