Style Icon: Fadairo’s Fashion Traced To NYC Lineage

Exactly one year ago, I was tapped on the shoulder in Ross Dining Hall by a sophomore guy who asked me, “Are you the girl that wore those patterned leggings last week?”

My answer was “yes,” as I grinned ecstatically, so incredibly pleased that someone noticed those leggings that were going to be either a total hit or miss. That conversation sparked the first of many, many conversations that Ola Fadairo ’15 and I have shared over our love of fashion.

Even if you do not know Fadairo, you know Ola. You have heard him, noticed him, admired him, and I guarantee you’ve wanted to befriend him. He walks around campus in his classic black pea coat, sporting either some type of NYC flat cap or exceedingly cool sunglasses.

The kid has style and there is no question about that.

Born and raised in New York City, Fadairo’s style originated in what some would call the fashion capital of the world.

“Every time I go out I feel like I need to be on par with everyone else in terms of what I wear,” he said. “I like seeing what I can do with my wardrobe in the context of a city where fashion is an essential part of its identity.”

Both of his parents emigrated from Nigeria and have become extremely successful individuals in their new New York City home. His father has his Ph.D. in computer science and is the chair of the computer science and information systems department at Medgar Evers College in New York. His mother has her masters in architecture and works as a real estate broker. His parents’ motivation to come to a different country for a better life and more opportunities has inspired Fadairo to “treat every facet of [his] life with dedication.”

According to his parents, part of success is “looking the part.” They believe that dressing maturely is an essential part of achievement, especially in a professional environment. Bottom line, they teach Fadairo that he will be assessed on the way he presents himself.

One of the things I admire most about Fadairo is his ability to admit the obvious. You will be judged. Everyone will be judged. Even though you cannot stop that, you can have some sort of control over what people think of you through the way you dress.

Fadairo’s style is a combination of urban and prep. Growing up in New York City, he rolled with a circle of people that were from lower-end parts of the city, but attended the private schools of high society. Their involvement in both ends of the economic and social demographics of the city influenced their mixture of hip-hop and classic elite prep.

“It isn’t too often you’ll find men from an urban background in a private school setting,” he said, which is why his hybrid style is not just for show, but a political statement.

By diving deeper into this idea of fashion as a kind of political propaganda, one can understand why Fadairo feels caught between two worlds.

“If I dress too urban, certain negative normative judgments will be passed and the same is true on the preppy side,” he said. “Finding the balance not only allows me to look good, but it makes my life a lot easier. It’s kind of crazy to think that the way one dresses has social implications.”

Fadairo was not always into fashion. When he was younger, he simply wore what fit. It was not until a guy two years older than him at Collegiate High School “took [him] under his wing in terms of transforming [his] sense of style.”

It was then that everything his parents had taught him about presenting himself properly made sense. The way Fadairo used to dress represented the way he was feeling on the inside, which at the time was purposeless. Once he really took a look at the way he dressed, he started taking himself more seriously and started having dreams and aspirations.

“It’s kind of ironic that something that can be viewed as superficial, such as fashion, helped me find myself on a deeper level,” he said. “Isn’t that what fashion is about? Dressing to express yourself, make a statement or just bring you confidence and happiness…not to imply your economic status or capability to wear things that others cannot.”

As far as inspiration goes, Fadairo is most profoundly impacted by his older brother’s fashion. His brother owns his own public relations firm in New York City and is surrounded by the industry, as he works fashion weeks in New York, London and Paris. To Fadairo, his greatest advice is to be yourself regardless of what people may think.

“He believes being stared at is a privilege,” he said. If people take time out of their day to acknowledge you regardless of their opinion, it means you’re doing something worth noticing.”

With that type of attitude as his role model, Fadairo “likes to take risks and develop something new everyday.”

Fashion can be seen on multiple levels. On the one hand it can be interpreted as superficial, materialistic and egotistical. On an entirely different spectrum, fashion can be used as a technique to bridge the gaps of our society and our world — it is up to you to decide which path you will let fashion take you down.

“Fashion connects humans on a more personal level than people realize, so if I can achieve a more personal interaction with people based on the way I dress, I’m content,” he said.

I think the relationship Ola and I have is a perfect example of that idea. We connected over fashion; it brought us together regardless of our different genders, interests, hobbies, backgrounds etc. So I leave you with the wise words of Fadairo and his incredibly unique taste:

“Fashion gives us a sense of identity. To know that you own a piece that is unique to you or that has some sort of sentimental value is a special value. I constantly ask myself ‘why are you wearing this?’ Some might consider this level of analysis to be too in-depth, but I feel if I’m not questioning myself, I’m going through life blindly.”