Lisa Folawiyo On Being a Changer of Nigerian Fashion – Essence

Lisa Folawiyo is a force within the Nigerian fashion market. No other designer has spent the higher part of nearly twenty years creating designs that take the essential identity of traditional West African textiles and use them to construct living stories.

Born to a West Indian father and a Nigerian father, Folawiyo describes her beginnings as very creative. Her passion was drawing and sketching. She eventually became a lawyer and practiced for a yr. Folawiyo found solace in fashion since it was a natural calling for her. She credits her mother’s influence because the true source of her fashion journey. She remembers how, as a child, she watched her sew clothes for them and the way she sometimes spent hours in the stitching room.

“She was very special [about] how all four of her children presented themselves to the world in terms of what we wore, and subconsciously I became very aware of what I was wearing, how I wanted to look. Also, my mother is from Trinidad and Tobago and I think so [inspired] my love for colors and prints,” Lisa tells ESSENCE. Folawiyo adds that her late mother was also quite stylish.

Lisa’s journey on the planet of fashion has an interesting prologue – characterised by her willingness to talk out in regards to the developing history of fashion in Africa before the mainstream media took notice of her. At the time, emerging designers and their stories were emerging on the continent, and Folawiyo was one of them, launching her brand Jewel by Lisa in 2005. For her, there was a gap to fill, resulting from the necessity to satisfy a taste that she felt was not being met on the time. In her opinion, it provided a youthful and opulent approach to jewelry.

Next, Folawiyo wanted to spotlight Ankara fabrics, which were essentially the most familiar material for her to make use of on this Afrofuturistic situation; and she or he wanted it to look cool and chic, while also being perceived as modern. But it was also because she wanted to attain the revival of textiles – she loves prints and colours – which Ankara allowed her to experiment with. Over the years, she has managed to make this design more modern, reinterpreting the prints as she sees slot in each of her collections.

What began as Jewel by Lisa later became the label of the identical name in 2015, but with the identical philosophy of reinvention and celebration. Lisa Folawiyo’s brand aesthetic combines traditional African fabrics with modern clothing construction techniques. She accomplishes this feat by consciously giving women the chance to specific themselves through clothes that deviate from the norms of trends. Since its launch, the brand has been renowned for its approach to exquisite craftsmanship, especially in fluid embellishment and beadwork.

“The hand-decoration of each LF piece is based on the art of detail – hours of dedication and skill have been put into each smallest stitch, turning the material into something extraordinary. It is a labor of love that transforms the work from ordinary to unforgettable,” Folawiyo tells ESSENCE. This increases the worldwide visibility attributed to the brand and in addition makes it the brand of alternative for global celebrities resembling Lupita N’yongo and Solange Knowles who wear this individual label.

In almost twenty years, Folawiyo has produced over 30 collections, and it comes as a shock to her to say this out loud. But it is not nearly having over 30 collections, it’s about knowing that it has developed significantly over time. “With each new collection, each season, I learn new things,” he says. “I try my hand at new things, discover new ways, methods, ideas [tell] our history.” The designer also says she does this to specific loyalty to the brand’s core aesthetic.

The idea for her latest collection, “The Starting Line,” got here from a series of thoughts shortly after LF Coll 1 2024 at the tip of last yr. He tells me the way it focused on the thought of ​​winning the race. “We all want to win and that really interested me because that’s the state of existence. Even more so in today’s world where competition is so fierce and the world is getting more difficult every day and we are competing on so many different levels,” he says.

Folawiyo desired to make the previously mentioned collection more comprehensible to the audience, so it combined various games, focusing, nevertheless, on the Nigerian game ayo, which was boldly highlighted in graphics and designs. This was followed by a wonderful show, organized within the affluent atmosphere of Eko Atlantic, during which the artist combined charm with sportsmanship to create a stunning exhibit. The fundamental theme was history, a clash of vivid colours, intricate decorations and strange structures. Ball bust dress, detailed fringe, beaded bags, aso oke corset and fabric footwear.

“The starting line is a reminder that while we may feel the pressure of winning, enjoying the race is just as important,” says ESSENCE. “Life is a sport, and we are all participants in it, lighting up the racetracks, courts and arenas with our unique style.”

Lisa believes that fashion might be talked about greater than just the art of sewing. For example, the subject of overconsumption and the way rampant it’s within the industry has been on her mind currently. Addressing this view, she adds that she believes consumers have gotten aware of overconsumption and counting on the worth of clothing, while becoming obsessive about the thought of ​​sustainability. She says this has led to a concentrate on what’s special to them, beyond searching for their favorite brands or falling in love with designer pieces. Folawiyo also notes that that is a result of the shrinking global economy and its impact on the industry, resulting in the decline of fashion brands that usually are not backed by large conglomerates. She admits that designers like her are at all times adapting, finding what works for them while still creating designs which might be noteworthy.

He believes that the long run of Nigerian fashion is strikingly vivid, especially as an increasing number of people gravitate towards what designers say because that’s what fully shapes the history of fashion; As designers, they create these pieces to expand the alternatives of what to wear, in addition to to visualise Nigerian culture, history and its social influences. “Fashion is fun, exciting, fantasy and whimsy, but sometimes we don’t realize it culturally [it] it is a key part of culture, history and marking time and moments,” he explains.

2024 marks the nineteenth yr for Lisa Folawiyo’s brand and Folawiyo herself, who’s grateful for the fervour that keeps her on the clock yr after yr. “I’m so grateful that I have even more passion than when I started and it keeps the wheels turning,” she tells ESSENCE.

“Every day I wake up really excited to come to the studio, design and work with my team. I’m grateful to still be here. It’s nice to know that people are inspired, that they’re really passionate about what we do, the authenticity and the real commitment to the brand, and I think it’s uplifting that we’re here and still have so much to say.” adds Folawiyo.