Dumebi Iyamah is a gifted 26-year-old creative designer and entrepreneur from Nigeria who is taking the fashion world by storm.
Her unique clothing brand, Andrea Iyamah, started out as a fashion blog on Blogspot in 2011, and has since risen to international acclaim.
The state of the fashion industry is in a weird place right now in 2019.
The Fashion and Apparel Industry Report suggest that the international industry revenue growth will rise from $481.2 billion in 2018 to $712.9 billion by the year 2022.
Meanwhile the E-commerce segment of the fashion and apparel industry will increase at a compound annual rate of 10.6% during that time frame.
But on the other hand, we have household names like Gucci, Adidas, Prada and more who are exonerated in popular culture, yet they have stooped so low as to showcase obscenely racist products.
Ethical consumers are looking for more responsible fashion investments and there has been a rise of diverse new designer talent to meet the need.
Designers like Dumebi Iyamah are rejecting the status quo by taking a stand against harmful industry norms and redefining the entire nature of the business.
Dumebi Iyamah first realized her passion for fashion when she was about twelve years old, and remembers saving up the money to buy her first sewing machine.
In the beginning her designs leaned more towards bold and vibrantly styled swimwear, but lately she has been showcasing a variety of apparel, all the while maintaining her signature flair.
As you can tell, most of her work is heavily influenced by traditional African garments, yet many designs incorporate futuristic aesthetics as well.
From her chic ready-to-wear outfits to her glamorous made-to-measure bridal gowns, her designs never fail to break the mold.
Models and celebrities from all over the world have worn her brand, including Issa Rae, Adrienne Bailon, Christina Milian, Jeannie Mai, Tia Mowry, Angela Simmons, Genevieve Nnaji, Bonang Matheba, and her sister Somkele Iyamah Idhalama.
Dumebi Iyamah's love of art is what got her foot in the door of the fashion industry when her older sister, now a popular Nigerian actress, debuted her fashion illustration skills on YouTube back in 2011.
She soon taught herself how to sew and worked hard to develop her fashion brand all throughout her high school years.
Dumebi worked tirelessly as a full time student, all the while honing her skills and developing her growing network of social media fans.
Her Andrea Iyamah Instagram account currently boasts over 121 thousand followers, and every day more and more people from all over the world are discovering the brand and falling in love with her incredible designs.
However, her work in the fashion industry didn't stop her from graduating from McMaster University with a Bachelors in Communications and Media Technology.
Her relentless drive pushed her to hit the ground running while she was still in school, and soon her passion project became a life-changing career choice.
After moving to Canada, she opened her first brick and mortar store in Ontario and has recently opened a second store in Lagos.
Her company has now grown into a multifaceted organization that offers an extensive range of stylish apparel products on an international scale.
Andrea Iyamah is currently featured on Bikini.com, and has been published in Ebony Magazine, Elle, Cosmopolitan and many others.
Be sure to check out the official Andrea Iyamah website for the latest designs from Dumebi Iyamah.
I do not own the photos shown in this blog post, all rights are reserved by their respective owners.