Nigeria can turn fashion, design into global cultural exports — US-based designer
September 15, 2026 12:08 am
Excellence Olujide
An Industrial Design major at James Madison University, Virginia, USA, Excellence Olujide, who was selected to create a themed design for the President Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence, calls for greater investment in Nigeria’s fashion and design industries in this interview with ONOZURE DANIA
You were selected to create a themed design for the President Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence. How did you feel when you were selected for such a significant project?
I was incredibly excited, but I also understood the significance and responsibility that came with the opportunity. Being asked to create a piece connected to the 250th anniversary of American independence meant that I was not simply designing an outfit; I was contributing to a much larger historical conversation. As a Nigerian designer and an international student in the United States, I found it particularly meaningful to be invited to interpret an idea as complex as American independence. I knew immediately that I did not want to create something that was simply patriotic or celebratory. Instead, I wanted to explore deeper questions about what freedom has meant in practice, who has historically had access to it, and how those ideas could be expressed through clothing. Seeing the finished piece installed in a museum after months of research, experimentation and construction was incredibly fulfilling. It was a proud moment for me, both as a designer and as an international student, and it reinforced my belief in the power of fashion to engage with history, identity and social issues.
What inspired the design you created for the 250th anniversary of American independence?
The project began with a very simple question: What does independence actually mean? As I researched American history, I became particularly interested in the relationship between women’s independence and the development of the country. During industrialisation, women increasingly entered factories, offices and other public working environments, but their clothing still regulated how they could move, behave and present themselves. They were participating more actively in society, yet their freedom remained conditional. That contradiction became the foundation of “(IN)-DEPENDENCE: Constructed Femininity and the American Ideal.” The garment draws a parallel between the way femininity can be performed within socially constructed boundaries and the way freedom itself can sometimes exist within constructed boundaries. Each element communicates part of that idea. The structured pleats of the top gradually dissolve into flowing fabric, moving from control towards apparent freedom. The corset represents discipline and containment. The trousers reference utility and participation in labour, while the beaded cage surrounding them interferes with that functionality. Even the colours reinterpret the American flag. Old Glory Blue becomes a muted silver-blue, suggesting an ideal of freedom that has been examined and weathered over 250 years of history. White becomes ivory, representing an ideal of purity that is no longer completely untouched. Red becomes a deeper garnet, carrying ideas of labour, sacrifice and struggle. Rather than simply reproducing American symbols, I wanted to reinterpret them through the lens of history, femininity, labour and the complex idea of freedom.
How did you get the opportunity to be selected to create the design?
The opportunity actually came through my professor, Anna Marie Smith, in the Industrial Design programme at James Madison University. During one of our classes, I casually mentioned that I was interested in exploring fashion as part of my Industrial Design degree and possibly finding a way to incorporate it into my future practice. I honestly did not think much of the comment at the time, but she remembered it. Professor Smith had a connection with the curator at the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum. When the opportunity came up to create a contemporary piece for the museum’s exhibition commemorating 250 years of American independence, she recommended me for the project. What I really appreciate about the experience is that it came from simply expressing an interest out loud. It helped me realise how important it is to talk about the things you want to explore creatively because you never really know who is listening or what opportunity a simple conversation might lead to. The project eventually became part of an independent study, which allowed me to research, develop and construct the garment in a much more focused and intentional way.
What is the national relevance of fashion and design to Nigeria’s economy?
Fashion and design have enormous relevance to Nigeria because they sit at the intersection of culture, manufacturing, entrepreneurship and national identity. Nigeria already has an incredibly rich design language. Our textiles, traditional techniques, craftsmanship, jewellery, weaving, embroidery, dyeing and fashion traditions carry generations of knowledge. The opportunity is to continue transforming that creativity into sustainable and globally competitive industries. A strong Nigerian design sector can create employment not only for designers, but also for pattern makers, tailors, textile producers, photographers, stylists, manufacturers, craftspeople, marketers and many others across the value chain. I also believe design can become an important form of cultural export. Nigerian music has demonstrated how something deeply rooted in our culture can gain global influence without losing its identity. Fashion, product design and other creative industries have that same potential. For me, the goal should not only be for Nigerians to consume internationally recognised designs, but also for the world to increasingly recognise, value and consume designs originating from Nigeria.
What kind of impact would you like your work to have on Nigeria’s fashion and design industry, as well as internationally?
I want my work to contribute to a design culture where Nigerian designers are recognised not only for their craftsmanship and aesthetics, but also for their ideas, research, innovation and authorship. I am very interested in multidisciplinary design, so I do not necessarily see myself working only within fashion. I work across fashion, accessories, product design, furniture, jewellery, 3D fabrication and visual storytelling. I would like to build a practice where these disciplines constantly influence and inform one another. Within Nigeria, I hope my work encourages younger designers to experiment more boldly and to see our culture as a starting point for innovation, rather than something that must always be presented traditionally. I would also like to promote and strengthen a culture of “design,” rather than focusing solely on “art.” Internationally, I want my work to be recognisable as my own while still carrying traces of where I come from. I want Nigerian design to occupy global spaces confidently—not merely as an exotic reference, but as serious, contemporary design that can stand on its own on the world stage.
