15 Emerging Designers in Nigeria To Lookout for in 2015

BlackNBold Fashion House presents some 15 Emerging Fashion Designers
to lookout for in the year 2015. The aim of this series is to
encourage young and upcoming fashion designers in Nigeria. The list
was compiled by a board of fashion judges who did a comprehensive
research into the world of  fashion proteges in Nigeria.

1) Oluwatobi Akintoye (T16 World of Fashion)

Oluwatobi is the creative director and founder of T16 world of
Fashion. A final year student of the  University of Lagos, Akoka where
she is studying Guidance and Counseling. She began her career as a
tailor, but because of her humble beginning, passion for fashion and
drive to be successful, this helped facilitate her rise through the
ranks, first as a tailor and now as a designer. In her sojourn into
the beautiful world of fashion she had the opportunity to be mentored
by the likes of Mai Atafo and Lanre Da Silva.

 Her brand is an effortless, timeless and wearable Line that reflects
the kind of woman she
is herself, which is strong, bold, fun, unique and fearless.  She was
part of the top 15 Fashion Focus finalists of GTB Lagos fashion and
design week 2014 and was amongst the Top 4 finalist of the DSTV
Fashion Protege Contest. She has showcased at Africa fashion week
Nigeria, Lagos Fashion And Design week, and MTN Business Overlook
Forum. She has also enjoyed massive publicity on various media
platforms in Nigeria.

Lagos Fashion And Design Week 2014 was her break through for this
young and promising designer. She debuted her collection SS15 early
this year and the year is already looking very promising for
Oluwatobi.

2. Akabogu Ogochukwu (Lines by chaab)

Akabogu Ogochukwu is the creative director of the rising brand; Lines
by chaab, a fashion design outfit dedicated to presenting its
customers with  different clothing options ranging from hand
embellished clothing to stunning texture play, colour play as well as
pattern play in the unique art of mix and match as never seen before.
Akabogu Ogochukwu translates her love for languages and art into a
universal language.....fashion.

She emerged winner of  the Nigerias' Next Top Designer Competition
which was aired on various Tv stations in Nigeria  and later going on
to win the Music Meets Runway Rising Icon Competition 2014. And this
has been the turning point in the life of this young designer. She has
also showcased at the Africa Fashion Week Nigeria and Winasbet
Nigerian Student Fashion And Design Week, which is the biggest fashion
showcase in Africa for student designers. In 2014, Ogo was rated as
one of the top 12 newcomers in the industry by BlackNBold Fashion
House. Ogo and her works has been featured on E! Online, Africa Magic
, Studio 53, Pulse.ng, Onobello.com, Bella Naija and a host of others.
The year 2015 is looking bright for this young designer as she already
has a host of top clients patronizing her brand and she will be
showcasing her 2015 Collection at the Music Meets Runway later this
year.

3. Omowunmi Owonifari (Mo'fari Couture)

Omowunmi is the  founder/creative engine behind the "regal" Fashion
label MO'FARI COUTURE. She is a young girl who knows what She wants
and goes for it. She was born in June 1986 in the city of Lagos. She
attended the University of Lagos Staff School Akoka Yaba,  Mayflower
School Ikenne Ogun State and graduated from the Olabisi Onabanjo
University where she studied accounting. She is also a graduate of
Fate Foundation business school.

Omowunmi Owonifari began her career studying fashion design from the
prestigious Nobel Afrik training and dress making school in Nigeria in
the year 2011.Upon Graduating, the invaluable experience gained
inspired omowunmi to fulfil her lifelong dream to launch her "Regal"
fashion brand MOFARI COUTURE in June 2011 while still on Training.

Her participation in several competitions has made her brand grow
fast. Her major Achievement so far in the industry was being a part of
the Top 15 Lagos Fashion and Design week And British Council Fashion
Focus 2014 Finalist, which she claims was a major breakthrough for her
brand. Her latest collection S/S15 was showcased at the just concluded
Lagos Fashion and Design week 2014. She was one of the four finalist
at the 2015 Zinkata Red carpet challenge. Her work has been featured
in several fashion blogs and tv programmes. In June 2014 she got an
editorial feature in the Guardian  Newspaper as the Designer of the
Week. She is one designer to look out for in the year 2015.


4.Folu Ajayi (House of Dabira)

Folu is the third of four children, born to the family of Professor
and Dr (Mrs.) Michael Ajayi. She attended Staff School and the
International School Ibadan, University of Ibadan, for her primary and
secondary education, respectively. She recently graduated from the
Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan. She is the Creative Director of
the House of Dabira, a fashion brand created December 2011.

Although like most other designers, fashion started for Folu at a very
young age. Her brand "House of Dabira" is an household name at the
University of Ibadan and she remains one of the most successful young
designers to have graduated from her university in recent times.

