Aaye

I have always asked myself how I might increase awareness of the Nigerian fashion industry? In 2017 my family and I started a womenswear brand based in Lagos, Nigeria called House of Irawo that focuses on contemporary ready-to-wear and custom couture pieces, I act as the brand strategist for House of Irawo. Initially, my assumptions were that if there was a Vogue publication in West - Africa, this could increase awareness for my family’s brand and for other Nigerian fashion brands like ours. I interviewed fashion editors, and Vogue readers to gain their perspectives and it was always 50/50, some agreed that there should be a Vogue creation but others thought that West - Africans did not need the international assistance or validation. I went into second semester, so sure that my outcome would be a magazine but through various ethnographic research, I started questioning how much of an impact Vogue would give to these designers and began to realize that to increase sales for Nigerian designers, I needed to understand what the perception of Nigerian fashion was to Nigerian consumers. After multiple interviews and shadowing activities of my stakeholders, I began to realize these three insights were affecting consumption habits. Many Nigerians believe Nigerian fashion lacks originality, some Nigerians only purchase Nigerian fashion for special occasions, and Many Nigerians perceive imported brands as industry leaders.