𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐍.....𝐌𝐘 𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐄.

     𝐃𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒅𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒔𝒂𝒘 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆:

    𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚.

    𝑴𝒊𝒔𝒔 𝑷𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒐𝒓𝒂 𝑬𝒃𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒎.

    𝑴𝒓𝒔 𝑵𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒚𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕.

    𝑫𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅

    𝑴𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒚.

       𝑨𝑪𝑲𝑵𝑶𝑾𝑳𝑬𝑫𝑮𝑬𝑴𝑬𝑵𝑻 

𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒙𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏.

𝑻𝒐 𝒎𝒚 𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒈𝒖𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒅𝒐𝒎 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒊𝒏 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒚 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒍𝒆𝒅𝒈𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒇𝒕.

𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒍𝒚 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒇𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔, 𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔.

𝑨 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐 𝑴𝒊𝒔𝒔 𝑷𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒐𝒓𝒂 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑴𝒓𝒔 𝑵𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒚𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕. 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒇 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒖𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏.

𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚, 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏. 𝑰 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒖𝒔𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒕𝒚𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏.

𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌𝒔,  

[ 𝑶𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒖 𝑱𝒐𝒔𝒉𝒖𝒂 ].    

   𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.

Fashion designing is a term known to most people.  

As a young boy, I craved making dresses, especially women's dresses.  

I see fashion design as an office. It is a combination of elegance and comfort.

Many Nigerians think fashion design is all about sewing dresses, but it’s more than that. If you are one of those people who think fashion design is just about making dresses, please stop thinking that way. It includes different areas like:

1. Beading.

  

2. Tie and dye.

  

3. Textile design.

  

4. Pattern making.

5. Fashion journalism.

  

6. Embroidery, etc.

        Does Fashion Design Matter?

Yes.

Initially, fashion design was said to balance comfort and elegance.  

We all know that one of the basic necessities of life is clothing. Did you know that without the help of a seamstress or tailor, there may not be clothes for us to wear?  

Fashion design enhances the personality of individuals by blending different colours in a way that harmonizes with each other.  

For instance, celebrities have unique ways of dressing, which include their choice of colour, style, material type, designs, and so on.

     𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙖𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚.

Just like in other fields of business, as a fashion designer, you need to understand who you are making dresses for.  

Many fashion designers focus exclusively on making dresses for celebrities. Their audience is celebrities, and they must understand their preferences.  

Others design for anyone willing to pay for their services.  

Understanding your audience depends on many factors, such as styles and body shapes. Some clients prefer short dresses, while others prefer long ones. These are things you should understand about your audience.

    𝙠𝙚𝙮 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜.

Sometimes, the challenges you face as a fashion designer may seem greater than the benefits. However, these challenges should decrease as you grow in your field.  

Research shows that challenges are not only experienced by learners but also by new designers starting their own businesses.  

What should you do when you face a challenge in a particular area of the field?  

Sit down and give up?  

No, you should step out of your comfort zone and face whatever challenge comes your way.  

When I started learning fashion design, I always aimed to stay ahead of the teacher. Whenever she taught my senior classmates, I joined their class to learn. But, I found it difficult to master the topic "BUSTIERS," which was frustrating. But I didn’t give up. I took it upon myself to practice. After classes, I would go home and re-draft it. Today, I can confidently draft a bustier with my eyes closed.

    𝙉𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣.... 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩.

Fashion design is a vast field, and this makes it difficult to focus on all its aspects.  

Niching down is crucial to help you focus on one area and develop it.  

Here’s why niching is important:

●It reduces stress.

  

● It prevents frequent mistakes.

 

● It helps you be more creative, confident, and efficient.

● By niching down, you will attract your real audience.

  

● It helps you compete effectively with others.

     𝙏𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜.

You can't be successful in the fashion world without staying updated on trends. A single misstep can make you miss a trend, and missing a trend can lead to loss.

So, what do I mean by a trend?

In fashion, a trend can be a particular neck style, sleeve type, dress structure, or anything that’s popular at the moment.  

A little creativity on a dress can create a trend.  

For example, years ago, the mullet dress, known as the high-low gown, was trending.

Thinking outside the box can help you create a new trend.

     𝘼𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙.

