Fashion designer Veekee James has pushed back at criticism over how often she appears in public with her husband, Femi Atere, insisting marriage means their lives are no longer separate.

James responded in a Snapchat video after a follower suggested Atere lacked "a life of his own" since he's constantly seen alongside her. She rejected the comment as a misunderstanding of what marriage means, telling followers that in her view, a married couple functions as one unit rather than two people running separate lives.

She compared their bond to a padlock and key, and said anyone who separates from their spouse in that way doesn't understand marriage.

James added that the criticism won't change anything, telling followers they'll keep seeing the couple together at events going forward. She also referred to Atere as her "personal handbag" while sharing clips of the two together.

The designer and Atere welcomed their first child last year, after James shared an emotional pregnancy announcement following a year-long wait to conceive.