Today we’d like to introduce you to Okey Nwoke.
Okey, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Whenever I am asked to share my story, I always pause and remember when I use to think life was linear, man was I naive. I have always loved fashion, its been apart of my story for as long as I can remember. Being a Nigerian, fashion is embedded in our culture. Certain fabrics and colors are worn based on the occasion or community you belong too. Along with my culture, my love for music at an early age was a bridge to fashion for me. When it was time to go to college I knew I wanted to study the arts so I decided to major in music. My parents were not having that. Remember what I mentioned earlier, I’m Nigerian.
As a Nigerian your profession is already picked out for you, engineer, lawyer, doctor, professor, and sometimes pastor. I decided to major in Information Technology because I loved computers and video games. I completed my undergraduate studies and went on to receive my masters in Information Technology management, fun stuff! This entire time I remained in the arts, dance, drawing, modeling, etc. I eventually started to produce fashion shows and realized that I really loved the art of fashion. It was familiar and to me it made sense. Fashion ultimately to me is not about just clothes, it is one of the highest forms of communication.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It absolutely hasn’t been a smooth journey. One of the biggest struggles I have faced is self-doubt. As a creative sometimes “you” can be the biggest roadblock and critic to your own success. The faster you get out of your own head the quicker you will get to your goal.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about F-Collective – what should we know?
In 2016 I started F-Collective (formerly ATL Fashion Tech Collective). The aim of our community was to bring together the fashion and technology community in order to form a community, collaborate, and create. I love bringing folks together and designing experiences that form a real honest community. Since starting the F-Collective our mailing list has grown to over a thousand email subscribers, and our events have been very successful to date.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Humility and empathy.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/fcollective_global
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/atlfashtech
Image Credit:
Mr. Jeno, Moyo Oyelola
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