Meet Segun Gele – The Man Responsible For Putting Gele Artistry On The Map

Hakeem Oluwasegun Olaleye popularly know as Segun Gele is one who is best known for his dexterity in the craft of Gele tying. The veteran who has almost 20 years of experience up his sleeves has become someone who is well acclaimed all over the world for his skill of whipping the Gele material into graceful folds and arcs leaving people amazed.

Starting out at a time when it was not the norm to see a man in such a female dominated industry, Segun Gele has sure grown to become a king in his domain. He has managed to set the pace for other male Gele stylists we see today and his contributions to the industry is one that cannot be overlooked.

In this virtual interview with Tribe and Elan, Segun Gele takes us through his journey from starting out as a Gele stylist, challenges he has had to face as well as plans for the future.

A – I really don’t know how to describe it but one thing that has kept me going is me being true to myself. I came into America immediately I graduated from LASU and that was in 2001 and I was already established as an hairdresser as at the time. Coming to America was all about going to establish my brand there unknowing to me that I need to have a work permit and it was a bitter experience if I must say because I used to be someone who had apprenticed as much as 20 there in Nigeria and going to America I cannot do hair, not even the simplest of things which is shampooing a client’s hair or shaping eyebrows so I had to start as an apprentice all over again in America after owning my own salon for over 10 years.

Fast forward, 5 months after when I was at the peak of my frustration I was ready to pack and come back to Nigeria but I got the opportunity to jump into Gele. Once you see an opportunity never let it slide by you. Initially not a lot of people welcomed me because they were not used to seeing men in a female-dominated career so it was difficult and tough at first because Gele was not what people did in America, they wore jeans, pant suits, skirts and hats to parties and they never used to tie Gele until I came and revolutionized the whole party scene and it became acceptable and it was worth it in the long run.

A – I never for once thought about stopping the craft of Gele tying and it’s all because of dignity. America they say is a land of opportunities and I never knew I would come to America and the Gele to earn a living so I practically dominated the industry as it was pretty much only me and the way I had to replicate myself was to train other people who learnt how to do what I do and it was putting food on the table for me.

It was so bad that I would tie Gele during the weekend. Houston is a party City so we party from Thursdays to Sundays and you can imagine going to a party to tie Gele for the guests and I earned at least $350 everyday and sometimes $500 or $700.

A – As the name depicts, Segun Gele International. My clients are located all over the world but because I reside in in Houston, Texas most of my clients are based in America and I travel all over America to cater to my clients so anywhere my service is needed, you would find me there.

A – I can’t say particularly that I brought a new innovation into the Gele tying business because the truth of the matter is this Gele we tie is just like doing hair, we make a mistake and it becomes a style. One thing I can say is when I started tying Gele i.e the big Gele, a lot of people used to critique it saying “who ties big Gele” and all sorts and all of a sudden the small Gele came into fashion and now the small Gele is no longer in vogue instead the big Gele is back in vogue so that I would say I can take credit for.

Then another thing I can say is the Ascot Gele. I can remember when it started not a lot of people welcomed it but I love my Gele specialists in Nigeria, they revolutionized it so it’s a collaborative effort, everybody did something spectacular but putting the Gele on the map, that was me Segun Gele because not a lot of people tied Gele and I’ve been doing this for a period of almost 20 years.

A – I started by helping my mum do her Gele and not just her Gele but also her hair, helping her get ready and everything and like I already said, the opportunity came when I came to America.

Actually I studied English Language in the Lagos State University (LASU) so I thought I was going to go into journalism particularly junk journalism but unfortunately it’s a country that has a process and everything so I dabbled into hairdressing. I started doing braids back in Atlanta and from there I relocated to Houston, Texas after having the opportunity to tie Gele for the Iya Alaje of Atlanta at my friend’s wedding back in the days as far back as 2001. I returned to Nigeria and by the time I came back to America there were a lot of demands and Aunty Toyin Ola, a member of the Eko Club who lived in Atlanta reached out to me to let me know that people needed me to help them get their Gele done and the rest is history.

A – I have decided to officially retire as a Gele stylist. Right now I style brides which I have actually done alongside a lot of other things but now fully professional, I style brides. I take care of them from the beginning to the end and I work with other Gele artists. I pretty much work with all the other creatives in the wedding industry from the planner to the hairstylist and make up artist to create the unique look the bride wants on the day and on the day of the wedding, I style the bride, get her dressed and I stand in as her personal escort because I know everything she needs to do on that day. It’s just about pampering the bride on her special day and that is pretty much what I’ve ventured into.