How important are education, research and continuous learning to achieving success in the design industry?
They are extremely important because design is much more than having good taste or being able to create beautiful things. Education teaches you how to think through a problem. Research helps you understand what you are designing, who you are designing for and the context surrounding it. Continuous learning is what keeps you from becoming stagnant. “(IN)-DEPENDENCE” would not exist in its current form without research. The final garment was informed by studying women’s clothing, industrialisation, American history, ideas surrounding utility and ornamentation, and the relationship between clothing and social expectations. The research gave meaning to decisions that could otherwise have been purely aesthetic. I also believe designers should constantly learn beyond their immediate disciplines. Fashion can learn from architecture. Product design can learn from sculpture. Jewellery can learn from engineering. Technology can completely transform how traditional crafts are produced. That curiosity is incredibly important because it allows designers to evolve, experiment and develop more meaningful and innovative work.
How would you describe fashion?
I would describe fashion as a visual language. Before someone speaks, their clothing has already communicated something about their identity, culture, status, mood, rebellion, conformity or aspirations. That is what fascinates me about fashion. A garment can be functional, but it can also become sculpture, storytelling, protest, performance or even historical commentary. With “(IN)-DEPENDENCE,” for example, clothing becomes the vocabulary through which I explore ideas of freedom and restriction. I think fashion becomes especially powerful when we stop asking only, “Is this beautiful?” and begin asking, “What is this saying?”
What is the relevance of research in design?
Research gives design intention. Without research, it is very easy to create something attractive without fully understanding why particular choices are being made. Research helps a designer understand history, users, materials, manufacturing, culture, symbolism and existing solutions. It can also uncover contradictions that lead to much stronger design concepts.
For “(IN)-DEPENDENCE,” my research into American industrialisation led me to explore the tension between women’s increased participation in public life and the continued regulation of their bodies through clothing. That insight influenced everything that followed—the silhouette, materials, construction, colours and even the functionality of the garment. So, I see research as an integral part of the creative process, rather than something that happens before creativity begins.
What special themes would your designs always carry?
I do not think every project will communicate exactly the same message, but there are themes that naturally continue to appear in my work: identity, culture, individuality, femininity, material experimentation, and the relationship between beauty and function. I am also very interested in contradiction. I like objects that appear playful but contain serious ideas; things that are beautiful but slightly uncomfortable; traditional references interpreted through modern technology; or functional objects pushed towards sculpture. My Nigerian identity will also continue to appear in my work, sometimes very visibly and sometimes more subtly through colour, material, form, language or storytelling.
Why are these themes important to you?
It’s because they reflect the questions I am constantly asking in my own life. I grew up in Nigeria and now study and design within another cultural environment, so I am constantly observing how identity changes depending on where you are and who is looking at you. I am also interested in individuality because design has always been one of the ways I understand and express myself. I do not want to create objects simply because the market needs another chair, bag, garment or lamp. I want to understand what perspective I can bring to that object. For me, the most interesting design often begins when something personal connects to something much larger culturally, socially or historically.
How would you describe women and independence?
I think the relationship between women and independence is complicated because independence has historically been offered to women with conditions attached. Women can be educated, successful, financially independent and ambitious, yet still encounter expectations about how they should behave, dress, marry, raise families or structure their lives. That tension became very important to “(IN)-DEPENDENCE.” I also no longer think independence necessarily means needing absolutely no one. Human beings are naturally interdependent. We rely on family, communities, clients, mentors and one another. For me, a more meaningful form of independence is having agency—the ability to make decisions about your own life, identity, body, career and future. Women should have the freedom to define those things for themselves, rather than simply inheriting a definition of womanhood that someone else created.
What is your advice to other Nigerian women who are involved in fashion design?
I would tell them to take their ideas seriously. Learn the craft, certainly, but also learn the business, history, technology and industry surrounding it. Research deeply. Document your work. Experiment. Build your own visual language instead of constantly measuring your work against what already exists internationally. And importantly, do not be afraid of being specific. Sometimes, we think becoming internationally relevant means making our work less Nigerian or more universally familiar. I think the opposite can often be true. There is enormous power in understanding where you come from and translating that perspective in a contemporary way. Also, allow yourself to evolve. You do not have to know exactly what kind of designer you will be for the rest of your life. Keep creating, keep learning, and let the work teach you who you are becoming.
Onozure is a correspondent of The PUNCH on the judiciary beat. She has over a decade experience covering criminal and civil matters from the magistrate to the appellate courts. She’s a graduate of Political Science
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