Behind The Content
Your full name, age and programme of study
Toluwalase Asolo, 21 studying Business Management and Markerting
What inspired you to go into designing?
I never really thought I’d go into it tbh. It started with Live with Lash. Basically, I wanted to make merch for it, but I really liked the ideas I was coming with and I felt like it wasn’t really in line with Live with Lash, so I decided to make it a whole new thing of its own
Why the name Virtual?
The name “Virtual” was inspired by pretty much our reality and the world right now. I haven’t always been someone to put myself out there, but things like #DontRushChallenge and my virtual podcast during the first lockdown; Live with Lash were the things bringing me out of my shell and creating amazing opportunities for me in an unconventional time. The thing keeping the world going in this period was turning to going “virtual” I.e. virtual proms, virtual graduations, birthdays etc. it just incorporated everything and it felt right
Have you been faced by any major setbacks and if so how do you overcome them?
Did I face Major setbacks? 110% Am I still facing challenges? 110%. Things don’t always go as planned, people you’re depending on to bring your vision to life might mess up sometimes, it’s inevitable, but what’s keeping me going is the bounce back. For one, I have an amazing support system that remind me of my vision every time. I get frustrated, this thing teaches you serious patience. And it’s important to always remember that every problem has a solution
You literally made waves at the last Street Souk, how do you feel?
Street souk was amazing. Initially I was nervous. It was the first pop up I was going to attend. It was also in a pandemic so I was really paranoid to stay safe, but all glory to God, it went better than planned. There’s so many amazing brands out there so every buyer that came into my stall, even if just to enquire about price really warmed my heart. I’m really grateful for the event! I needed the win fr
Do you have any big goals to achieve with the brand and could you share one?
My main goal is to make each drop better than the last, in all ways I.e. quality, design, promo etc and that’s a promise. I’m a really ambitious thinker so I have some goals that might even seem unrealistic haha, all I can say is to watch this space. Virtual to the world...and back
On A Scale Of 1-10, How Is the Support You Get As A Designer?
I’ll say 6.5/7 in general. I’m really new in the game and like I mentioned before, there’s a ridiculous amount of extremely talented designers out there. Also, not everyone will actually support you, your work cannot be every single persons cup of tea, so it’s all good really. People who do show support are so intentional in doing so, the support from those ones is 11/10
What's going on with Live With Lash?
Seasons come and go. Live with Lash was so fun to do, I miss it tbh, but it’s important not to put too much on ones plate. Right now, it’s on hold, but nobody knows what the future holds. Is it something I might be into again? Definitely
You've interviewed a number of public figures on live with Lash, anyone you hope to collaborate with soon?
Who would I like to collab with from LwL? Honestly it’ll be an honor to work with any one of them, but if I had to pick 1/2 specifically, I’ll say @eenahsanairb because she’s a freaking genius, owner of @mattebrand and @oxladeofficial because in such a little time, he’s done so much for himself and I know this is just the beginning, it inspires me
On your instagram bio you wrote, "Remember my name" do you think you're achieving that so far?
“Remember my name”. Well I don’t think I’m doing a bad job so far, but there’s still a long way to go
What have you learnt about owning your own brand and what advice do you have for others
I’ve learnt patience, learnt that every problem has a solution, learnt that not everyone will support you and it is important not to seek validation from others. People would always try to give their advice on what they think you should do based on their own preference (from a good place), but you know your vision, you know your abilities, ALWAYS ONLY take the advice that is in line with the vision for your brand. Never lose sight of your vision. Also, make sure you never expect to please every single person with your brand, not everyone is going to jump on it and that’s okay, it doesn’t mean you’re not doing well, it’s just not their thing, don’t let that determine how you rate your success. Keep your head up and keep pushing, it would not be easy
https://www.virtualthebrand.net/