She was a nominee of The Students Union Government Awards, Best
Student-Owned Organisation, September 2013,  and The Oyo 30under30
Awards, Fashion Category, in December 2013. And has won the following
awards; The Junior Chambers International(JCI), Fifteen Outstanding
Persons Awards, Most Outstanding Person In Entrepreneurship, March
2014; Oyo Students Entrepreneurship Awards, Entrepreneur Of The Year,
September 2014;  Realad UI Awards, Fashion Icon Of The Year, December
2014.

She has showcased at the Nigerian Television Fashion Show, The Dreams
Come True Show With Jazzyb, Miss Heritage Competition, Ife Runway
Fashion Show. In 2013, an official launch for the brand was held in
April at the University of Ibadan; after which she participated at the
Nigerian Student Fashion And Design Week in June, at the University of
Lagos, Yaba.

In 2013, she also established the House of Dabira Campaign Against
Domestic Violence Towards Women and Children. She recently won the
Zinkata Red Carpet Challenge, for which she got to dress Dakore
Egbuson-Akande for the 2015 Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards, held
at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Lekki, Lagos. The dress was a hit as
Dakore Egbuson-Akande made the best dressed list of sites such as
bellanaija.com, stylevitae.com, memkoh.com among many others.
Bellanaija recently put up an article about the competition and the
brand.
She is definitely a designer to lookout for in 2015.


5. Bimbo Oye-Akinnifesi (Reni Smiths)

Bimbo Oye-Akinnifesi is the creative director of Reni Smiths. She
spent her early years growing up in Lagos. Her grandmother was a
seamstress thus giving her an early taste of the world of design and
fashion. Beginning her formal training at Instituto di Moda Burgo
where she got a diploma in fashion styling. She entered the exciting
world of fashion by establishing the Reni Smith brand which she
launched at the 2013 edition of GTBank Lagos Fashion & Design Week as
one of the top 10 young designers showcasing the Bella Donna
collection.
After the launch, the brand received massive acceptance and she has
had the honor of designing clothes for top female celebrities in
Nigeria, as well as had the Reni Smith pieces worn on the red carpet
for different award shows. Bimbo has been featured in notable fashion
blogs, magazines and television programmes within and outside the
country. The year looks very promising for this young designer and she
is one to definitely lookout for in the year 2015.


6. Vovwe Omoko (Ovems Fashion)

Vovwe Omoko graduated from the Department of Textile art at Delta
State University in 2014 after which she pursued training at OSC
College of Fashion. Her love for fashion started from when she was a
child, and she has always received the support of her parents. Her
brand originated from her passion to make clothes that interpretes
aesthetics and speak class.

Her major breakthrough was when she emerged as the most creative
designer at the Winasbet Nigerian Student Fashion and Design Week in
2014 which featured over 40 young designers from various states in
Nigeria. This prize brought her to limelight as she was featured in
various media platforms in Nigeria. Few months later, she went ahead
to win the David Wej Half a Million Naira Fashion Competition. She
also won the BlackNBold Fashion Awards for Young Designer of the Year.

She is presently an in house stylist and wardrobe designer for cool tv
and wazobia tv and she has styled various celebrities in Nigeria. I
present the fashion and style show on the wazobia tv. She will be
debuting the "Edgy And Classy" collection at the 2015 edition of
Africa Fashion Week Nigeria. She is a designer to lookout for this
year.



7.  Adebola Adebowale (Derb's Signature)

Adebola Adebowale is the drive behind the fast growing fashion brand;
Derb's signature, a Nigeria-UK trained engineer with an inseparable
love for fashion.

Derb's signature is a true Nigerian dream reaching out to the world
with innovation and originality.

Adebola has always loved fashion with insistent quest to fill the
fashion gap and make better image and personality brand. She has been
involved in different aspect of skill acquisition and practice. She
showcased her collections at the 2011, 2012 and 2013 edition of the
Bristol fashion week in England. She was also one of the four
finalists of the Zinkata Red Carpet challenge where the winner had a
chance to style Dakore to the 2015 edition of AMVCA. Her works has
been featured in notable magazines in the Uk and Nigeria.

She is presently working on a full collection Chic bohemian which will
be released in winter 2015 and she will also be showcasing at some
major fashion week in Nigeria this year. This is another designer to
lookout for in 2015.




8. Nkechi Sonia Ntekume (Spine Cut)

As a child, it was watching her mom develop a clothing line for which
she created her own prints that sparked Nkechi's interest in fashion.
Soon, her artistic interests spread to sketching and using fabrics,
she was quite crafty with the needles, she used to stitch out wears
for her doll and crochet stitches which she learnt from her Mum.

