It is an honor and privilege to have friends that have landed in so many dope places and as a result I get to tell their really dope stories. For the Month of October we are highlighting Mr. Nicholas Soyemi, or “Polo Nick” as we called him in High School. One thing I can say for sure is that he’s always been well acquainted with the world of fashion, but as a personal shopper at Saks Fifth Avenue flagship store in New York, and the DSA (Designated Sales Associate) for Dior Men’s RTW (Ready-to-wear), he’s become a fashion aficionado.
Fair Warning… this will be a long post but I assure you it is worth the read!
In a business that thrives off of relationship building he has consistently shown his value and expertise and as a result his client list includes: Devin Haney 23-0 lightweight champion, comedian Katt Williams, and rap artist Russ to name a few, but the journey hasn’t always been sunshine and roses.
“Often people ask me how I got started, or did I go to school for [fashion]. Short answer, NO. I graduated from the School of Hard Knocks, with a major in Bullshit lol. I got my start in the music industry. I fell into an internship with Grand Hustle at 16 doing street team work (handing out flyers, cd’s, holding posters during concerts, etc.). By the time I graduated [high school], I was on the road Dj’ing shows for a small group: The Rich Kids, and Skooly. Those experiences exposed me to real life. I made a lot of connections, but I didn’t feel like I was in control. My success was directly tied to the artist(s) I was working for at the time. So, I took a risk to find a better fit.
The next two years would be my worst times in life. I moved to Orlando, to get away from the hip hop scene. I ended up working as an Assistant manager for 7 For All Mankind. Literally hating my day to day life, I was also dealing with severe nagging back pain and ended up needing surgery which forced me to go back to Atlanta. After the surgery I dealt with depression, and trying not to get addicted to the pain medication. My mom feed me nothing but self help books and bible scriptures, and in all of the reading I found style blogs. I fell in love with reading everything from Mr. Porter editorials, to Permanent Style blog posts, to GQ magazine articles; I just digested as much as I could. From then on I wanted to master men’s style.
Once I was back on my feet, I picked up a job at Nordstrom in Perimeter Mall, and really drank the kool aid lol. I worked as hard as I could, and developed some good clientele. They promoted me in under a year to assistant manager of BP Women’s Shoes at Phipps Plaza. There, I met my lifelong friend Kamari Styles; we bonded over passion for the industry. The designer selection was below average at Nordstrom, and across the hall was real luxury. Saks Fifth Avenue was the promised land. After multiple attempts, a few months later, we were both in the same New Hire class.
We took the first year to learn the basics, then we took it up a notch utilizing social media, and creating compelling videos to romanticize the pieces. This was a home run. Saks even created a training program “A New Kind Of Seller” based off our formula. However, meeting the sales goals wasn’t enough. We truly loved the industry. Kamari and I wanted to connect with it. So, we finessed our way to New York for Men’s Fashion Week in the fall of 2016. The energy from the city was captivating. We loved every minute of it, and we knew we had to move there.
It took 2 years, but by 2018 I was ready to pack my bags and move to NYC. I’d have to say, this was the biggest risk I’ve ever taken professionally, or financially. My mom said shortly after I paid the fees to move into my condo, “Leap and the net will appear.” Sure enough, It didn’t take long to impress. It seemed like New York accepted both me and Kamari for exactly who we are. Two months after moving Saks hired me for the position I wanted in Atlanta. I was now the Category Ambassador for Men’s shoes at the Flagship! Look at God! Crazy. Some time after, Kamari was hired as the official Balenciaga Brand Ambassador for Mens RTW.
Our first year in NYC was insane. We were invited to exclusive events hosted by celebrities. We took our client experiences to another level. Clients would come in town, and be given a true luxury experience. How dope is it to have a personal shopper waiting to escort you around the biggest Saks in the company? Our clients loved us. Hell, we even became a big asset to the associates we left behind. Moving to New York definitely took our careers to another level. Just recently I was offered a promotion to become the DSA for Dior Men’s RTW.
I attribute my success to a few things: Firstly, I had to believe in myself. I looked in the mirror everyday, and told myself I had what it took to reach the next level (Literally until it happened lol). Secondly, I put my faith in God, and trusted him to lead me in the right direction. I knew he wouldn’t bring me this far to leave me. Finally, with the trust in God, and the belief in myself, I was comfortable taking any risk in life. To me that’s the key, overcoming fear is the way to success. If I never moved, where would I be?”
I’m interested to hear your thoughts on the intersection of Music, Drugs, and Fashion…
The intersection is all about scenes. There are energies in each one. Georgia seems to be the glue that holds all three together. You really can’t do one without the other. Your image is a big factor when jumping into the music industry. While the fashion scene is constantly seeking ways to push limits or boundaries and they seek certain creatives to model the aesthetic they are going for. These models essentially normalize the pieces, and add a cultural authenticity. As a personal stylist I serve as the go between. I have to be able to filter through both ends of it and connect my clients with brands that best represents them.
The best artists and designers are the ones who live by their own rules. It is creativity that joins these two domains.
This has clearly been a wild ride; out of all of it, what was the most thrilling? Are you still able to get that same feeling about the work you do day to day?
There are several moments throughout my career that simply cannot be replicated, but the feeling I had in those moments are generally the same.
I dj’d a show in DC for Rich Kids, we went to Howard and it was their first time on a plane and when we got to DC it was great. They always say you get more Love on the road than back home, and this trip proved it.
The first time we went to Fashion week. I found myself in the room with the people I had previously idolized. I was even interviewed at the John Elliott runway show and it was really a once in a lifetime experience.
I recently took a pilates and yoga class on roof of The Public Hotel with all the Dior executives, and other DSA’s from across the country. It was an amazing experience. Connecting with essentially your bosses in this way made us feel like family. It’s humbling to work for one of the hottest brands in Menswear right now.
Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
I want to transition to a corporate role where essentially I would broker the deals with the brands and hire reps to sell products. Also, I would like to pick up another language: either Spanish or Mandarin Chinese.
What’s the biggest ticket you’ve ever closed in one sale?
I sold Russ 45k in one transaction (12 suits, versace robe, lots of sportswear), but i know associates that have had Million dollar sales.
How would you characterize your personal style?
Early on I would say it was definitely classic dandy style: simple, proper, and colorful. Now I’m more European jetsetter sophisticated. I do edgy pieces but they are all timeless. Generally, if I’m in a suit it is usually a little quirky, maybe its a 2” cuff or a bit larger but still fits exceptionally well. I slowed down on the “fast fashion”, and now look only at investing my money into key designer pieces, “Grails”, which I know I’m gonna have forever.
This may feel a little obscure for your field but how do you transition 9-5 to 5-9?
First things first, you have to know who you are before you go shopping. Hypothetically let’s say I have a dinner date at a sophisticated restaurant immediately following work. I may put together a fit with a Sport coat, black tee, quality denim, and a clean sneaker. This is a timeless look, and it’s not stiff. I personally stay away from hyped things, I don’t buy a lot of graphic tees. Generally, if you buy quality, and look for standout pieces your wardrobe will take care of you much longer.
It’s always a pleasure to feature creatives with a true passion for their crafts. From the blessing the halls of our high school to dripping down 5th ave, my guy you have ascended! What’s wild is even after all of this we are still only a fraction of the way done! Thank you for allowing us to feature for the Month of October, I literally cannot wait to see what’s next for N. Soyemi!
To A Life Worth Living,
The Wkender