Firstly Bunmi, congratulations on the success of Bunmi Koko so far. It’s been quite a whirlwind! How are you feeling?

Great. And exhausted! It’s amazing. I’ve been really fortunate with everything that’s happened. It’s been a lot of hard work, but it’s great to be recognized when you’ve worked so hard and put everything you’ve got into something. It’s great.

Let’s go back to the beginning. How did Bunmi Koko originate?

It began around March 2009, Francis [Bunmi’s business partner] comes from an engineering background and I came from fashion. We were both very interested in doing something together, for our future. When it came to brainstorming names....he calls me ‘Koko’, which is like a pet name. It actually means ‘my other half’ in his language. My first name, Bunmi, means ‘God gave me’, in Yoruba (another dialect from Nigeria). So, it made sense to put ‘Bunmi’ and ‘Koko’ together, which means ‘God gave me my other half’. So that was the concept behind the name. And, I’d always wanted to design from a young age; I used to personalise garments for my dolls! I’ve studied for several courses and worked in fashion for various companies, including Louis Vuitton, Allison Rodger (I did my training there) and Alexander McQueen.

You were born in Nigeria but came to the UK as a teenager. How has your cultural heritage influenced you?

I think it has influenced me a great deal. I’m able to appreciate both cultures, which is what my designs are about. I don’t put myself in a box as an ‘African designer’. I’ve grown up in Britain and I’ve also seen the world. I have seen  many different countries and I’ve had the experience of meeting people from so many backgrounds, especially in London. All of these things help my creative influences and give me a broader outlook.

For your most recent collection, ‘Matriarchy’, you seem to bring the two worlds together. What’s the story there?

It was like Nigeria and Britain united! We were honoring Mary Slessor, who was actually Francis’ great-great grandmother. She was a Scottish missionary who went back to Nigeria in the early 19th Century, through the Presbyterian Church. The missionaries would take Victorian garments to Africa, through charities, and they influenced the way women dressed in that part of Africa (Calabar). The theory is that she became famous for stopping the killing of twins and helping women become more independent. And, they honour her in Scotland; she’s on the Scottish ten pound note and one of the twins she rescued, is Francis’ great-grandmother.

Bunmi Koko is not just a fashion label. You are building a luxury brand. Can you explain your motivations behind that decision?

One of the first things we thought when we set up, was: ‘What do we want to achieve?” You always need to have a benchmark or you set yourselves goals, and that’s what we did. We looked at people and brands I’d admired for years, like the LVMH group, for instance. That’s a big entity. I worked for Louis Vuitton for about four years. One of the things we always talked about was that we wanted Bunmi Koko to be a luxury label. I always worked in luxury fashion; I worked at Prada, I worked for Harrods. To have been around that type of customer and what it means to deliver a product to a high standard; all those things really helped. It’s only the foundation stages [for Bunmi Koko], but we are heading in the right direction.

There were rumours that America’s First Lady, Michelle Obama, was showing interest in a cream coat of yours. Tell me more!

When we were in South Africa, we had a lookbook and I was showing it to Nelson Mandela’s wife. She thought she was too old for the designs, but said: “Michelle Obama would look beautiful in something like this, especially that design...” The Mandelas said: “You should definitely contact the White House”. So, that’s what I did! And, right now, I think I have to wait and see when it all happens. Everyone’s speculating, but we’ll have to wait and see. It’s always been a dream of mine to dress Michelle Obama and it would be an absolute honour.

Are there any tips you can give readers hoping to break into fashion?

It’s good for designers to understand, when they are designing, where their market is. You have to think of who’s going to be wearing your product. When you know who your woman is, you design with her in mind and that helps you design your product.

Where do you see Bunmi Koko in 5 years?

Definitely getting more international recognition and being an available brand with stockists all around. Also, having a flagship store and expanding our product line in terms of accessories: going into other products like shoes and bags.

For more information see www.bunmikoko.com or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Kate Ingram is a freelance fashion/lifestyle journalist, based in London. You can follow and contact Kate via her blog, City Girl Diaries (EC1).