The language fashion speaks today, is what everyone – no matter which tribe or race you hail from – can comfortably comprehend. Everyone likes to look great, impressive, attractive, stylish, and just different from the norm with the latest fashion styles and trends. But this doesn’t even mean you must break a bank to get it done. You do not even have to empty your purse or pockets to get those accessories or acquire some extravagant outfits. You can rock it simple and yet complex. Fashionable and yet not expensive. This is why we have researched the top 11 best fashion designers in Nigeria who make fashion possible in the most unique way and with African fabric prints designs.
And if you are still wondering if it is ever possible to achieve top-notch fashion designs in just simple ways, then you should see what creative fashion designers in Nigeria and Africa are doing stuff African fabric prints designs. They take sufficient time in analyzing materials, occasions, sizes, and putting several other factors in place to make a successful style stun. It has so much to do with creativity. You may like these designs from Ghana:
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When it comes to fashion designs in Africa, and to a great extent, globally, the Nigerian fashion designers take the lead. They have been nominated and have also won awards and accolades in diverse ways for their exemplary work, latest fashion styles, and trends which put the Nigerian culture, image, and diversity on the world stage.
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The Nigeria fashion industry has suffered from a series of factors from generation to generation. Some of the factors that have affected the fashion industry in Nigeria badly include prominent issues such as electricity, mediocrity, and problems from quality control. Since the Nigerian fashion industry doesn’t yet have a body regulating it, there continues to linger the aspect of finishing of which almost all Nigerian fashion designers suffer. In fact, a majority of fashion designers in the country rely on tailors that groomed themselves and not properly tutored. This ultimately results in products that are less perfect receiving outrages price tags on them.
However, the current trends of fashion designers around are dishing out something really different as they pitch the banner of Nigeria and African fashion on stage with the world’s best. There is a record of immense successes in designing and modeling the fashion scenes made by the new generation of fashion designers.
An organization was created in 1989, and it is the association of the Nation’s fashion designers. The association is called The Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria (FADAN). It was created by the Federal Ministry of Trade and Corporate Affairs in that year. The association currently hosts state chapters in every state in Nigeria. You may also like;
Many Nigerian fashion designers who especially dish out African fabric prints designs now ball in wealth and fame, unlike the kinds that surrounded us many years back. But of course, the money only comes when your work speaks well of you. So, more than just aiming at a robust bank account, it is important to keep a world-class job for your customers and showcase the latest fashion styles and trends. You may like this:
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Well, we have a few whose work we know speaks volume. They are enlisted in no particular order and some will be buttressed later on in this article.
- Deola Sagoe
- Yinka Arolambo (Moofa)
- Zizi Cardow
- Lisa Folawiyo ( Jewels by Lisa)
- Lanre Da-Silva Ajayi
- Olakunbi Oyelese (April by Kunbi)
There are importantly some prominent fashion designers in Nigeria today that cannot be relegated in the list of the Top 11 Best fashion designers in Nigeria.
Here Are The Top 11 Best Fashion Designers In Nigeria
1. Duro Olowu
Duro grew up in Lagos, Nigeria. He has a Nigerian father and a Jamaican mother. He got into the fashion scene in 2004. His creativity in the use of the conventional African prints fabrics, the seventies tailoring and distinct color combinations have constantly put him on the table with the right people.
Duro Olowu has patterns and designs that separate him in the midst of the crowd of fashion designers. His concepts and African fabric prints designs have had their way to places like Biffi in Milan and Ikram in Chicago. Despite being African they often appear European. He was named the Best International Designer at the African Fashion Awards in 2009. Both British and American Vogue named his waist patchwork “Duro,” in 2005 as the “Dress of the Year.”
He was also one of the six nominees for the Swiss Textile Federation’s top prize of 100,000 Euros and currently one of the best fashion designers in Nigeria.
2. Deola Sagoe
Deola Sagoe is one renowned Nigerian fashion designer who has remained relevant in the fashion industry for quite a long time. Deola received international notoriety for her creative, colorful, and lively African fabric prints designs. She got appointed as a representative in new International campaign put together by the United Nations World Food Program. The campaign had a goal to raise funds and geared towards halving the number of hungry people in the world, particularly children, by 2015. See also:
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The campaign which kicked off in April 2006 had a title, ‘Catwalk the World: Fashion for Food’. It also staged an event in Ghana. The event was graced by famous celebs like Damon Dash, his wife, Rachel Roy, and a London-based designer born in Ghana, Ozwald Boateng.
Deola has recorded huge successes and following around the globe with her celebration of African prints designs and the creation of the latest fashion styles and trends. And this includes world celebrities such as Will Smith, Oprah Winfrey, and many others. She had been invited as a guest in New York Fashion Week sometimes ago. She also exhibits her couture collection at Cape Town Fashion Week. She won the MNET/Anglo Gold African designs awards in 2000 after being nominated by Andre Leon Tally, US Vogue editor.