She enrolled into a vocational and skills acquisition center; Youth
Resource Center-Idia Renaissance in Benin, Edo state, where
she learnt the basics of fashion designing for 6months and emerged as
one of the top students of the department.

The 2014 graduand of the University Of Benin has  been into bespoke
and made-to-measure of day to day occasion and bridal wears, offering
a one on one service, and working closely with
clients to create their ultimate dream outfits, ensuring perfect fit
to suit individual tastes.

In 2014 she studied Fashion Design professionally  at Needlekraft
Fashion School of Needlekraft Couture for 6months. Months into the
training, she got involved in Exhibitions which formally introduced
her brand to a part of the Lagos market. Later that year in September,
she
did a one month intermediate course in branding, collection making, pattern
drafting plus fashion illustration at One Stop Celebration College of
Fashion with Asanyah Davidson of Circa 24, as a tutor where she emerged
winner of the project work which launched her first collection; Trumpet
collection. Awesomely she's Currently into
a bridal course at Bride Affairs and an online programme too. 2015 is
a year to watch out for this promising young designer.

9.  Modupe Adeoti (17.09 Couture)

Spotted a few times on the red carpet, 17.09 Couture stores are go to
places for red carpet events.  17.09 Couture was created by Modupe
Adeoti who is also the Head Designer.

The Graduate of English Language from the University of Ado-Ekiti in the
year 2011, has the capacity to universalised the fashion world with
her linguistic ability, she
launched her Fashion Line in the year 2013.

17.09 Couture is a top notch brand and has been making its way to the
top. With three collections released so far, the last been a runway
collection
showcased at the Winasbet Nigerian Student Design And Fashion Week in
2014 which was referred to as the brands major debut.

Modupe has been featured on a few television programmes, fashion
magazines and blogs. She was listed under the Top 12 fashion industry
newcomers in the year 2014 with her  brand in the Top 10. She was also
one of the finalists that made it to the Game On house for team
fashion, The reality TV show sponsored by Malta Guinness, which has
been a huge break out for
the brand.

She will be releasing the "Silver Lining Collection" in few weeks
time. This collection will be showcased at major fashion shows in
Nigeria. This is a promising year for this creative young designer.

10. Gbenga Luke-Adetule (NVO).

Gbenga Luke- Adetule is the Creative Director of NVO APPAREL. NVO
stands for NAIJA'S VERY OWN; a proudly Nigerian fashion brand that
offers premium bespoke outfits.
The NVO APPAREL brand was birthed in March 2013, fueled by the zeal to
make quality, outstanding outfits that would rival established
designers in the fashion industry both home and abroad. In June 2014,
Gbenga showcased at the second
edition of Winasbet Nigerian Student Fashion and Design Week (NSFDW),
the biggest
student fashion week in Africa, and this was a turning point for him, it
motivated him to dream bigger and work harder, just after this
showcase, he was invited to audition for a fashion project called "The
Making", a lot of experience was gained as he learned from the likes of
Mai Atafo.

In August 2014, he showcased his 2nd  collection at the Nubian Runway
and Fashion Show (N.R.F.S) where he emerged as one of the most
creative designers of the night. He has been featured on notable
fashion blogs, magazines and television programmes and he has styled
quite a number of
celebrities, OAP's, Music acts and TV personalities for red carpet events,
photo shoots and music video shoots. The young designer recently
signed a partnership deal with Goge Africa, where he gets to dress
their Tv presenters for a period of time.

The year 2015 promises to be a stepping stone for this young designer
as he is also looking forward to showcasing his 2015 collection at the
Lagos Fashion And Design Week.

11. Adepeju Okunuga (Oza Couture)

Babcock University's famous fashion brand OZA COUTURE was created by
Adepeju Okunuga in the year 2012. The young designer is one of most
established and successful fashion designers on campus. Her passion
for fashion has always been embedded in her since she was little but
it came into limelight in her 300 level. She was raised by her mother
and father who fully support and encourage her.
Oza Couture is all about designing unique, stylish, classy, decent and
well tailored dresses for women. Her environment in school inspired
her to be able design dresses that would still look decent and also
compliant with the school rules. She showcased her first collection
"The Nightingale Collection" in the early parts of 2014 in different
fashion shows organised in her school. Her second collection "The
Versatile Collection" was showcased at the Uninfluenced 2015 Fashion
Show organized in Babcock University. She also participated in the
Fayrouz fashion competition in the year 2014. This showcase got her an
interview by Punch Nigeria on her entrepreneurship skills in 2014. Her
notable awards and accomplishments cannot be overlooked as she won the
Accounting Students League of Babcock's Departmental Award for
Entrepreneur of the year in 2013, The Babcock University Students
Association's Award for Entrepreneur of the year in 2014, Most
 Enterprising Female Award in her hall of residence Felicia Adebisi
Dada in 2015 and the African Diamonds Award  Babcock University for
Fashion Designer of the year in 2015. She intends to further her
skills in fashion designing by pursuing a masters degree in fashion
designing. Now out of school, the industry should watch out for this
designer.

