Nigeria's first fashion designer: Shade Thomas-Fahm | V&A

Originally moving to England in 1953 to train as a nurse, Shade Thomas-Fahm changed path and studied fashion at St Martin's School of Art (now Central Saint Martins) in London. She returned home to Lagos in 1960, the year of Nigeria's independence, and quickly established her own boutique, Maison Shade.

Championing Nigerian fabrics and silhouettes, she designed for the cosmopolitan, working woman. Her boutique swiftly became the go-to place for stylish people in Lagos, with diplomats and royalty among her regular customers. A true pioneer, Thomas-Fahm re-imagined traditional Nigerian styles for the modern woman – creating a pre-tied gèlè (headwrap) to make getting dressed easier, and added a zipper to the ìró (wrapper), allowing cosmopolitan women to move around with ease.

Find out more about the Africa Fashion exhibition: https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/africa-fashion

Find out more about Shade Thomas-Fahm: https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles..../nigerias-first-fash