A Nigerian creative design house, Sisi Sewing, founded by seamstress, Quwiyat Lawal has made bold statements with her incredible designs that has wowed the fashion industry.
These designs mostly, showcase well tailored clothings done with mostly African fabrics for all purpose wears.
Lawal noted that, in the fashion world today, indigenous African creative designs with fabrics has continued to make tremendous impacts, redefining how the fashion trend tilts, both local and international.
Speaking with the soft spoken founder and chief executive officer of Sisi Sewing, Quwiyat Olashile Lawal, a seamstress that has developed passion for making costumes that define purpose, she expressed confidence in explaining how African designs has continued to rule the global fashion industry.
She said, “My name is Quwiyat Olashile Lawal. I run Sisi Sewing, a fashion brand that I started since 2022. To be candid, Sisi Sewing was founded in 2022, while I was still working with Hajjewels House of Styles as a fashion designer. From 2018 to 2021, I trained at Hajjewels Fashion School, which gave me the skills and confidence I needed. After completing my training, I joined the Hajjewels team and worked there until 2023.
“During that time, I launched Sisi Sewing and started growing it alongside my work. Balancing both roles was challenging, but it gave me valuable industry experience and helped me shape my own style. Since then, the journey has been exciting.
“I started small, focusing on ready-to-wear outfits for clients, and step by step, the brand is growing gradually. Along the way, I’ve learned a lot about design, customer needs, and how to balance creativity with business,” stated Lawal.
Talking about featuring in any global fashion stage, Lawal mentioned that she has not taking part in any official exhibition in the course of her making designs, but has been preparing to make appearances in some world class fashion fairs where her design would be boldly showcased.
“I have not yet taken part in any official exhibitions. However, I am working towards showcasing my collections at Nigeria Fashion Week, GTCO Fashion Weekend, and Africa Fashion Week Nigeria. These are the platforms I’m preparing for as the next stage of my journey.
“In addition, my most outstanding experience so far has been, building collections for my clients and seeing how people connect with my designs. Each piece I create tells a story, and the feedback from clients motivates me to keep pushing forward,” Lawal added.
Beyond that milestone, Lawal has consistently been creating unique brands with African fabrics defined with indigenous styles on demand, and as well pushing the global fashion frontiers with original African styles.
Talking about her brands in demand, she said, “Under my brand Sisi Sewing, the most in-demand pieces are my ready-to-wear Afro-fusion collections. Clients especially love the Ankara-inspired designs with modern cuts, because they’re stylish and easy to wear for different occasions. And I have also thought of global reach with my brand.
“My plan is to grow Sisi Sewing beyond Nigeria. I want to introduce my designs to international audiences, starting with the UK. Right now, my clients are mostly young professionals and families in Nigeria, but I’m working towards reaching people abroad who are interested in Afro-fusion fashion,’ Lawal mentioned.
“However, Sisi Sewing as a brand is slowly creeping into the fashion consciousness of corporate, private and Aso-ebi fashion lovers and party enthusiasts in Nigeria.
“I want Sisi Sewing to grow into a brand that is recognised both in Nigeria and internationally. In the next few years, I plan to showcase at Nigeria Fashion Week, GTCO Fashion Weekend, and Africa Fashion Week Nigeria. I also want to open a studio in Nigeria that doubles as a training hub, and later start my own fashion school like Hajjewels. Another big part of my plan is to study for a Master’s degree in the UK, so I can gain more knowledge and bring Sisi Sewing into new markets,” Lawal boasted.
According to her, it has been a rewarding experience having developed a career she is passionate about. Beyond career pursuant, Quwiyat Olashile Lawal has also developed the consciousness of creating empowerment opportunity for young Nigerians who see fashion as a noble career. She said many young girls in the country sometimes, are at loss on what to do after school, nothing that fashion designing as a career, done with purpose and consistent focus will always give interested candidate fulfilling career.
Quwiyat Olashile enjoined the youths in the country to be very serious and focus on befiting careers, than the fast lane that doesn’t produce fulfillment at end.