Meet the designers from Northern Nigeria

ByEniafe Momodu
March 4, 2023

Meet the designers from Northern Nigeria who rocked the ARISE Fashion Week 2023 Runway

Over the years, ARISE Fashion Week has been increasingly intentional with its plan to improve representation from designers based in Northern Nigeria, and this year, the ARISE Fashion Week & Jazz Festival provided a platform to a number of these designers, whose brilliant collections proved that Northern fashion deserves to be on the runway just as much as designers from other parts of the country.

AMEER BY AMEER

Ameer By Ameer aims to highlight elements that directly reflect traditional West African attire, perfected for the stylish, everyday man. For his debut on the ARISE Fashion Week runway, Ameer Bunu opened his showcase with a traditional Kanuri practice by burning incense on the runway, catching the attention of everyone in attendance. Styled by Moses Ebite, Ameer showcased a diverse range of indigenous pieces including kaftans and babban rigas, accessorised with beads, flat caps and traditional headscarves.

HUDDAYA

Based in Abuja, Hudayya is a bespoke ready-to-wear fashion brand that provides high-end class tailoring and luxury dressing. This month, Hudayya returned to the ARISE runway following her show-stopping debut at ARISE Fashion Week’s Dubai Expo showcase in 2021, which made headlines for its eye-catching pieces, as well as a surprise appearance from supermodel Naomi Campbell. This year, Hudayya showed that she has even more to offer her ever-growing fanbase, showcasing a cohesive mix of silks, organzas and other rich fabrics that are signature of the brand. Aminat Ayinde also turned heads in a crystal-embellished boubou, reminding the audience of exactly how she earned her status as a top model.

SYARI BESPOKE

Bespoke design house, Syari Bespoke, creates unique designs by merging contemporary influences with traditional clothing styles. For his ARISE Fashion Week debut, Sadiq Mele Kyari paired colourful kaftans with Syari-branded snapbacks, while some mismatched three-piece attires (agbadas) proved that this designer is wholly unafraid to think outside the box.

MARIYA SANUSI

Eponymous brand, Mariya Sanusi, was created during the COVID-19 pandemic and has been on an uphill journey ever since. The womenswear brand, which places an emphasis on womanhood and self-love, filled her ARISE Fashion Week debut with bright pieces, that artfully married ready-to-wear and couture aesthetics, with potent results. With vivid pieces made in striking silhouettes, it was certainly an affair to remember.

EL-ATTIRE

El-Attire places Elegance above all else, presenting a range of pieces for all body types that celebrate traditional African attire. For his ARISE Fashion Week debut, Usman El-yakub went against the grain by showcasing richly-coloured agbadas as standalone pieces (as opposed to the more typical three-piece), reimagining 'tradition' for a modern audience by placing these on both male and female models. He completed his collection with a range of free-flowing kaftans in a diverse range of colours.