Lisa Folawiyo
Collections by Nigerian fashion designer Lisa Folawiyo are exceedingly bright, bold and elaborate. In combining African prints and traditional motifs with contemporary tailoring, Folawiyo’s collections have achieved pure originality, gaining her well deserved international standing and success.
Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, Folawiyo is inspired by the city’s prolific art, music, and cultural scenes. Clashing colours, layers of pattern and embellishments decorate her designs, creating a rich and complex palette born of its own place of origin. Folawiyo’s pieces are not for the faint-hearted – they are for the confident, modern female who appreciates neat tailoring and an abundance of character.
Ankara fabric, with its tribal patterning, is achieved through a dying process called Batik. Cotton, a highly absorbent fabric, is partially coated in wax – the covered areas are resistant to the dye, which in turn creates the patterns. Folawiyo has taken a historic technique and modernised it by pairing it with contemporary tailoring techniques to bring the aesthetic back to the forefront of fashion.
Folawiyo’s garments are also embellished with sequins, crystals, and beads, which have been meticulously handcrafted in Folawiyo’s Nigerian workshop.
Asymmetrical cuts, animal motifs, layering, tassels and billowy sleeves are just some of the highlights of Folawiyo’s exquisite SS18 collection. With showrooms in Nigeria and New York, Folawiyo is expanding her markets and with celebrities such as Solange Knowles and Lupita Nyong’o flying her flag, we’re destined to see a lot more from Lisa Folawiyo.
Credits: Lisa Folawiyo
