The Creative Director and Founder of Zulér, Surajudeen Opeyemi Musa, has said Nigerian fashion entrepreneurs can build globally competitive brands by combining cultural identity with technology, quality production and sustained investment.
Musa stated this during an interview on Adamimogo 105.1FM Ibadan, where he spoke about the inspiration behind Zulér, its Nigerian identity, youth empowerment and the need for local products to meet international standards.
According to him, the idea behind Zulér was shaped by his interest in fashion and his desire to develop a business model that connects culture, craftsmanship and technology.
He said his journey into fashion began in 2018 with Musante Sculpture before his relocation to Ghana in 2023 helped him further develop his ideas around fashion within a cross-cultural environment.
Musa, who has academic backgrounds in political science, conflict and security studies and international law, said Zulér was designed as more than a fashion label, describing it as an ecosystem that could create opportunities for young Nigerians across different areas of the creative industry.
He explained that the ecosystem would bring together cultural design, embroidery, pattern drafting, technology and other specialised skills required in fashion production.
“Zulér has to do with culture, craftsmanship, technology,” he said, adding that the model had the potential to create employment for young people.
Musa rejected the perception that Zulér was designed exclusively for wealthy consumers, saying accessibility and affordability were central to the brand’s philosophy.
He acknowledged that not everyone would be able to afford every product, but said the wider objective was to create a brand that could serve different segments of society while remaining commercially sustainable.
“Zulér is not elitist and is not for a particular part of the people,” he said.
He described the brand as a movement centred on youth, culture, entrepreneurship and craftsmanship.
‘Zulér is proudly Nigerian’
Musa also described Zulér as a Nigerian brand despite its international outlook and its operations across the Nigeria-United Kingdom corridor.
He said living in the United Kingdom had not diminished his connection to Nigerian culture, arguing that the brand’s cultural identity remained firmly rooted in Nigeria.
“Zulér is a Nigerian thing,” he said, explaining that its international presence was intended to expand the reach of Nigerian and African cultural expression.
According to him, the brand’s designs and products are made in Nigeria, reflecting his belief that local production should be encouraged as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s creative economy.
On the challenge of getting Nigerian-made products accepted internationally, Musa identified culture, technology and transformation as three key elements.
He said culture provides identity, while technology enables ideas and products to move across borders and reach wider markets.
“Culture is about identity, while technology has to do with migration because technology is a new currency in society,” he said.
Musa argued that Nigerian products could meet global standards if entrepreneurs and businesses were prepared to invest sufficiently in design, production and quality control.
He said the established fashion industries of Western countries also evolved over time and through sustained investment, adding that Nigerian entrepreneurs could build similar standards by developing local talent and production capacity.
“We are making sure that we are embarking on the quality of design that we are making,” he said.
Musa maintained that Nigeria possesses the talent and creative capacity to produce for both the African and global markets, but said that potential must be matched with investment, technology and a commitment to quality.
He said Zulér’s long-term vision was therefore not simply to sell clothing, but to demonstrate how Nigerian culture, talent and locally made products could be developed into commercially viable brands with international appeal.
