Meet Toyin Lawani-Adebayo: The Real Housewives of Lagos

The serial entrepreneur Toyin Lawani-Adebayo is a renowned celebrity stylist, fashion designer, and business mogul who runs 33 businesses at Tiannah’s Place Empire.

Toyin is the author of The Business Mogul Guide. She also runs a charity organisation, The Toyin Lawani Foundation, which offers yearly scholarship programs for people with the dream of learning the art of fashion and styling. In addition, she trains and empowers physically challenged candidates.

Meet Toyin

She is a mother of three super-talented kids and married to musician and creative photographer Segun Wealth. Popularly also referred to as Tiannah, Toyin Lawani-Adebayo is well-known for her trendsetting moves. She does not hold back on making fashion statements with her designs on herself and superstars on the red carpet.

When it comes to fashion and business, Tiannah is surely a force to be reckoned with. Fans of The Real Housewives franchise received her announcement as part of Showmax’s The Real Housewives of Lagos (#RHOLagos) with excitement as Toyin is known to dish the drama.

Here’s what she had to say about being on #RHOLagos and her experience so far.

What attracted you to this franchise, and how did you feel when you got it?

It was more about women empowerment, strong women doing their things differently. It’s a platform where they can showcase themselves more. Many people also know I had my reality show, Tiannah’s Empire. I wanted to see other women in another light because it’s easy when you see people on social media. They sell themselves to you in a certain way, but when you mingle with them, you get to see them for who they are. I wanted to do that because there’s only one Tiannah.

Watch the trailer for The Real Housewives of Lagos

In your own words, what does it mean to be a Real Housewife of Lagos?

I would not say the person has to be a Lagosian, but Lagos has to be in your bloodstream. I feel Lagos is hype, hustle, and sweat. Wherever we are, we want to run back to Lagos. That’s number one. Number two is you have to be a very hardworking, strong mother. She is someone who can juggle all her various businesses and home front because living in Lagos is not easy.

Can you describe your style?

You can’t put me in a box. I’m crazy, edgy, fun, and I can be classy. I can be anything, but you can’t put me in a box. I’m dramatic, edgy, gagarish, mad, but always classy.

What is the hardest part about being in front of the cameras?

This time around, it’s not only me. It’s with a lot of other opinionated women. It’s like when you sit down with a group of people, you want to talk about your ideas, and many people are talking at the same time. I always try to bring my opinions to the table, but it’s hard when many people are trying to speak simultaneously. So I think that’s one of the hardest things, especially when we all come together.

What are you 100% about?

Myself. Everything else seems fake sometimes. The only thing I know is real is me, who I am, and how I want to stay true to myself – my culture. I would not say that because the camera is in front of me, I start acting up, all posh. It still doesn’t mean that anybody else on this show is better than me or more classy than I am. The pedigree is on point.

What has been your highlight since you started shooting The Real Housewives of Lagos?

My highlight was when I went to the streets. You know me, I love the streets, the streets love me. I’m not for the streets, but I love them. There’s just something about the street that I love mingling with them. If you go to the bar beach, go to the mainland, everywhere. They call me Iya Rere because I pick boys up from the streets, adopt them, put them in my home, and give them jobs. I don’t look down on people and I blend with them easily.

So when we went back to the streets to celebrate my birthday, giving to the less privileged, I was so happy. My boys were singing for me, and it was just fun. It just brought back memories to me. I sat with them, and they played music for me. You know my background is also music. That just brought back a lot of memories.

Who in your life knows you the best and why?

My husband Segun Wealth knows me best. He knows me best because he is my best friend. If I’m sleeping and he is awake, you ask him, “What is she thinking right now in her sleep?”, he knows. “What colour suits her best? What hairstyle? What shoes would she wear with these clothes? What makeup?” He knows everything.

Why should audiences watch? What makes RHOLagos unique?

Watch it because of me, because I have something to offer.

Catch Toyin Lawani-Adebayo on The Real Housewives of Lagos on Showmax from 8 April, with new episodes every Friday.