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In a digital era driven by hype, exclusivity, and high fashion price tags, Tolu Okoya Thomas is quietly flipping the script. Her platform, VYNT, is Nigeria’s answer to a global question: How do we make fashion more accessible, more conscious, and more connected to culture?
For Tolu, fashion has never been about fast trends; it’s been about storytelling. “My background is in law,” she says, “but fashion has always been my love language.” Like many millennials abroad, she got her start with Depop, flipping pre-loved pieces from her university closet into side income. But when she returned to Nigeria, she noticed something glaring: there was no safe, scalable way to buy or sell secondhand fashion digitally.
So, she built one.
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VYNT is a mobile marketplace where users can upload, buy, and sell pre-loved fashion. But it’s designed as a resale app but it's a movement. Built around community, sustainability, and accessibility, it connects Nigeria’s love for thrift (or “bend down select”) with the power of digital tools, making secondhand fashion safe, stylish, and seamless.
“It’s not just about the clothes,” she explains. “It’s about creating a culture where fashion is for everyone. No gatekeeping.”
The recent online discourse around the rising cost of Nigerian streetwear struck a nerve with Tolu. “Young people are the culture,” she says. “But they’re being priced out of the very fashion they inspired.” In her eyes, streetwear isn’t meant to be exclusive, it’s meant to be expressive. And VYNT is her way of giving it back to the people who built it.
Through curated listings, transparent pricing, and an equal-opportunity interface, VYNT levels the playing field, one preloved hoodie at a time.
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It’s not just about style, though. The environmental angle is serious. “A single cotton shirt can take up to 2,700 litres of water to produce,” Tolu points out. “That’s enough drinking water for one person for three years.” With fast fashion’s global impact worsening, VYNT is part of a new wave of circular fashion platforms championing conscious consumption.
But don’t mistake sustainability for simplicity. “We make it cool to care,” she adds. “With VYNT, you can look great, spend less, and reduce waste all at once.”
From the jump, VYNT has positioned itself as a platform rooted in community. Beyond the app, Tolu is building real-world connections—with virtual seller bootcamps, pop-up events, university yard sales, and a vision for The VYNT Academy, an educational space for young fashion entrepreneurs to learn how to build environmentally conscious brands.
And while streetwear and skater culture remain early inspirations, Tolu hints at even more subcultural integration down the line. “These scenes are so rich with style. They’ll become an even bigger part of our DNA.”
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Big things. Think upcycled fashion drops, streetwear collabs, fashion editorials, and even a VYNT runway show. “We want to be the cultural hub for African fashion,” she says. “I want ‘Vynting’ to become the new thrifting - a lifestyle that’s as cool as it is conscious.”
As Earth Month shines a light on sustainable choices, VYNT offers a simple, stylish solution: Dress well. Spend less. Save the planet.
And with Tolu at the helm, one thing’s clear - fashion’s future in Africa isn’t just fast. It’s VYNT-ed.
The VYNT app is available for download on the apple app store and google play store.
