From Being a Primary School Teacher to a Rejected Model and Now a World Famous Personality
He calls himself a BITCH: Boy In Total Control of Himself and that he had always been since the late 90s. I can boldly say Denrele Edun was one the the Big Boys of that era who started and made crazy jean trend. He would redesign his trousers and even cut open a normal trousers, so even when he repeats it up to 10 times you won't notice cause he keeps redesigning them.
The Hustle was real....He joined his mother (who rose through the ranks to become the proprietress and taught French and German) after secondary school as a teacher at Kiddies Kollege Nursery and and Primary School, Akinwunmi Str, Alagomeji, Lagos (premises now sold to and occupied by a church). He was a diciplined teacher, would mark and flog with his left hands having long nails; he also uses his left hand to weave his hair. The Hustle slowly, gradually and eventually paid off and hence he relocated from his apartment in Bornu Way, Alagomeji, Lagos to Osapa-London, Lekki.
He neither Smokes nor drinks and has great love for children, on one school party, he took the pupils out to NTA 10 back then; he always had that positive vibe and energy. He also acted in the popular campus drama in the early 2000s- 'Twilight Zone'; in pidgin people call it - 'shake body' (whether you like am, whether you no like an, the thing be say you go sleep dey shake body).
Denrele Edun's Touching Narrative.....
I borrowed pants to attend auditions so much so that the entire Alagomeji area in Yaba assumed I was the one lending the real owner. Shout out to the real owner @omonlawaptv of waptv channel who lived on Bornu way (few houses from mine) and never complained when I eventually made the jeans mine: I even added the decaying parts of my old denim to this jeans so that it would look different every time. I was nicknamed "18 ko ni aso" in the hood.
On my his first ever modeling shot...
I had developed a knack for appearing at fashion designer's showrooms and their houses to present my pictures and my overwhelming personality. Despite the disgusted looks from passers by, I walked with my defiant confidence to the local bus-stop to board a 'molue' that will take mefrom one to another designer's showroom. I got to a designer's house and saw a cluster of top models. They all burst into laughter when I walked past but then, who cared? Sighting a familiar face, I ran up to her and was told fittings had begun. In my usual bravado, I saw the designer and walked up to him. Moment I introduced myself and my intentions, he stared me down and asked, "are you a refugee?". "No sir, but I'm a model with a unique look who will love to walk for you", I threw back confidently. He looked me up and down and said, "you can never walk on my runway, you look like a malnourished Somalia Refugee.
With all the bravado I could muster, I waited for an agonizing 12 hours. I was scared to go get something to eat cos I didn't want to miss his entrance. At about 11 pm, he strolled in with some other models. They obviously had finished a shoot and seemed to be in a light mood. I walked up to him. This time, he lost his cool. But that didn't stop me from walking his show weeks after.
He refused to pay me and not only was I stranded but had to walk from V.I to Yaba where vigilantes made me frog jump on the express.
The Designer? We are friends till date! Denrele get clean mind!
He calls himself a BITCH: Boy In Total Control of Himself and that he had always been since the late 90s. I can boldly say Denrele Edun was one the the Big Boys of that era who started and made crazy jean trend. He would redesign his trousers and even cut open a normal trousers, so even when he repeats it up to 10 times you won't notice cause he keeps redesigning them.
The Hustle was real....He joined his mother (who rose through the ranks to become the proprietress and taught French and German) after secondary school as a teacher at Kiddies Kollege Nursery and and Primary School, Akinwunmi Str, Alagomeji, Lagos (premises now sold to and occupied by a church). He was a diciplined teacher, would mark and flog with his left hands having long nails; he also uses his left hand to weave his hair. The Hustle slowly, gradually and eventually paid off and hence he relocated from his apartment in Bornu Way, Alagomeji, Lagos to Osapa-London, Lekki.
He neither Smokes nor drinks and has great love for children, on one school party, he took the pupils out to NTA 10 back then; he always had that positive vibe and energy. He also acted in the popular campus drama in the early 2000s- 'Twilight Zone'; in pidgin people call it - 'shake body' (whether you like am, whether you no like an, the thing be say you go sleep dey shake body).
Denrele Edun's Touching Narrative.....
I borrowed pants to attend auditions so much so that the entire Alagomeji area in Yaba assumed I was the one lending the real owner. Shout out to the real owner @omonlawaptv of waptv channel who lived on Bornu way (few houses from mine) and never complained when I eventually made the jeans mine: I even added the decaying parts of my old denim to this jeans so that it would look different every time. I was nicknamed "18 ko ni aso" in the hood.
On my his first ever modeling shot...
I had developed a knack for appearing at fashion designer's showrooms and their houses to present my pictures and my overwhelming personality. Despite the disgusted looks from passers by, I walked with my defiant confidence to the local bus-stop to board a 'molue' that will take mefrom one to another designer's showroom. I got to a designer's house and saw a cluster of top models. They all burst into laughter when I walked past but then, who cared? Sighting a familiar face, I ran up to her and was told fittings had begun. In my usual bravado, I saw the designer and walked up to him. Moment I introduced myself and my intentions, he stared me down and asked, "are you a refugee?". "No sir, but I'm a model with a unique look who will love to walk for you", I threw back confidently. He looked me up and down and said, "you can never walk on my runway, you look like a malnourished Somalia Refugee.
With all the bravado I could muster, I waited for an agonizing 12 hours. I was scared to go get something to eat cos I didn't want to miss his entrance. At about 11 pm, he strolled in with some other models. They obviously had finished a shoot and seemed to be in a light mood. I walked up to him. This time, he lost his cool. But that didn't stop me from walking his show weeks after.
He refused to pay me and not only was I stranded but had to walk from V.I to Yaba where vigilantes made me frog jump on the express.
The Designer? We are friends till date! Denrele get clean mind!
I once auditioned for the debut edition of the St Moritz style selection fashion show and when it was my turn to walk in and face the panel, they burst into animated laughter. Stupefied but not showing it, I joined in not realising I was the joke of the century!. There was this other designer who the moment he sighted me walking into his compound, told the other models in a snickering tone, "we can't have that gay she-boy on our runway. One other designer would send me on endless errands in a bid to walk his show, but when it was showtime, I was sent to the audience to sit and watch!.
Finally, one designer took a chance on me after endless rejections! Kese Jabari and his amazing Wife. My first shoot with Kese was a disaster but it later turned out good. I recall a certain male super model , jude who was outrightly nasty to me from the get go! - "Guy shift from here. These clothes aren't your size. Dunno what you are doing here sef. Move before I wooze you". Omo the guy humbled me! don't wanna talk back cos I didn't wanna ruin my chances but I recall Linda Ikeji, Meg Alabi and Biola Boris standing for me.
But it was my turn to finally shine! Kese brought clothes my size and my pics made it into every publication...then the commercials and billboards came.
I was getting negative criticism. My lecturers would walk me out of class. They used to bug me everyday. In the school magazines, people will write all sort of things like Denrele is a useless boy; at times I could stand at the bus stop in front of Education in Unilag, people will just park their cars and start insulting me like eight times a day.
When we started soundcity, we started with red carpet and when you want to interview people they just snob you but now they beg for you to interview them.
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