3. Lisa Folawiyo
Even though Lisa Folawiyo was a law student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka she had a craving for fashion which she eventually went in pursuit of. Even though her style is perceived simple (which she also admits) the innovation her work brings is however commendable. Folawiyo has had reviews from top media houses such as Gotham, Style.com, and Women’s Wear Daily.
Lisa Folawiyo is self-made when it comes to fashion designing. She kick-started her label ‘Jewel by Lisa’ in 2005 from the comfort of her home. She creatively infuses modern fashion techniques with traditional West African fabrics. She turned an international figure with her works after kicking off her brand. She also has showrooms in Nigeria and New York, with recognised brand and name. She has her stuff shown in the UK, US, South Africa, and Nigeria among others. You may also like:
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In 2012, she was featured in Vogue Italia after winning the African Fashion Award. She also got featured with the respected BOF500 in 2015 – a list of fashion brands that are shaping fashion scenes globally.
4. Amaka Osakwe
Osakwe comes in the list of our top best fashion designers in Nigeria with records of successes acquired in the fashion scene. She studied at the Arts University Bournemouth, and received a BA in fashion studies. She got a label up during autumn/winter in 2010.
She has often showcased ornamentation and cloaking in her works using traditional African fabrics. This got inspiration from the rural Ghana’s Dipo rites-of-passage ceremony. At the ceremony, girls taking part are adorned ornately and appear partially naked.
Amaka Osakwe’s African fabric prints designs have featured on notable figures in the world. Celebrities such as Rihanna, Beyonce and Hollywood actress, Kerry Washington, and former First lady of the United States of America, Michelle Obama. Her creatives have also got featured on Leelee Sobieski, Beyonce’s sister, Solange Knowles, and our own Nigerian TV presenter, Eku Edewor just to mention a few. See also:
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One thing that makes her brand resonate differently is that her brand is dyed by hand making use of the traditional textile art process called Adire. She also has her own unique way of combining Western silhouettes, motifs and native materials as a lace-blouse-and-pencil-skirt set appliquéd with unsettling raffia eyeballs.
ARISE once named Amaka Osakwe ‘Designer of the Year.’
5. Soares Anthony
Soares Anthony had started acquiring love for fashion designing as a very young boy and he grew up doing lots of drawing, sketching, and working with colors. He has produced excellent stuff from his talent, and that had seen his designs worn by famous celebrities and politicians.
Anthony is young, talented, and energetic fashion designer with a sole focus on his men’s clothing line. He makes fusion from local Nigerian fabrics design inspiration and the tailoring designs of Japan. His work is trendy, modern, and extraordinarily transforms common appearances into some sophisticated designs to project class, taste, and latest fashion styles and trends. See more:
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He also has his work reach many countries around the globe. He finds a way to touch lives through his mentoring program. The program is aimed at helping young and upcoming Nigerian designers to succeed and also measure up in the global stage. Anthony says he picks inspiration from colors, nature, and art.
6. Frank Oshodi
Frank Oshodi is a household name that resonates among the best fashion designers in Nigeria. He has had over twenty-five (25) years of experience in the fashion industry. He perfectly represents the acceptance of cultural diversity in unique fashion design trends. He started out modeling for fashion designs and got gigs with leading household fashion houses such as Nikki Africana and Dakova.
He also featured on various TV commercials such as Maclean before he later turned out as a model manager. Frank also went into choreography before he eventually began his own makeup label, House of Bunor and Fashion designing. He experienced a break-through after he was hired by Silverbird to become the makeup artist and designer to former Miss World (2001), Agbani Darego. He has ever since moved on to work with many other clients around the globe.
Frank Oshodi has featured in numerous events such as, The West African Fashion Week in 2008. The event was targeted at showcasing the top best of Nigerian Fashion. He works seamlessly as a beauty and elegance personality which also glows in his African fabric prints designs through the years he had been in the industry.
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7. Folake Folarin-Coker
Folake Folarin-Coker cannot be sidelined in the list of top best fashion designers in Nigeria. She created Tiffany Amber in 1998 which has since grown to become a global iconic label. Her unique taste and color preference have earned her recognition around the globe. And has made her the first African fashion designer who has had her talent revealed at the New York Mercedes Fashion Week two years at a stretch.
Folake has also gotten on set with International media houses such as CNN. She also received an Enterprise Award at WIE (Women, Inspiration, and Enterprise) Symposium in 2013. She has regularly become a good tool in projecting a good image for the Nigerian fashion industry and has had Forbes Power Women in Africa enlist her. These wedding ideas are your best bet:
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Folake Folarin-Coker was born in Lagos. She schooled in Europe (England, Switzerland, and Scotland). She has a Master’s Degree in Petroleum Law from Switzerland. But her burning urge for fashion has regularly kept her in fashion scenes. She has a curiosity for cultures that has kept her interest and love steered on unique fashion designs, latest fashion styles, and trends. She has been opportune to engage and interact with numerous cultures even as a young woman.
