FEATURED FUTURE: Zito Youdeowei
Ever wondered how a student balances content creation and school? There's a lot to learn here. Zito is a nursing student, a fashion and lifestyle content creator.
Hi Zito, let's get to know you?
Hi! I’m Zito Youdeowei, a 20 years old fashion and lifestyle content creator, entrepreneur and nursing student in my 4th year. No, I’m not from those countries you’re thinking about. I’m from Delta State, Nigeria.
How do you balance school and creating content?
Nursing is a tedious course, so time management and planning are essential. So basically, I create space for content creation. I can choose a weekend every two weeks as my content creation day, and I make sure I put everything in place so it can work for me. I batch create, so I have enough to give out. I calculate how many minutes/hours I am supposed to spend doing a particular thing; I like to take advantage of every little time.
Asides from these weekend content days, I like to take everything as content; I try as much as possible to let my audience know that what they see on Instagram is what’s going on. Some things will be altered, of course, because obviously, I don’t want you to see me falling as I walk, but I try to make it as realistic as possible, and it involves taking advantage of whatever free time I have. Free time in the sense that my school activities have been put in place.
So, for instance, If I plan my outfit for the day and when I put it on, It comes out nice. Any spare time I have, maybe from break or when I’m waiting for my lecturer to show up, I make a video or two and look for a sound from what I have saved, or I just stall it because I know it will come in handy someday. Sometimes it becomes a lot, but that’s part of the process.
What makes you happy about fashion? What is the goal for your fashion career?
For me, fashion is art. I love how versatile fashion is. I love how it makes sense to some, and it doesn’t make sense to others. It is exciting to see how far people can go with whatever they put on. It is exciting to see one person style an outfit differently and look good in both ways. I love to look good because that gives me confidence. A bad day for me starts when I am not feeling my outfit. In this same way, I love seeing other people look good. It is like sharing different ideas or expressing your understanding of art.
For my fashion career, If you asked me this question 2 years ago, I would have said I want to be a fashion designer, but at this point in my life, I think I want to make clothes that I’ll wear. I want to express myself by myself with my pieces just for me. Understand that this is the space I’m in right now. Maybe as time goes on, I will have a different mindset about what I want my fashion career to be like, but for now, this is it. I know creating fashion content would be a long term thing, and I am willing to evolve with whatever trend comes in.
What is your creative process? Take us through a school day when you have to shoot?
Shoots on school days are usually very tasking, The pictures I take on school days are the ones that I can wear to class as well, and I don’t take up-close pictures because I don’t do makeup to class. Nobody has that time, lol. However, I wake up super early, that’s a regular thing, but I get ready fast, and most times, I don’t eat, so I can reach my location before people come in. My top locations are my classroom area, and the multipurpose hall and those areas are usually busy. I leave my hostel at approximately 7:00 am, and by that time, if it’s a sunny day, the sun will be out. I go out with my tripod and a Bluetooth shutter to be very fast because my class starts at 8:00 am. I already know what I want to do, the poses and angles, but If I’m not sure, I take from different angles and pray to my father in heaven that at least two pictures would come out nice, and of course, he always answers. After that, I go to my classroom. While waiting for my lecturer, I edit my pictures and see those that best fit my page. If the pictures don’t come out nice, we go again in the afternoon or the next day, but it rarely turns out bad.
What happened to the Stimulating Conversations podcast? Are we expecting a comeback soon?
Hmmm. This podcast, okay, so I started this podcast because I wanted to learn to be more expressive, and my friend got excited about the idea. We decided on a name and what we would be about, but now she moved away from school (off campus) so finding a way to meet up to record became difficult. I am currently thinking of ways to make it work, and as soon as I can come up with a solution, we will be back for sure!
When are you at your creative peak? In school, around friends?
I don’t know If I have said this but music is an essential aspect of my creative process. Honestly, It’s when I’m alone, especially at night. I listen to different songs, and you know, when the music is on shuffle, and a random song pops up, I think of ideas I can create with what I’m listening to.
What's your take on the ever-evolving fashion trends?
I feel like the fashion industry is a circle, or would I say a web, because we think we are moving forward or starting something new, but we lean on past trends, and the web comes in when we pick up an old trend and go about it using a modern approach. I feel like we would never be original. We would just keep moving in that circle and pinching into past fashion trends. Don’t get me wrong, and this isn’t bad. You know how we have textbooks, and then we have the revised edition; that’s what fashion is. However, I’m excited to see what the future holds in the fashion industry.
What was growing up like? Do your family support your choice of fashion? Do they consider it a distraction from school?
Growing up, my mom has always been a fashionista, so you can trace where I got my fashion genes from. My mom always knows what looks good and what doesn’t, what suits your body type and what doesn’t. My mom is the OG of slaying on a budget because the things she gets when thrift shopping are always good good. I remember growing up seeing my mom draw outfits she wants her tailor to make for her, stating how the tailor should combine different fabrics.
You know the irony of this; my mom would never believe people think I’m fashionable because I was always the conservative type, always wanted to play safe with outfits, wear all black or two plain colours, but see where we are now, Zito the fashionista, lmao. My family supports my siblings and me mainly (I have two older brothers and a younger sister), so if you’re not failing what they are paying for you to study, you’re good to go.
Who would you like to collaborate with? A person or brands? Why?
Ouuuu. I like this question. So I know people would expect me to say foreign brands, but I haven’t seen foreign brands that match my style, so I’ll stick to what I know and like. I have a long list because these Nigerian brands be doing the most, and I love it. Some Nigerian brands I want to collaborate with are Kadijuofficial Orireofficial, Lisafolawiyo, Meij Meji, Kkrele, Twentysix.co, Lohije, Rendolllagos, Getoworld and so on. I can go on and on about the brands, but I feel like these brands are putting in all the work, and I know I’ll look great in their pieces.
How long have you had your hair? Do you consider it a part of your personality or brand?
I’ve had my hair for over four years. I think it is part of my brand because of the versatility that comes with it. Sometimes I am tempted to shave everything off to go for a different look, but it is challenging to decide when you have a big head.
What's your self-care routine?
My self-care routine days are mostly the weekends cause I don’t have time during the week. So basically, It starts from the beginning of the day, I wake up, read my devotional, take a long weekend bath, eat, go back to sleep, wake up, read a book, write down ideas and money calculations, sleep again, wake up and go through my phone for a while and then sleep. That’s it, nothing that involves spending money.
What advice would you give a student creator?
If you are saying you will wait until you graduate to become a content creator, you will still not have time after you graduate. So work with whatever you have and let people see your life as a journey. Let them see the progress in what you’re doing. Don’t kill yourself thinking of the next big thing you can create (it’s good, don’t get me wrong) but then, take one step at a time, create with whatever you have, that idea that you think doesn’t make sense put it out and let people see, then learn from it. Everything is content. I don’t think the content market is saturated. People are looking for you, and even if you’re creating something similar to someone else, people still want to see your face personally. I don’t think you can copy exactly what someone does. There would always be that distinguishing factor, so do do do.
What would make you the happiest right now?
Hmmm, A deal with a fashion brand would make me really happy.
Thank you for your time Zito.
This is truly beautiful
I really hope you get whatever deals or work with whatever brand you wish to work for!