Shareefah Andu: Wearing turban isn’t Islamic anymore but a fashion

Hajia Shareefah Abiola Andu’s name might not ring a bell in the first instance but add the word Arabel and everyone knows who she is and what to expect from this one stop shop filled with exotic Islamic stuffs ranging from books, gifts, accessories, turbans , clothing, wedding dresses and lots more. Hajia Andu spoke with Sunday Sun re­cently at her Surulere Office in Lagos.
Excerpts:
What’s your advice to Muslim first ladies as regards style?
I believe a lot of first ladies are coming in newly and they need protocol lessons but I’m not saying they don’t know about protocols but there are so many ways, so many things they may have been doing that are probably not right and this is probably the first time they are coming into limelight, so they have to be tutored. You don’t have to be ashamed of going through that. They have to be taught how to sit, how to talk, their carriage, how to walk and I’m sure a lot of them know but you won’t know because when they came in, in six months you start seeing the difference. Finishing schools are obviously all over the world.
In terms of fashion what should we expect from these first ladies?
Since we‘re in economic doldrums, I don’t expect to see a first lady that is overly dressed and they should always be sensitive to the environment. I think subtlety should be the word here. They should be glamorous and look very nice but they should not overdo it. They shouldn’t wear diamond earrings and necklaces that are uncomfortable at parties because they are very heavy. They should be very sensitive and simplicity is usually the watch word.
What kind of apparels do you think should be in their ward­robes?
Before they became first ladies, they had always been dressing like Muslims. They have veils and they had always been there. I don’t think I can actually recommend anything for them to wear. I see all of them and they are looking so nice so what can I add?
Are you a stylist too?
Yes, I just do that by way of advising but nothing really structured is in place. People just come in and ask what they can match with this and that . I just advise them on how they could match the veil and they go and I sell what I want to sell.
Nigerians are very stylish people, maybe when they are doing a fashion show and a fashion designer is showcasing kaftans and they are putting my turbans on, then I can do the styling, other than that, I give free ad­vice.
Arabel is a popular brand. Could you tell us the story?
I think it’s just an inspiration that came 17 years ago. I felt there was a dearth of Is­lamic materials dealers, where you can go and get high quality Islamic stuffs and I’ve always loved quality things, very good things. I thought of having a shop that deals on every­thing Islamic. We started with just buying and selling Islamic things. We are now into produc­tion of turbans.
Arabel is everything Islamic from books, to dresses to bridal dresses, decorations and stuffs we produce here. We are the manufac­turers and it’s exciting. Wearing turban or cap is not an Islamic thing anymore, it’s a fashion statement, we are catering for everybody and it’s very, very, exciting.
You are really vast in Islam, how did this start?
I’m a Muslim by birth, I have never attend­ed any conventional Islamic school but I ac­quired knowledge from reading Islamic litera­tures and sermons. I started my education at Dorcas Memorial Nursery School in Oke Bola Ibadan, before transferring to Ebenezer Pri­mary School and later Olowu Home School, owned by a renowned educationist in the then Western Region,Chief Ogunlesi. Subsequent­ly, I attended Baptist Grammar School, Idi Isin, Ibadan and Ogbomoso Grammar School for my secondary education and Higher School Certificate respectively. But let me add that even at Baba Ogunlesi’s school, where we all had to do morning devotion everyday and go to ECWA Church in Molete every Sunday, it never stopped me from saying my prayers, because from when I could remember, Ansar Ud Deen was my second home. Our proprie­tor, Chief Ogunlesi never stopped me when he discovered I was saying my prayers. His nick­name for me was Iya Sunnah.
Before you incorporated Ara­bel what were you doing?
I was a journalist and a banker. I left the bank to start this business. We have shops in Ikeja, Surulere and Lekki and we are still growing. We’ve got to the level that we are consolidating and we have had our ups and downs. It’s not that the problems are still not there but we’ve learnt to grow and this is all I do. I’m passionate about this and I was never discouraged. I never had issues of “it doesn’t work; I have to look for other things.”
It must work and that is why I’m here.
How do you start your day?
I start my day with prayer and the first thin I say is amhabudillahi, which means praise be to God Almighty for waking me up, for making me see the brightness of his wonderful crea­tion again. Everyday is a celebration, I do that and I do my ablation and pray before doing anything. Occasionally, if I am up to it, I go jog­ging. I try to do that like four times a week but I’m still very lazy, sometimes I jog two times a week, come back, take my bath and get ready for the office.
What’s fashion for you?
Fashion is comfort. If there is anything that makes me feel good, I like to look good and right from when I was very young, I be­lieve if you look good it gives you accessibility, confidence, and half of your problem is solved if you look good because you’ll be able to talk to anybody, you get a lot done.
People are always easily disposed to you not like when you are shabbily dressed or not nice. I have always liked to look good but I don’t go overboard and I don’t do the trend. I just do what I’m comfortable in and I think it’s just natural. I just like to look good.