With a following of over 7.5 million across her socials including Instagram, Tik Tok, and Youtube, Cuppy, 28 is not your typical girl next door. From the pink hair, to the confidence in her step, her obsession with music and her deep love for Italian gelato, Cuppy is a multi-talented woman with myriad interests.
This Nigerian born DJ, musician, radio presenter, philanthropist, interiors lover, wigs connoisseur and dog-mum moved in to her new home in London earlier this year and has been busy cooking up lots of projects every since.
Cuppy – who was born Florence Ifeoluwa Otedola, the daughter of a successful and famous Nigerian businessman and moved from Lagos to London with her family when she was 13 – sat down with GLAMOUR to talk to us about all things interiors and what she’s most passionate about.
Stepping into Cuppy’s high rise apartment with a crispy clean view of the Thames and the sky-scraping Canary Wharf offices will take your breath away. And the interiors are pretty spectacular too, for what could have been a stiff and atypical flat has been transformed into an eccentric pink pad of dreams / an alternative world, almost like an ice cream parlour with palm trees galore. Think of a Michelin Sketch restaurant in London but with the saturation filter turned to max!
Yes, it is very pink, but Cuppy’s love for pink is much deeper than just the colour’s heavy association with living a ‘girly’ lifestyle: “I just think pink is constantly used as a weakness or vulnerability, but it’s very strong” she says. She tells me how her pink interiors is an ode to her passion and freedom and to create something that makes her stand out.
Cuppy lives by the motto of standing out, think pink wigs from all lengths, textures, to braids, her image is a big part of that. “I think being a young woman from Nigeria and now living in the UK [she moved here with her family when she was 13] I’ve often felt like I had to scream to be heard. I therefore felt I had to be overly expressive.” says Cuppy.
However being in an environment that is different from your own can make anyone feel quite vulnerable at times, so when at home, she’s happy to blend in. “I’m a young black woman with pink hair and I just wanted to create a space that I can go back to, where I feel comfortable and safe.”.
Cuppy unpacks…
On her inspiration behind her interior style…
“For me, this flat represents liberation. I spent a long time living with my parents and I always wanted to create my own space and wanted to come into my house feeling completely unapologetically myself from every corner. Now, the colours are obviously inspired by me. Everything about my house is me so much so that I put my name on my entrance wall, just in case I ever forget who I am. It’s about constantly empowering myself. It’s about creating a space that is a reflection of you.”
On her dedication to have palm trees in all forms on every corner of her home…
“Yes! I’m inspired by my love of the tropics. I also love having my own plants because I have this theory that if you can, maintain life and you can nurture life, then you can do basically anything. So I started off with plants, my plants stayed alive. Now I’ve got dogs. They haven’t died yet thankfully!”
On her most precious pieces around the house…
“I have a piece of artwork by Kaws which I invested a lot of money in and it’s a pink version. I remember when I was trying to buy the art piece people told me: ‘Oh, if you get it pink, it won’t grow in value’ which is interesting. I just think pink is constantly used as a weakness or vulnerability, but it’s very strong. And so I decided, yeah, I’m going to get a pink version. Another thing that’s really special to me is – it sounds a bit weird, but — my sofa. It was made in Italy and I had to wait months to receive it due to COVID. We designed it together and it’s a one of a kind piece. It reminds me of Austin Powers and it’s my favourite shade of pink.”
On her deep love for the colour pink…
“Pink for me is about strength. Pink for me is about being a rebel and about being unapologetically female. I’m a DJ in a male dominated industry and I have my own battles to fight everyday because of that, so pink is a way of expression. Pink is also approachable and it’s fun. It also doesn’t go with many colours and I think that that’s a representation of me being in my own lane. I think that Nicki Minaj said it best – Pink Print. It’s no longer about the blueprint, it’s about creating your own name.”
On the rules she lives by to be her best authentic self and being a cultural hybrid…
“I live by feeling. If it doesn’t feel right, it’s probably not right for you. I live by being unapologetic. So it’s important to be sensitive but also to be comfortable. I come from a very entrepreneurial background, a very public and traditional family. So according to ‘this’ timeline, I’m supposed to be three kids in… I’m two dogs in instead, but you’re responsible for your own happiness. So this is how I run my life. If I don’t want to do something, I don’t do it. If I don’t feel happy, I say so. I don’t change myself in any environment. I take a piece of Nigeria with me everywhere I go and vice versa, as I’m product of a number of cultural hybrids.”
