Nigerians are known to be some of the most innovative in the world. From sports, entertainment, science, economy and fashion, the list is endless. One such woman who has her footprint in the world of fashion is Folashade ‘Shade’ Thomas-Fahm. Born Victoria Omọ́rọ́níkẹ Àdùkẹ́ Fọlashadé Thomas in 1933, she is a Nigerian fashion designer who is regarded as the first modern fashion designer and pioneer....For More READ THE FULL STORY▶▶
She is also known for owning the first boutique in Nigeria and for being the first professionally-trained fashion designer in the country.
Her love for fashion began in at the age of 12 when she began her trade from a local dressmaker in Lagos whose shop was called ‘Sisi Sewing Shop’.
Following her stint, she moved to England in 1953 to study nursing. After being inspired by boutiques in London, she decided to study fashion instead at St. Martins College of Art and Design, London. She became a qualified fashion designer in 1959—becoming the first Nigerian woman to acquire a professional qualification in fashion design.
While in London, Thomas-Fahm worked as a model for big brands in England, including Lux Beauty Soap. In 1960, she returned to Nigeria and opened a factory and the first fashion boutique in Nigeria under the name, Maison Shade (later Shade’s Boutique), in Yaba, Lagos. She became known for using traditional Nigerian textiles such as aso oke, adire, akwete and okene to design outfits of different styles.
She is the originator of several outfits including women’s kaftan, the ‘boubou’— a style she created when she feminized the male ‘agbada’ for women by reducing the volume—and the transformation of the iro into a wrapper skirt.
Championing Nigerian fabrics and silhouettes, Thomas-Fahm designed for the cosmopolitan, working woman. Her boutique swiftly became the go-to place for stylish people in Lagos and she counted diplomats and royalty among her regular customers. Her work revolutionized women’s way of dressing in Nigeria.
Folashade “Shade” Thomas-Fahm is among the names being celebrated by the world’s largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts, and design – London’s Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum…..For More READ THE FULL STORY▶▶
