I hate flaunting my big bum –Wumi Toriola, actress

Wumi Toriola, Yoruba actress, tells ‘Nonye Ben-Nwankwo about her style and fashion

How would you rate your style?

My style is very simple. I am known as a simple dresser.

Does it mean if you have to attend a red carpet event or an event that would require you to look exceptional, you still dress simple?

If I don’t have to attend an event, I am a simple dresser. It doesn’t mean I have to attend an event looking casual. But then, even if my dress is simple, my shoes would boost it and my make-up would be heavy. Aside from parties, as far as I am concerned, I am just a simple dresser.

In your simplicity, do you consider wearing native dresses at all?

I wear native attires but not as often as some people. It depends on where I am going and my mood. I am always mood-driven. Sometimes my mood would just gear towards tying gele and I would just do it.

What kind of style are you known for?

I am a dress person. People know me for that. So many people think I wear dress in order to showcase my backside. But that is not true. It is just that I am more comfortable wearing a dress.

Do you go for a particular style of dress?

It depends. It can be mini, maxi or midi. I don’t really wear maxi gowns like that because I am not really tall. Wearing a very long dress makes me look funny. I prefer wearing a short dress and a pair of heels. It makes me look gorgeous and it brings out my shape.

Are you always conscious of your backside?

I am always conscious of it. What some other people would wear and get away with, I may not be able to wear such. There are things I would really wish to wear but when I wear them, I would be noticed so easily. I wouldn’t want to be the centre of attention. At times, I just want to be at the background but if I wear such, there is no way everybody wouldn’t notice me because of my bum.

But these days ladies go as far as wearing padded bum in order for their backside to be bigger. How come you are not comfortable with yours that is even natural?

The fact that I have it does not mean I have to put extra pressure in order for it to be noticed. No matter what I wear, even if it is a maxi free gown, my backside would still be noticed. So I don’t have to go to the level of wearing things that would accentuate it. To me, it is better to leave some things to be imagined than to flaunt it. I just want people to really imagine what is there than to flaunt it for them.

But do you show off your cleavage when it comes to your top?

Sometimes, I would just want to flaunt my top to take away attention from my backside and tell people that I am not all about big bum. But I don’t really show it all. I still have some level of decency in me. Decency varies. I hardly dress so sexy except when I am on set and the character demands I do that.

Do you get a lot of male attention because of your figure?

It is crazy. It is very crazy I must confess. Some don’t even bother ‘toasting’ me again. Once they see me, they would just make some remarks or whistle and they would expect me to understand. Some just make funny noise like ‘wow!’ Before now, I used to be very embarrassed but I am getting used to it now. I am always conscious of my figure and like I said earlier, I want to leave some things to be imagined. I don’t want to show everything to everybody and make it look as if it is just common.

What do you prefer doing to your hair?

I hardly braid my hair. I am always wearing hair extensions and wigs. My best style is ‘centre parting.’ I am just known with that style. If I have to be on different locations, I would just mat my hair so that I would be able to wear my wigs.

Can we ever see you wearing your natural hair?

Yes. Sometimes, I just want to flaunt my natural hair which is long and full. People see my natural hair and they scream. I wasn’t wearing my natural hair until somebody saw it while I was at home and she screamed and said the texture of my hair was beautiful. So I had to reconsider it. Ever since, I just wear my natural hair as often as I can.

How many tattoos do you have?

I don’t have any?

Is it by choice or you are yet to get a tattoo?

I don’t have any and I don’t intend to have. It is by choice. I am not criticising those that have it. But as for me, tattoo is not my thing. I don’t even admire it. I am just indifferent about it. I know I just don’t want to have it on my body.

What of body piercing?

I didn’t pierce my nose. I have three piercings on my ears. I schooled at University of Ilorin and I used to see all those girls with so many piercings on their ears. I used to admire them and I decided to do mine. But I am just a simple person. Wearing earrings on those extra holes is just hard work for me. Along the line, the holes just got blocked. Admiring people can change your style and way of dressing but it didn’t change mine as I didn’t stick to it.

Must you make-up even if you are going next door?

Before now, I didn’t know much about make-up. I had to go and enrol in a make-up school. I am a make-up artiste. I learnt that your face is your first billboard. I might wear light make-up and heavy ones at times. So I would say I am always on make-up. Even if my make-up will not be heavy, my eyebrows have to be in good shape.

Have you made fashion mistake before?

Oh yes. There was a time I wore a combination of black and white. I can’t really remember. I also wore a pair of shoes that didn’t complement what I wore and somebody pointed it out. I felt so embarrassed when I got to the red carpet. But I used my confidence and charisma to pull it off that evening.

Do you always wear things in vogue?

I don’t do that. I hardly follow trend. For instance, this crop top is in vogue at the moment. But I wonder how I can wear such. My tummy is not flat and even a mad man knows that. So how would I now just wear crop top? That style is not meant for me and I know it.

Can you count the number of shoes you have?

I am not sure I can. Ah! I have shoes o. It may be because of the job I do.

Do you ‘re- rock’ your shoes?

Oh, I do that. They are mine! The kind of shoes I have are not the ones I can afford to buy so many pairs because they are very expensive. But they are my shoes and I don’t see anything wrong repeating them. I didn’t steal them from anybody.

What of dresses?

At first, I thought I could not repeat but I just had to eventually. That is why they call actresses prostitutes because they have to meet up with the so-called standard they set for themselves. If you have to meet up, you would need to do some other things in order to bring extra money for you to buy all those stuffs. I do other things though. Business can be low at times and I don’t think I would use money for important things to buy shoes and bags in order for me not to re-rock. Even if I have to repeat a dress, I would accessorise and complement it with different stuffs and you wouldn’t even notice it was the dress I wore before. It doesn’t make me less an actress and it doesn’t mean I am broke either. It just makes me cut my dress according to my material. With that, I can stay longer in the industry. I don’t want to be a prostitute in order to meet up.

Are there times you regret being an actress?

No. It is what I love doing. I would rather do away with anything that would make me regret acting. If a friend would make me regret acting, I would rather not be friends with the person. If it is a relationship that would make me regret being an actress, let me remain single. I would eventually get somebody who would support me and my career. I block away anything that would make me regret acting.