As a business owner in the fashion industry, especially a fashion designer, you should not be afraid to experiment and try out different creative concepts. Whether by mixing different Ankara fabrics or African and Western design practices, fashion designers in the industry should strive to be unique.
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Lisa Folawiyo Studios is one Nigerian brand that readily fuses traditional fabrics with modern tailoring and beaded embellishments. So, what makes this brand unique?
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About Lisa Folawiyo Studios
Lisa Folawiyo Studios is a multi-faceted global womenswear and accessories brand that makes use of ornate embellishments to create unique Ankara and African print pieces.
One of the things that make the Lisa Folawiyo Studios brand stand out is the fact that they create feminine and modern aesthetics and silhouettes that match African aesthetics.
How The Brand Was Birthed
The eponymous fashion brand, formerly known as Jewel By Lisa was launched in 2005 by Lisa Folawiyo after leaving her job at a law firm to follow her natural flair and passion to express herself creatively.
“For me, it was a need to create modern luxurious wearable directional ready-to-wear pieces from African fabrics which are mainly used for traditional wears in this part of the world.” – Lisa Folawiyo.
After so many years in the fashion industry, Lisa Folawiyo is now best known for incorporating traditional west African textiles with modern tailoring techniques with an emphasis on sequin trim and beading.
Funding
Just like Lisa Folawiyo shared in an interview, she started her fashion brand with barely 20,000 Naira.
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“Starting out, I only purchased about four fabrics and I think they used to be 2,000 Naira, while the most expensive was sold for 3,000 for six yards. I also didn’t have a tailor at the time, so I would outsource and luckily for me, my mother’s friend was a seamstress, so she helped put my first patterns together for a little amount. In addition to the fabric that I bought, the sum I started with was not more than 20,000 to 30,000 Naira.” – Lisa Folawiyo.
However, by participating in many fashion shows and competitions, the Lisa Folawiyo brand has acquired more funds and monetary support for them to grow as they have done.
Top Competitors
Maki Oh
Maki Oh is a fashion brand that fuses traditional African techniques with detailed contemporary construction to cater mostly for womenswear. The brand, which was founded by Amaka Osakwe in 2010, is known for making an instant impact by evolving African textiles and traditional tailoring.
The pieces which are created for women can be worn to both formal and informal occasions while retaining a chic and classy vibe.
Mazelle Studio
Mazelle Studio is a fashion brand that elevates the dialogue around African luxury womenswear through experimental design and storytelling.
The brand was founded by Mariam Afolabi and is known for their signature use of Adire mix and sharp silhouettes accompanied with sequins, shimmer and other embellishments delicately hand-beaded into quality fabrics.
DNA By Iconic Invanity
DNA By Iconic Invanity is an ethical fashion brand based in Nigeria that creates fun and youthful pieces to empower women and girls around the world, and it was founded in 2015 by Destiny Nwadire.
They are known for their creative play of colours and colour blocking with touches of hand-beaded elements to make the outfits stand out.
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Target Audience And Pricing
The fashion brand is dedicated to creating clothes for the woman who is comfortable and confident enough to own her space – a woman with her unique personal style.
The Lisa Folawiyo brand caters for all women with different pocket sizes, as a simple but elegant piece may go for about 60,000 Naira while some may be priced as high as 600,000 Naira.
One thing we love about Lisa Folawiyo is how they make sure to add some flare and sizzle to the regular African fabric. The flattering cuts, sequins and all other forms of embellishments make the outfits to stand out.