Looking at the fashion world, several improvements are clearly visible:

●Computer-Aided Designs:

 

  In the past, styles were described verbally. Over time, style brochures were created with hand-drawn images to help describe styles. Today, styles are easily accessible on the internet and displayed on various digital platforms for efficiency.  

● Industrial and Electrical Sewing Machines:

Do you know how hard it was to sew with a mechanical sewing machine?

Hmm!

It felt like riding a bicycle!

Today, industrial and electrical machines make the process easier and more efficient. I’ve even seen a portable hand sewing machine that doesn’t require a foot pedal.

● Simple Machines to that makes Designing Easier:

 

Tools like soldering irons help make cutting patches easier, speeding up the process. Beading machines also make the beading process faster and cleaner. The time saved using these machines is significant compared to hand-sewing beads.

The introduction of weaving machines, embroidery machines, and many other tools has greatly improved the fashion industry.

   𝙏𝙞𝙥𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙.

>> Have a niche and develop it.

>> Be consistent.

  

>> Always see yourself as a learner, eager to bring out your best.

  

>> Build a strong customer-seller relationship.

  

>> Let your clients trust you and know what you're capable of doing.

 

>> Have a mentor like Veekee James, Prudential, etc.

>>Join fashion groups to stay updated with trends.

  

>> Be truthful to yourself.

     𝘽𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙛𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙚𝙧

Experience has taught many designers the behaviours to adopt in order to avoid conflicts with clients.  

As a fashion designer, don’t start sewing a customer’s dress without their go-ahead.  

●Always confirm the style your client wants before sewing and follow the pattern they request.

 

● If they aren’t sure of the style but give you a go-ahead, make something simple and decent.

 

● Provide a payment receipt to your client after full payment.

● Make your pricing clear to your client before starting the project.

       𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙫𝙚𝙠𝙚𝙚 𝙅𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨? 

      𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚.

Veekee James is someone every young designer aspires to be like.

Veekee James is a renowned Nigerian fashion designer for her creativity, perseverance, and dedication to her craft. Born Ruth Erikan James on June 9, 1995, in Lagos, Nigeria, she was inspired by her mother, Esther James, a skilled tailor who taught her the art of sewing and fashion design from an early age.

Although Veekee initially pursued a degree in biochemistry, her passion for fashion led her to focus on entrepreneurship. In 2019, she launched her brand, "Veekee James," which quickly gained recognition for its elegance and luxury within the Nigerian fashion scene.

Veekee's work blends modern trends with cultural influences, and she has styled many high-profile celebrities, including Funke Akindele, Osas Ighodaro, and Toke Makinwa. Her designs have been featured at major events like the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards (AMVCAs).

She has received multiple awards, including Best Designer of the Year, and her work has gained international recognition. In addition to fashion, Veekee has expanded into music, podcasting, and film, further solidifying her influence in both the fashion and entertainment industries.

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙯𝙚 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙛𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙚𝙧

1. Create a strong brand identity.

  

2. Build a high-quality online presence.

  

3. Collaborate with influencers, etc.

  𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙛𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨.

 

             Virgil Abloh

  Virgil Abloh, founder of Off-White and the first African-American artistic director for Louis Vuitton’s menswear, revolutionized modern luxury by merging streetwear with high fashion. He engaged younger audiences through collaborations, social media, and inclusive designs.  

The key lesson is that authenticity and breaking traditional norms resonate with new generations.

          Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren began his career designing ties before launching his iconic polo line. His vision of classic, preppy fashion evolved into a global empire. He mastered the art of selling a lifestyle rather than just clothing.

  

The takeaway: A compelling brand story can inspire customers to embrace a lifestyle.

       Coco Chanel

Coco Chanel began as a hat maker in Paris and revolutionized women's fashion. She introduced the Chanel suit and the little black dress, prioritizing comfort and simplicity. Chanel also expanded into fragrances, with Chanel No. 5 becoming a symbol of luxury.  

Key lesson: Innovation and timelessness can build a lasting brand. 

In conclusion, fashion design blends artistic flair with practicality to create clothing that reflects trends and personal style. Successful designers balance creativity with market demand, shaping styles that resonate with culture.