8. Zizi Cardow
As a young woman, Cardow dreamed of becoming a forensic profiler but when she received her first fashion job from an Italy based boutique at the age of 17, her fashion interest glowed. Her successes have showcased her designs on various international events as an African Fashion Ambassador. She has featured in catwalk events in Paris, Cape Town, United States, Milan, and a good number of other countries around the globe.
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Zizi Cardow has regularly represented the Nigerian culture and fabric at a global level. Her label, Zizi was launched many years back and has had her profile expand proudly. The once relegated Ankara fabric has become received by various world figures and worn to red carpet events globally. All thanks to Zizi and many other fashion designers in Nigeria. She received the Prestigious Designer of the Year award just after a year in the fashion industry. She has earned numerous awards around the globe ever since and her revolution for the African fabric around the globe is well embraced.
The DAME Award which recognized her exceptional achievement as a fashion designer came in 2002. She also won the Nigerian Women Awards and St. Moritz Style Selection Award. She has continued to make several impacts and garnered numerous awards ever since. Some of the other major awards include, Global Leadership Award, Young Achievers Award, Fashion and Style Award, UN Peace Ambassador, Merit Award for African Heritage. And they all came in 2010.
In 2007, she received the African Role Model Leadership Award and Zenith Award for Excellence in 2009.
Her wide range of expansion her tentacles has harnessed include world-famous celebrities and political figures. She has also been acknowledged by leading media houses in the world. And these include CNN, FTV, Channel O, and SABC. She has also staged numerous mentorship programs to help upcoming fashion designers in Nigeria.
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9. Mai Atafo
Mai Atafo had a Master’s Degree in Information Systems and Technology from the United Kingdom. He worked in many corporate sectors after returning from the UK in 2002, occupying various positions, before eventually deciding to pursue his passion – Fashion designing. He became a popular figure after launching his brand, Mai Atafo which has grown to become a good success around the globe. He is prominent as a Nigerian male bespoke designer and assuredly showcases the elegance of a Nigerian gentleman.
Atafo has had his work on popular personalities such as I.K. Osakioduwa, Gbenro Ajibade, Mercy Johnson, Stephanie Okereke, 2Baba, and the Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (2005), Omowunmi Akinnifesi. He dishes hot latest fashion styles and trends in African colors.
His fashion line, Wedding by Mai was launched in 2011. His designs have ever since been showcased at numerous high-profile events with awards. He has received awards such as the was Mode Men Magazine’s Fashion Designer of the Year, Style’s Hottest New Male Designer for two consecutive years, Allure’s Most Stylish Man of the Year, LFW Menswear Designer of the Year and City People Fashion.
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10. Ade Bakare
Ade Bakare was born in the United Kingdom. He also schooled there and went on to work in some of the leading fashion houses of Victor Edelstein and Christian Stambolian. His brand, Ade Bakare Couture came into fruition in 1991 where he started selling his work to diverse boutiques in the Channel Islands, England, and Scotland.
The established Nigerian fashion designer has got his African designs drawn so much attention around the globe with impacting the latest fashion styles and trends. With his works spanning over two decades, Ade Bakare is popular for his extremely sophisticated designs which makes him a household name around the country and even in the UK. His work has also been embraced in other places like Vienna, Mozambique, New York, Morocco, Cape Town, and Paris. His work spans around exclusive wedding gowns, to stylish evening gowns, fragrances, and hats. And also works with high-profile figures in Nigeria and many other countries.
He additionally has famous celebrities such as senators, minister’s wives, and first ladies among several other rock his works. Apart from being employed and recognized by the Ministry of Youth and Culture in his impact in supporting young and upcoming fashion designers in Nigeria, Bakare has been actively involved in numerous programs to inspire and gear up upcoming fashion designers.
Ade Bakare has bagged several awards including Conde Nast Publication and Paris Academy. His latest fashion styles and trends regularly project a modern twist and he is popular for his luxury female gazar and organza sweep coasts.
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11. Lola Faturoti
Lola Faturoti is one of the leading and best fashion designers in Nigeria. She was born and raised in Nigeria and currently based in New York. Lola is an indigene of Ondo state and proceeded to receive a formal education in London, before moving to the United States in 1990. As a child, she grew interested in fashion while helping her grandmother out with her fashion jobs.
While she based in New York, she attracted the attention of the president of Charivari Boutique, Barbara Weiser where she was employed. He got fascinated by her passion and potential and helped her in launching her first fashion collection. No wonder she exclaimed in an interview, “Everything begins for me with the print and fabric, which usually has some shine.”
Her African fabric prints designs have had successes that have a lot to do with her exposure and connections. She made a dress to celebrate Barack Obama’s election as the United States President and attracted a lot of global attention. The attire she made boldly reflected Yoruba words, “Oluwa gba President Barack Obama,” and it meant to mean, “God Bless President Barack Obama.”
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