The festive season, traditionally a period of booming business for tailors and fashion designers, is taking a backseat this year as economic hardship forces many Nigerians to prioritize basic needs over luxury expenditures. Across the country, fashion artisans lament low patronage as families focus on feeding and housing instead of buying and sewing new clothes for the celebrations.
In an interview with In The Know, a prominent tailor and fashion designer, Mr. Saheed Sowemimo from Ogun State, expressed disappointment over the slow business activity. “This period should be our busiest, with customers rushing in to sew fabrics for Christmas and New Year,” he said. “Unfortunately, only those in associations organizing end-of-year parties and requiring uniforms have been patronizing my shop.”
He noted a significant absence of families, particularly those with children, among his clientele. “The few families that do come are only sewing school uniforms for their children, not festive outfits,” Sowemimo added. “Bachelors and spinsters form the majority of my customers because they don’t have families to support, so the economic hardship doesn’t hit them as hard.”
Similarly, Aishat Ayinde, popularly known as Nikky Stitches, a female fashion designer from Simawa, Ogun State, highlighted the stark difference between this year and past festive seasons. “Back in 2010, by October, we would already be overwhelmed with orders for festive sewing,” she recalled. “Now, it’s November, and many of my longtime customers haven’t even brought fabrics for sewing. People are prioritizing food over new clothes. They’d rather have their children reuse old outfits than buy new ones for Christmas and New Year.”
The situation is not much different in Lagos, where tailors also struggle to meet their overhead costs due to declining demand.
Rasheed Ogunsanmi, the owner of Rashmnd Fashion Design in Lekki, shared insights into the challenges of the tailoring business during this festive period. “Even in years with good patronage, we face tight deadlines, material sourcing issues, and limited resources. Now, with the economic downturn, these challenges are compounded,” he said.
Ogunsanmi pointed out that despite low demand, trends in fabric choices and styles have shifted, with monogram designs gaining popularity. However, he lamented the prohibitive cost of equipment required to meet these demands. “The machines needed for creating innovative designs are expensive. I hope for economic reforms that will make such equipment accessible so we can remain competitive and creative,” he explained.
Another Lagos-based fashion designer, Ibrahim Moriam, shed light on the survival strategies of many in the industry. “Most tailors and designers are now diversifying into selling related or even unrelated goods to stay afloat,” she said. “Families believe it’s more important to be well-fed than to spend on new clothes for festivities. Only politicians and a few affluent individuals with thriving businesses seem to be preparing for the celebrations.”
The current economic reality reflects the tough choices Nigerians face, with many opting to recycle old outfits or simply forgo the traditional glamour of festive attire. Fashion designers and tailors, once pivotal to the festivities, are adapting to survive in a challenging economic climate that has reshaped holiday priorities across the nation.