On her specially dedicated wig room…
“My wig room was the only thing I actually knew I definitely wanted in my house when I was moved. I always knew that I wanted to be able to see my wigs and enjoy them. I think I have around 40 wigs there. I still insist on wearing the same one over and over. You know when you have THE one. Wigs are an amazing thing because they have helped me get really good at morphing into my environments. I think it’s really important to be able to be whoever you want to be. Every day is a new start, but pink seems to be my cutoff choice. I’ve committed to it for five years so…”
On growing up in Nigeria and moving to the UK at age 13…
“Moving here when I was 13, it was difficult. I felt different, I looked different and everything was different and I so badly wanted to fit in. I think that’s why I’m a fighter. From a young age, I always wanted to be heard and be appreciated for who I was and so I tried really hard to blend in. I’m over that now…”
Snog, marry, avoid – wig edition…
“Between my wigs, bags and shoes, if I had to do a snog marry avoid situation, I would avoid my shoes. I would snog my bags and my marry my wigs. I feel like my wigs are less materialistic than my bags and shoes, because, at least the only thing you need to complement your wig is a smile.”
On her daily mantra…
“My mum told me, anything worth doing is worth doing well. It’s about not looking at what other people are doing but focusing on yourself. It’s about making sure that you’re in a place where you’re always over-delivering. Every gig I do, I want dancers and I want to go all out with production. Everyone was like: ‘It’s just a DJ gig!’ but I don’t know how to not do things in a certain way. I think that this over delivery opens doors and keeps them open.”
On her instant mood booster…
“My home and my best friend Raya. She’s as insanely adventurous and risk-taking and unstable as I am, but she’s also as hardworking and loyal. I always say you don’t need a bunch of friends, you need A FRIEND. Quality over quantity.”
On the best hacks she learned from her mum…
“My mom has taught me that I am responsible for my own happiness. It’s that idea of not depending on others. She’s a really strong woman and my sisters are equally as strong and we’ve all been raised to be independent.
On who she turns to for advice…
“For advice, I go to a number of different people. I am a sponge, I’m always picking up from different people that I meet, but, particularly I look to my dad. My dad is very straightforward, rational thinking and non-emotional. I think sometimes my emotions get ahead of me with my business, probably because I’m a creative. So I always liked that, straight up African parents advice, no sugar coating. It reminds me to make the right decisions from, using my head, not just my heart.”
On her passion for philanthropy…
“I’m really passionate about philanthropy because I want there to be more ‘Cuppys’ growing up. I want young girls back home to look at me and say: ‘Oh my gosh, she did it her way. She’s herself. She’s not playing by the rules.’ I’m a rule breaker. I’m a rebel. I find opportunities. I don’t wait for them to come. And for me, that’s what my narrative is. Philanthropy is important because education empowers every woman. I’m so passionate about my work with Save The Children and Global Citizen.”
“I feel like what’s the point of all of this if I can’t create a legacy, create opportunity, create something. I want to be known as someone that inspired young girls over everything, over money, over attributes, over recognition. It’s not about being a copy, it’s about being your own version. My album is called Original Copy because I believe you were born in this world as an original. Don’t die as a copy, create your own lane and leave your mark.”
As for advice for any aspiring DJs…
“My advice is to follow your heart and do what you do with passion. There’s going to be so many bad days. The only thing that keeps me from melting down or from quitting is the fact that I love what I do. Back home, a lot of people try to force this narrative of: be a doctor, be a lawyer. My brand is all about proving that I can do what I do, and still be responsible, and still be happy, and still make my parents proud. If you want to be a female DJ, if you’re a black woman, which is very tough, you have to make sure you love what you do. Figure out what music you inspires you, educate yourself and throw yourself in.”
“I literally lived in nightclubs before I got my first gig. It’s about knowing your environment inside out. So I’m a great DJ, but I’m also a great artist. I could be a great manager and I could be a great sound engineer. It’s about knowing the whole structure. One thing that’s really important to me is education, so when I decided I wanted to be a DJ, I made it a thing to go and study music. So I got a master’s in music from NYU and interned a lot. It’s about understanding behind the scenes, how it works and of course passion, because if you find a job you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.”
Credits:
Hair: Sunmisola
Creative Direction & Styling: Raya
Photography: Grace Olukanni
Grand Entrance: Hanifa Dress; Dynasty Dining: Kenneth Ize Mini Dress, Bvlgari Jewellery; Lavish Lounging: Marine Serre Moonfish Dress; Fantasy Garden:Bottega Venetta Dress; Bedroom: Emilio Pucci PJ’s
Still drooling over Cuppy’s epic interiors? Scroll below for some suggestions on how to create your very own pink pad of dreams…
For more from Glamour UK Beauty & Features Assistant Shei Mamona, follow her on Instagram @sheimamona