Adedoyin Faith Adebisi’s fashion business grew from a personal passion into an entrepreneurial business after people around her began showing interest in the clothes she made. The graduate of Linguistics from the University of Ilorin started by making clothes for herself and those around her. As people began to appreciate her work and request her designs, she saw an opportunity to turn her skill into a business.
By Eberechi Obinagwam
Adedoyin Faith Adebisi’s fashion business grew from a personal passion into an entrepreneurial business after people around her began showing interest in the clothes she made. The graduate of Linguistics from the University of Ilorin started by making clothes for herself and those around her. As people began to appreciate her work and request her designs, she saw an opportunity to turn her skill into a business.
“I chose fashion because I have always enjoyed creating clothes with my hands. The more I learnt and practiced, the more I realised that fashion was something I could turn into a career and use to impact other people. That was how I started taking my fashion business more seriously,” she told TheNiche in an interview.
In 2021, after completing her degree, Adedoyin launched Doyenne Apparel, focusing on modern unisex clothing in the streetwear niche. Today, she uses her fashion business and online platforms not only to create streetwear pieces but also to share fashion knowledge and support other emerging fashion designers.
Training
Adedoyin started by learning the basics of sewing in 2016 after completing her secondary school education. She trained for two years because she had to truly become a fashion designer, not just learn how to sew.
The CEO of Doyenne Apparel described her training process as a period of learning, making mistakes, practicing repeatedly, and gradually understanding the different aspects of fashion. “It was also during this period that I discovered my love for fashion–not just as a skill, but as a craft I genuinely wanted to pursue,” she said.
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In 2021 after graduating from the University, she went for an upgrade, where she learned street wears and the branding aspect of it. “My upgrading took about three months because I already had a solid foundation. At that stage, I wasn’t starting over; I was refining what I already knew, improving my techniques, and becoming better at my craft. So, while the first two years were about becoming, the three months of upgrading were about becoming better,” she said.
Her day one in the fashion business was “very simple”, she said. “I started with my sewing machine, some fabric and the skills I had. I made my first pieces by styling models and posted them online. Gradually, people started noticing my work and I began getting customers. That was how I started building Doyenne Apparel into what it is today.”
Capital
Adedoyin said getting enough capital was a challenge when she started. “I did not have much money to invest in sewing equipment, so I started with what I had and grew gradually. I reinvested the money I made back into the business to improve and expand it,” she said.
As she continued to grow the business with the little capital she had, Adedoyin received support through opportunities such as grants, which helped her scale up.
Breaking into the market
Breaking into the market wasn’t really challenging for the CEO of Doyenne Apparel. “It was easier to get customers because I was always wearing my own products, and the quality of my designs attracted customers sooner than I expected,” she said.
All she did was to create her designs, wear them, take pictures and post them online. “People saw my work, liked what they saw and started reaching out to me. That was how I got my first customers and gradually grew my customer base.”
Start-up experience
One experience Adedoyin can never forget is when she applied for a student business grant during her degree days. She pitched an amount that she believed would help her purchase the basic equipment she needed to grow her sewing business. After completing the required tasks, she was awarded significantly less than the amount she had pitched for. “At the time, I honestly felt disappointed because what I received could not even purchase a sewing machine,” she said.
That experience she said taught her resilience and resourcefulness. “Instead of allowing that experience to discourage me, it taught me an important lesson about resilience and resourcefulness. I had to start with what I had, improvise, and continue developing my skills till a bigger opportunity came. “Looking back, that experience became one of the moments that strengthened my determination to build something meaningful with the opportunities available to me,” she explained.
Adedoyin also stated that in all of these, she has never thought of quitting because she knew she had a skill that she loved and people appreciated. “Another thing is that I keep evolving. When I look back and see how much I have impacted other fashion designers like me through my online platform, I just can’t quit,” she said.
Breakthrough
The CEO of Doyenne Apparel’s first breakthrough was winning her first business grant from the Stephen Akintayo Foundation in 2021. She recalled; “I had just completed my undergraduate degree, and I was thinking about what to do next when the opportunity came. When I received the grant, it was a major turning point for my business. I was able to purchase the necessary sewing equipment, improve my production process and grow the business. That was how I was able to gain ground in my fashion business after university”.
Challenges
Low power supply is one of the major challenges Adedoyin has faced this year as a business owner in Nigeria, affecting her fashion business and increasing her operating costs. “One of the biggest challenges I have faced this year is low power supply. As a fashion designer, I depend on sewing machines and other equipment to produce my clothes, so unstable power supply affects my production time and increases my running costs, especially on fuel,” she said.
Finding solution
The CEO of Doyenne Apparel has been able to manage the situation by planning her production around available power and using alternative power sources when necessary. “This has taught me to adapt and manage my resources better,” she said.
Japa
Adedoyin said she has considered leaving Nigeria, especially because of the economic challenges. However, her goal is not simply to leave the country. She wants to take what she has built here and expand it on a global level. “I want my designs and my work to reach a wider audience, connect with other designers and fashion communities, and create opportunities beyond Nigeria. I also want to learn from the global fashion industry and bring that knowledge and experience back into my work”, she said.
She added; “I have already seen how my work can impact other fashion designers through my online platform. Global expansion will give me the opportunity to increase that impact, grow Doyenne Apparel and represent Nigerian creativity on a bigger stage”.
About Adedoyin
Adedoyin is a fashion designer and entrepreneur. She was born in Lagos State, Nigeria. She studied Linguistics at the University of Ilorin, where she developed strong communication and creative skills. After completing her degree, she focused more on building her career in fashion designing and growing her brand, Doyenne Apparel.
She has received media recognition for her work in fashion and entrepreneurship. She has done Brand collaboration, and received Awards as Best Fashion Designer and Entrepreneur of the Year 2021. She has also built an online community with over 24,000 fashion designers. One major achievement for her was winning a N1 million business grant from the Stephen Akintayo Foundation, which helped her acquire sewing equipment and scale up her business.
She revealed that in the next coming months, her customers will see a stronger and more developed Doyenne Apparel. “I am working towards expanding my collections, improving production and introducing more unique modern unisex streetwear pieces.
“I want Doyenne Apparel to grow beyond being a clothing brand and become a brand that people can recognise for quality, creativity and originality,” she said.
