Gbolahan Sosanya Studied Pharmaceutical Engineering, but Built a Fashion Empire Instead

In a country where academic qualifications are often regarded as a lifelong compass, his journey defies convention. At 32, Gbolahan Sosanya, is proof that a degree can shape one’s discipline without dictating one’s destiny.

Armed with a qualification in Pharmaceutical Engineering from the Inter-Regional Institute of Industrial Engineering, Biotechnology and Applied Sciences (IRGIB-Africa), Republic of Benin, he appeared destined for a structured career in the health and manufacturing sector — laboratories, production plants and multinational pharmaceutical firms.

Instead, he chose fabric over formulas.“I knew what was expected of me,” Sosanya told Vanguard. “After studying Pharmaceutical Engineering, everyone assumed I would work in a lab or a pharmaceutical company. But deep down, I knew I was wired differently.”

During his time at IRGIB-Africa, while attending lectures and navigating technical coursework, he quietly nurtured a growing passion for fashion. Sketchbooks competed with textbooks. Fabric samples shared space with academic materials.

“What excited me wasn’t just passing exams,” he said. “It was the creativity — imagining designs, thinking about structure, colour, texture. I respected science, but I loved style.”

Upon graduation, the safer route beckoned. Yet rather than submit applications to pharmaceutical firms, Sosanya invested his modest savings into building a fashion brand from a small base in Gbagada, Lagos.

The decision unsettled many.

“My family was concerned,” he admitted. “They would ask, ‘After all that schooling abroad, this is what you want to do?’ But I kept telling them that education gives you tools — it doesn’t limit your vision.”

The early days were far from glamorous. Capital was limited. Production was slow. Clients were few. Doubts crept in.

“There were moments I questioned myself,” he recalled. “When orders were not coming in, I would wonder if I had made a mistake. But every time a customer returned or referred someone else, it reassured me that we were building something solid.”

Ironically, it was his engineering background that gave him an edge.

Trained to think in systems and precision, Sosanya approached fashion as both art and science. He applied structured processes to garment production, insisted on quality control, and mapped out supply chains with methodical discipline.

“In engineering, you don’t guess,” he explained. “You test, you refine, you improve. I brought that same principle into fashion. Every stitch must have purpose. Every design must meet a standard.”

Gradually, the brand found its footing.

Clean cuts, attention to detail and a distinctive identity began to attract a loyal clientele. Social media amplified visibility. Word-of-mouth referrals increased demand. A major breakthrough came when a high-profile client wore one of his designs to a notable event.

“That moment changed everything,” he said. “My phone kept ringing. Orders tripled. That was when I realised this was no longer a side dream — it was a growing enterprise.”