12. Apooyin Abiola, Doyin Junaid, Yusuff Olusola (AWE'S CLOTHING)

Breaking into the fashion scene late 2013, Awe clothing's has been a
students brand with distinction as they have achieved so much within
the little time of establishment with roots in the United States and
across campuses in Nigeria. The brand is owned by three young
designers, Apooyin Abiola a student of the University of Lagos, Yusuf
Olusola a student of the federal poly Ilaro and Doyin Junaid who
resides in the United States. These young proteges have been able to
work together as a team and channel all their creative energy into the
Awe Brand.

The two (2) times Most outstanding student brand of the University of
Lagos is known for taking their clients through an adventurous journey
of unparalleled fashion. From their
fabric selections and swatches to the detailed attention they pay to
fitting, quality, finesse and timeliness of delivery. They also offer
the best sartorial pieces on a quality for less basis.

In the year 2014, Awe clothing's was nominated as an Emerging brand of
the year at FUNAAB Awards, Student Enterprise Of the Year at the
Unilag Awards and also at the Tush All Youth Awards.  Awe has styled
Celebrities like BOJ, Tosyn Bucknor, Cynthia Morgan,  Vector, Kiss
Daniels, Toke of Unilag fm amongst others.

The year 2015 looks very promising for this young brand.

13.  Onwuka Onyeka Paschal (Royal Couture)
Onwuka Onyeka Paschal is an undergraduate student of Babcock
University and creative director of Royal Couture. He is a proficient
designer so skilled in the art of making "Strictly"  Male outfits. The
way he fits colors together with the perfect design is impeccable.
It's like he understands colour shades and designs so well, he can
craft a mesh of elegant cocktail wears with these little detailing.

He officially launched his designer flagship store; ROYAL COUTURE in
the year 2015. He debuted the "Urban Soldiers" at the just concluded
Babcock
University Uninfluenced Fashion show, a western university fashion
clique which also featured prominent and talented fashion designers
from withing and outside the country.
He is one of the prominent designers in his University and has been
featured in some major blogs and magazines in Nigeria.

14.  Oluwafolakemi Aigbirior (Fowal Flair)

Oluwafolakemi Aigbirior is a fashion designer with the taste for
style, finishing and fit, she loves paying attention to details. Her
love for arts
and crafts is borne out of the desire for designing and making people look good.

The graduate of Home Economics at Obafemi Awolowo University and
creative director of Fowal Flair started her brand during her
undergraduate days and was incorporated in the
year 2011. Oluwafolakemi Aigbirior is an expert in creating bespoke
and ready to wear creations.
This ever rising brand is also into designing and production of
timeless designs for women that love good taste. Over the years, they
have been able
to train a good number of young females by helping them bring out
their potential creative ability.

She is also a Goldman Sachs' 10,000 Women scholar of the Enterprise
Development Centre(EDC) at the Pan Atlantic University.

Fowal Flair entails what femininity is and embraces all aspects of it,
making it a favourite among folks with the best fashion taste buds.

When Folakemi is off fashion, She's into BlackNbold Fashion club, She was
also a part of the just concluded Ife Runway Season Three Goodwill
Ambassador.
Her designs has been featured in some fashion magazines and blogs in Nigeria.

15. Faith Ifarajimi (Bloke Oluwajimi)
Faith is a 400 level student of the Federal University of Agriculture,
Abeokuta where he is studying Animal Nutrition.
Unlike many designers, Faith is focusing on Knitwears which is not so
popular amongst Nigerian designers. He started knitting as a learning
on the job process, because knitwear design is considered as self
taught for him. He had his first hands on experience of knitwear
designing in
2013 when there was an educational strike in the Federal Institutions.

With role models like Missoni, Laduma Ngxokolo, Mark Fast, and Buki
Akib who are also influences on the young designers works. His debut
collection 'DREAMS' for the Autumn/Winter 2015 season which he
showcased at the House of Claire fashion show has been receiving a lot
of positive reviews from reputable fashion heads in the industry.
He is presently one of the youngest male knitwear designer in Nigeria
presently into knit wears. He will be showcasing his collection at the
Winasbet Nigerian Student Fashion and Design Week and the GTB Lagos
Fashion and Design Week later this year.

More:
Sammie's Couture, Jkcollectibles, Hembadoon clothing.