IPTLC INTERVIEW WITH IFEOLUWA OLARINDE

IPTLC: Hello to our Guest😁.

Thank you for agreeing to have this interview.  Please introduce yourself, any popular nicknames ?

IFE : Evening everyone.

Thanks for having me.  My name is Olarinde Ifeoluwa Amos.  A 400 level law student, University of Ibadan. I run a clothing business. Brand’s name is HD (Hyphi designs) . I was nicknamed Ife Byron in my early days in school(University).

IPTLC: A clothing business, that’s amazing. So what exactly does the business do?(in details please)

IFE : We make be-spoke wears for clients from scratch.

Ranging from Native wears to casuals. Focussing mainly on exclusive designs which we believe to the best of our knowledge differs from designs which are readily available by other designers or in the    market sphere generally.

IPTLC: Exclusive designs. Great stuff. When did you start the business; what made you start in the first place?

IFE: Well, the brand basically  started off about a 2 years ago. A year and half more accurately.  Was in my 3rd year in school.

I’ve always been pretty enthusiastic about dressing, appearance among other things. It feels  really good wearing or seeing nice outfits on people.  I also wanted to venture into something before leaving university, something worth commitment, so i thought, what better thing to do, than something I’m enthusiastic about.

So HD

IPTLC:  Woah, that sounds amazing. How has the journey being so far?

IFE: Yeah, the journey has been pretty much like any other project any other person would venture into.  Its been challenging. Interesting, educative but challenging.

I think the nature of any undertaking is that the older it gets, the better is gets the more the complications, the higher the severity of  a any unfortunate flaw etc.

This also applies to what i do

IPTLC: Hmm, the higher you go, the higher the risk.

One question for you, do you know about Intellectual Property(IP)? And if yes, what do you know about it?

IFE: Yeah i know IP, not in depth though.  Its more or less about any product, service, creation whatsoever thats an offshoot of a person’s creativity, thoughtfulness (not sure of the right word to use) basically something you can lay claim on as your handiwork in exclusion to others’.

Basically, thats one’s IP, and its been recognised and protected by certain laws

IPTLC: Woa that’s apt!

Has your IP right ever being infringed upon? In common parlance, has anybody ever “Stolen an idea from you? Like a design?” if yes, please share your experience and how did you feel. If No, how would you feel then?

IFE: Oh, lol, well first of there’s unfortunately a very thin line between exclusiveness and inspiration in our line of business, its the same for every fashion outlet in the industry,  what lawyers, or people in other coporate industry will see as imitation, a designer can see as “inspiration” “creativity” and on and on, you name it.

So yes, designs i make have been done by other folks a couple of times bfr. I definitly am not the only one whom its been done to, i certainly won’t be the last.  Funny thing, even your boss, can see you run a design and feel impressed by your creativity, i mean this is your boss, you take off! And next thing you see your design has been replicated, you either feel like a badass(honoured) that “even oga sef sabi better thing” or you feel pained.  Its usually a bit.of both emotions.

Likewise in school organisations, you tender a design for a department or a faculty across campuses, your pitch eventually gets turned down and boom, the organisation does something pretty similar to what you pitched.

Sometimes, you see more or less a look alike of your design but you can swear the maker has never seen your stuff bfr,  and you didn’t see his/hers before you made yours too. Who made it first is a million dollar question, so yes y’all could have had very seperate similar ideas.

It happens all the time.

IPTLC: Sounds to me like the industry is quite in need of IP.

We’ll be rounding off pretty soon, but quickly,Let’s go to your brand, what inspires you to make the particular kind of clothes you do?

IFE: The likes of Nike, Fila, Supreme etc caused it all. 

I mean, those folks’ products are not from this world. Really elegant stuffs they do. I get really inspired by things like that

IPTLC: and soon, you’ll be an inspiration to other brands, if you aren’t already

One fun thing, before this is over, Give us an exclusive. One fun fact about you that no one knows.

IFE: This  is a tough one, i really don’t know.

Well i wouldn’t say this is a fun fact, and a couple of people actually know, if you are not standing just right in front of me, and you’re wearing a new cloth that i haven’t saved you with in my head before, then I’m sorry i can’t see you! 

You’re just one seriously blurry thing ahead.

IPTLC: Really?😂 You must have issues with people misunderstanding that for you being a snob.

To wrap this up, doing the kind of thing you do, and I must commend, you’re doing a great job; you must definitely need to know basics of Intellectual Property. You would not want to have come up with a high selling idea and have it snatched from you with no backing from the law. An  advice from me to you, keep IPTLC very close to your brand.

Thank you for agreeing to do it.

IFE: Will do!

Thanks for having me.