Asotiayè: An indigenous brand committed to sustainable fashion for the modern African woman [Pulse Interview]

How long have you been in the fashion industry?

Our brand has been in the industry for four years.

Why the name asotiayé?

The name ASOTIAYÉ was conceived as a tribute to the beauty and value of African women.

The name Asotiayé means clothing of the world. The inspiration behind the name was creating clothing for all African women, to make them feel confident & comfortable in their shapes and sizes. It really doesn't matter if you are slim, short, tall or on the chubby side. We believe in appreciating your self-worth, through our styles and fabrics, we hope that can be achieved.

Asotiaye means clothing of the world Pulse Nigeria

What inspires you to create?

That's a big question but like what our brand represents, we want to make reliable fashion for the world. However, our main inspiration comes from African women.

We are invested in making African clothing for women of all ages. We value and embrace the diversity of all body types and the uniqueness of each individual's style.

Through this opportunity, we are able to create truly original and authentic designs.

What challenges do you face?

One of the biggest challenges is keeping up with the ever-changing fashion trends, which requires designers to conduct thorough research to ensure their collections are up to date and in turn, helps us keep our pieces relevant.

Another challenge we face as an emerging fashion brand is building brand awareness and gaining market share. To address this challenge, we are focused on creating unique and beautiful designs that appeal to our target audience and leveraging social media and individual or brand partnerships to expand our reach.

Asotaiye means clothing of the world Pulse Nigeria

As a fashion brand committed to sustainability and community building, we recognize the challenges posed by the inefficiency of local manufacturing industries and their impact on the accessibility and availability of resources. Overall, we believe that by working closely with local manufacturing industries and emphasising sustainability and ethical practices, we can help create a more efficient and accessible supply chain that benefits everyone involved.

In addition to staying current with trends, other challenges include meeting product release deadlines, managing finances, dealing with competitors, and finding skilled team members.

What lessons have you learned so far?

The fashion industry is vast in its knowledge, and there are various lessons one can learn from the industry.

The fashion industry is known for its constant innovation and creativity, which has inspired us to think outside the box when coming up with ideas for our collections.

One thing we've noticed is that changes in fashion trends and fashion brands are adaptable and this helps to keep up with our consumer demands. We understand the importance of flexibility and adapting to changes.

The industry has taken us through a range of valuable lessons about creativity, adaptability, marketing, sustainability, collaboration, and resilience, among others.

Asotaiye means clothing of the world Pulse Nigeria

Which celebs would you love to style?

We would love to see our pieces on some of the greatest women in Nigeria who represent our culture boldly.

The likes of Ayra Star, Simi, Asa, Idia Aisien, and Laila Johnson Salami, to mention a few. These women have recognition for their achievements as culturally rich African women and represent African women in the light of courage, pacesetters and beauty.

What is your take on Nigeria's fashion industry?

Nigeria's fashion industry is thriving and expanding. Have you seen how some of the fashion pieces designed by Nigerian fashion designers look?

Now I'll say this, if we had all the materials and resources they have abroad, we would definitely be creating our own custom fabrics and out-of-this-world fashion.

The creativity of Nigerians can never be limited. We thrive even where others don't expect us to.

We have several world-famous designers, including Deola Sagoe, Lisa Folawiyo, and Mai Atafo, who have displayed their creations on the international stage and succeeded.

This industry also gave room for a lot of employment opportunities for youths.