I love wearing shorts and mini skirts –Niyola

How would you rate response to your new song, Love to Love with Banky W?

The response has been very positive. I guess people accepted it because it is a positive song that impacts on lives. It is a song that talks about marriage, people and the concept of love.

Why is it taking you so long to release an album?

It is not just about releasing an album; a body of work once released is forever. I want to make sure I am happy and most importantly confident about what I have put out. I don’t want to release an album that would fall below my expectations or that of my fans. I want to produce a body of work that would be evergreen and stand the test of time. I want to bring out good music.

How did you discover your passion for music?

Music has always been an innate ability in me. I remember growing up, I would always sing and dance while I did my chores or ran errands. I was doing it subconsciously but unknown to me, my dad had noticed. At a point, he gave me ‘higher grade’ notebooks to write choruses for the morning devotion but I did not understand why he chose me. He eventually took me to a Funmi Adams’ concert one day where I saw kids like me performing and at that moment, I knew I had a passion for music and wanted to be on a stage.

What was your childhood like?

I grew up with a lot of boys around- brothers, cousins and I was naturally drawn to guys. I never took to the daintiness of being a girl even though my sisters and mum tried to make me wear pink and cute floral or lacy dresses; I was in my own way a fashionable kid. I loved and still love shorts and small skirts or dresses or just a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. I think I just love to be comfortable.

Would you say there is a clear cut difference between fashion and style?

In my opinion, fashion is what is acceptable to the public and society while I consider style as something more personal. It is basically a person’s interpretation of fashion trends.

Which of your parents’ style has affected yours to a large extent?

I would say it is my father’s style. Even though my father is quite old, from his demeanour and even old pictures, you can tell he was quite the fashionista in his prime. My mother on the other hand is just a very simple person who didn’t care much about fashion back then.

Since you are dark, wouldn’t you have loved to bleach your skin to be lighter?

What I know is that black is beautiful and bleaching does more harm than good to the skin. But in the end, everyone has their own choices and definition of beauty.

But can you bleach?

I love my skin and I wouldn’t change its complexion for anything.

If given the opportunity to alter any part of your body, making it bigger or smaller, which part would it be?

I think my body is perfect the way it is. I wish I was taller but that is something high heeled shoes can fix.

When it comes to your body, which do you see as assets?

My entire body is an asset. There is no separating any body part from the other or even me from my body. My whole being is my asset and it is who I am in the inside that exudes on the outside to show the beauty that I possess. So as a whole, I would say my whole body is an asset.

Would you say your career has had an impact on your style?

Yes, but only a little. I still love to wear only what I am comfortable in regardless of what is expected of me. I am first human before being an artiste and it is what I find okay as a human being that matters.

What would you say is the major fashion flop Nigerians make?

Many Nigerians dress inappropriately like wearing party dresses to corporate events and vice versa. I think that is very wrong. You need to understand the kind of event it is so that you know the appropriate mode of dressing. Everybody likes to dress like the next person thinking that it is fashion, not considering their body types, skin colours or whether it suits them or not.

What is the most embarrassing fashion mistake you have committed?

I have no recollection of any. If I ever did, I must have erased it from my memory so as not to allow it plague me. Thinking deeper, I think a pair of shoes spoilt at an event but it wasn’t a mistake, it was an accident.

What kind of clothes do you feel most comfortable in?

I am most comfortable in shorts and a shirt or a shift dress. I used to love jeans but now I rarely wear them. I don’t like wearing jeans because it is too much trouble for me especially with the heat.

What is that fashion item you admire on a man?

I love a man with a nice wristwatch and nice shoes. It speaks volumes, especially his wristwatch.

What’s your favourite hairstyle?

My watchword is simplicity. I like to keep things simple. When it comes to my favourite hairstyle, I like wearing a pony tail. Unfortunately, my natural hair is too curly to stay that way, so I settle for a side part most of the time. The centre part is too basic for me, I can’t do much with it and I get bored easily.

With your schedule, how often do you visit a salon?

It depends on what I am trying to do. I style my hair myself most of the time, but I visit the salon once in two weeks on the average.

What is your take on tattoos?

I like them on people when it’s not too crazy but I don’t like needles at all. I am not a huge tattoo fan.

Don’t you have any?

No, I don’t have a tattoo.

Do you think it is fashionable?

I can’t say if it is fashionable. I think it’s a thing of preference and perception.

To you, is fashion about dressing alone or much more?

Fashion is a lot more than clothes or dressing up. It is a lifestyle. Anything can be fashionable; it depends on how you look at it. It is beyond dressing. It encompasses your dress sense, carriage, poise and many more. I don’t think fashion is about the dress alone.

Do you feel incomplete without make-up on?

I really hate to make up; I prefer being without it not for any reason other than the fact that it is stressful for me.

You recently posed semi-nude for a magazine, why?

As is almost everything in life, nudity is relative. There’s tasteful and distasteful art. Its intent wasn’t to overtly show skin or promote nudity, it was about sensuality.

What is your take on ladies exposing their cleavages and wearing skimpy and tight dresses?

I am a firm believer of doing what one is comfortable with. I don’t judge anybody by what they do or do not do.

When stepping out for an event, what are the things you consider?

The first thing I strive to achieve is that I want to look good. I have to feel confident and leave a lasting impression on whoever I encounter during the event.

Source: ThePunch