Fashion is art, and I dare say that Africa has one of the largest clusters of artistic geniuses across the globe.
In Nigeria, the fashion industry boasts a market value of about $4.7 billion and is fast becoming one of the world’s prime suppliers of elite creatives.
With brands such as Maki Oh, Orange Culture, Mai Atafo, and a host of other indigenous designers making names for themselves in the international fashion scene, it is only a matter of time before Nigerian designers take the lead globally.
In Africa, Nigeria is the center of attention for the creative arts. With captivating designs that do not just depict our beautiful culture, but also tell our story — Nigerian brands bring color to Africa’s fashion industry.
Deji Eniola
One of such brands is Deji Eniola, a Lagos-based menswear sartorial label famous for its well tailored suits and safari jackets collections.
Deji Eniola was created in 2011 by former fashion editor/stylist turned designer, Ayodeji Osinulu, who saw the need to bridge the aesthetic gap in the men’s wear section of Nigeria’s fashion industry. With a degree in Geology from the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ayodeji was not part of the few that always knew they would go into fashion and style design— for him, this was a passion he figured out later in his life.
In an interview with Connect Nigeria, Ayodeji recounts his journey into the fashion world. He started out as a design intern for Ifeoma Williams, owner of Fruition Image Consultancy, where he learnt the principles of design and the expression of the art. He then proceeded to work as a style correspondent with Bella Naija and as a fashion writer and stylist with Complete Fashion Magazine, where he made the decision to do menswear.
Hard work, they say, eventually pays off, and this was the case for Ayodeji whose brand soon gained the recognition of Africa’s biggest runway show.
In 2015, Ayodeji received his first call to the Lagos Fashion and Design Week, where Deji Eniola showcased its ‘Afropolitan Dandy’ collection — inspired by the need for sufficient cultural representation of Africa in the diaspora.
This event brought the brand to the fore of African fashion, and ever since, Ayodeji has remained focused on making Deji Eniola a global sensation.
Nigerian fashion has a dynamic and influential presence on the global stage, with several iconic designers and stylists making significant waves across social media platforms, especially Instagram. Here are eight Nigerian fashion icons you should consider following to get inspired by the vibrant colours, intricate patterns, and innovative designs characteristic of Nigerian fashion. Read … Continue reading Fashion Icons on Social Media: Shaping Trends and Style
Establishing an online presence is crucial for reaching and engaging your audience. A well-organized content calendar is a valuable tool to help plan and execute your online strategy effectively. In this article, we will explore how to create an efficient content calendar tailored to the needs of your fashion business. Read more about How … Continue reading How To Craft a Content Calendar For Your Fashion Business
The Lagos air hums with anticipation. Car horns jingle carols, street hawkers sing festive jingles, and a kaleidoscope of vibrant fabrics spills from overflowing markets. In this bustling Christmas frenzy, amidst towering owambe feasts and dazzling carnivals, one question reigns supreme: how do you slay the fashion game? Fear not, festive fashionistas, for this … Continue reading Naija Christmas Style: Slay-Worthy Styles for the Festive Season
The output from Nigeria’s fashion scene has evolved in significant ways since it began to be influenced by western styles a century or more ago. The chroniclers of this change have reported its transition from a space inhabited by a few design types to one that presently brims with uniqueness and difference. It’s now … Continue reading Brands We Love: Severe Nature