Many see her as weird but Tessy Oliseh has proved that she knows exactly where she’s headed. After winning the Nigerian Fashion Show in 2006, Oliseh has gone ahead to prove that she has a lot to offer the fashion industry..
Educated at the University of Middlesex and trained by some of the best hands in the UK, she is determined to bring to Nigerians, western designs with an African touch.
Barely twelve months in the Nigerian fashion industry, Tessy has achieved what would take many almost a lifetime to achieve. She made her debut in the 2006 NFS when she entered for the Nigerian Fashion Show and surprisingly beat others, who had been in the industry for a long time, to win the first position.
Her designs at the competition were all young, fresh and modern but she captured the heart of all with her bridal design which was accessorised with tiny pieces of calabash.
Her victory earned her an opportunity to showcase in Paris, one of the world’s fashion capitals where she got the chance to showcase her fabulous designs in local fabrics.
The designer who says her outfit Tesslo Concept is a fusion of western and African styles, believes that our local fabrics, especially Ankara, is our identity and can take the country to places.
According to her Western styles can be interpreted with African prints into contemporary styles and still make a unique fashion statement. She stated that the quality of the fabrics has to be improved on to make it acceptable in the foreign market.
Oliseh says her outfit caters for everyone but puts consideration on teenagers, “I try to cater for everyone, but at the same time if you have to be a good designer, then you have to give people variety. You have to make them know that even if I am 16 years old, I can still look glamorous, funky and unique. Basically, I don’t really target a particular individual, but I try to cater for everyone. I put teenagers into consideration as well.”
The concept of her designs has drawn the attention of young entertainers who desire a western look with the African touch. They include names like Faze, former member of the Plantashun Boiz; Deji, former SoundCity Presenter; D’banj and her brother and ex-Super Eagles player, Sunday Oliseh.
Tessy also stated that her designs are basically for fashion risk takers, “here in Nigeria, even in Europe, people feel like you must look a particular way to be fashionable or trendy. But for me, fashion is something that makes you look unique when you step out. I mean ensuring that whatever you are wearing is making a fashion statement. That’s why I say I cater for risk takers, because some of my stuff are weird,” she states.
Her inspiration, she says, come from people, “I have always said that inspiration is basically from culture. So I get my inspiration from people generally.”
According to her, style is an in-born thing, something that is inside every individual and one’s mood at a particular moment.
The Delta born designer, whose greatest aspiration is to be a well-known designer in the path she has chosen sees fellow designer Bayo Adegbe of Modela Couture as her icon in the Nigerian fashion industry.
Her driving force, she says, is determination and passion for what she does. She intends to venture into mass production to make her designs accessible to everyone, and also open outlets in other cities like Germany, America and the United Kingdom.
Right now, she has closed her office in Ogba and is planning on opening another in a more commercial area. Her designs are also in high demand in the UK, where they can be made on order.
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