How Andrea Iyamah’s eponymous brand redefines feminine elegance

Andrea Dumebi Iyamah is one of the crucial inspiring fashion designers within the industry. With a profession spanning greater than a decade, she leads a wave of designers who create womenswear designs that exude tremendous feminine power and make daring sartorial statements that transcend style and elegance. This is epitomized by her eponymous fashion brand, Andrea Iyamah, which she founded out of a have to authentically represent Africa.

“I remember going to one of the high-end department stores with my mother and wondering why African brands weren’t represented,” Iyamah wrote in an email. “I would say this experience was seeded with the goal of creating an African heritage brand that would be available in various retail outlets around the world.”

Iyamah’s profession in fashion began on the age of 17 while studying in Canada. She began with a swimwear brand, working in a tiny studio with a really small team that handled every little thing from marketing to shipping. However, the appearance of social media ushered in a brand new phase of expansion and opportunity, pushing the brand into the realm of ready-to-wear and bridal fashion, with flagship locations in Lagos and New York.

Growing up in Nigeria, Iyamah developed a love for fashion, nurtured by her mother’s influence. Despite her parents preferring her to pursue a standard vocational course in Nigeria, Iyamah harbored a burning desire to pursue a profession in fashion. Her mother recognized this passion and in the course of the summer holidays arranged for her to work at a neighborhood tailor, where she learned the secrets of stitching and clothing construction.

“I did it from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. I learned to sew on hand machines. I learned everything from sewing children’s clothes to cutting patterns before moving on to adult clothes. It was a great learning experience and really equipped me with the basics to get started. When I started the brand in Canada, I created the pieces myself and I was able to do it based on my previous experiences,” she recalls.

Andrea Iyamah’s design aesthetic is stuffed with warmth and complex fluidity; it’s no wonder that every design is guided by wonderful elegance and sensuality, and it is sensible, since the designer wants every woman to feel powerful in them.

“It is extremely intentional that we make women feel first and then see,” Iyamah said. “Everything in my life is about feeling good before it looks good – for it to be good it needs to be consistent along with your values, the way in which you wish to be addressed, the way in which you address yourself and offer you a way of identity. We want you to wear our products and, if you look within the mirror, feel more like yourself, someone sublime, so to talk. It just isn’t intended to vary who you might be, but to light up who you already are.

However, this doesn’t mean that each one other things haven’t been taken into consideration when making a brand design. In fact, she uses colours, textures, shapes and movement to finish this effect. Sculptural techniques haven’t been missed, as seen within the Sombra bodysuit; you may imagine the waves, curves and movement the suit possesses, displaying such intense ferocity. “The idea was that every cut, proportion, color and silhouette was created with women in mind,” Iyamah said. “Many of our products have a number of draping and ruffles, which were created with great intention – to intensify the curves and body of the girl who wears our clothes. We attempt to maintain this when celebrating. How we use colours, especially two-tone colours, is a component of how we do it.

Andrea Iyamah is a spirited entrepreneur and it isn’t nearly being a clothier. She has built herself an empire in fashion, from swimsuits to ready-to-wear to wedding dresses and even a shoe line. We have expanded into the design and hospitality industry, creating the lifetime of Andrea Iyamah. But it’s even cozy when more expansion is planned within the near future.

“At Andrea Iyamah, we have always believed that once we understand the value and essence of a brand, we can leverage it in everything,” she said. “We imagine a world where there are resorts, hotels, Andrea Iyamah festivals, whatever it is. Once you have a good understanding of why you exist, you can manifest it in other things, and that’s why we diversified into other things like shoes and bags. While it complements our loungewear, our dream is for our brand to manifest itself in many different things, including the Anrdea Iyamah Spa – where you can already imagine what it would feel like because you have already experienced us at the core.”

Above all else, Andrea Dumebi Iyamah is so fulfilled by the sisterhood she has created through fashion, and that’s one of the crucial charming things about her brand.

“I sometimes go on holiday and I always smile when I see women in our creations. You know, it’s one thing to design these pieces, and it’s another thing to see it being accepted by women all over the world. This allows you to continue to be inspired and see opportunities for further development.” said ESSENCE.