Culture, Heritage and Solving Problems with Creativity: An Interview with Seun'dele
- Faramade Olaitan
- 21 hours ago
- 5 min read
Seun Oyedele: "Everybody has an unfair advantage. Look for it."
Seun Oyedele is a textile designer based in Lagos, Nigeria and owner of fashion and textile brand Seun’dele.
“Seun’dele started because I spotted a problem, and that problem was that I didn't see any prints that felt like me. All the prints I saw were either too rigid, too stuck in the same colour conversations, or too traditional. And as someone who is an artist, who's obsessed with colour, with pattern, with just playful, whimsical elements and effortless silhouettes, I decided to create Seun’dele.”
“It is a textile led brand that creates playful pieces rooted in stories, African heritage and craftsmanship, all designed for effortless ease.”
The designer says what initially “drew me to textiles was really the home I came from. My parents are people who love African culture and heritage. My home is the first place that I saw Aṣọ Òkè curtains, stools made from Aṣọ Òkè fabric, and my parents always wore African inspired clothing and Adire.
“Seeing all of that growing up as well as when I had the opportunity to take a dyeing and bleaching course in secondary school, that was really where everything started.”
She says when people wear her designs she hopes they “feel like a child again. I want to believe that, because of how playful our textiles are, it really awakens your inner child, and maybe not even just awakens, but heals your inner child. I want people to wear Seun’dele and when they see the colours, or wear the silhouettes, feel like a child, feel comfortable and not forget their roots.
“I've realised as I've grown in the fashion industry that it's not enough to just be a brand rooted in playful textiles, you cannot leave your African roots out of it, because then it's almost like every Western brand just using traditional techniques. I want people to feel African, and for people who are not Africans, feel like they're wearing something ethically and sustainably made.”
Oyedele first broke into the fashion industry through an internship “a couple years ago in a fashion organization called Lhaude Africa. They're an organisation that helps fashion brands build the structure they need to thrive. They provide market access, trade access, and a couple other things. I'm so glad that my first introduction to the fashion industry was not just the silhouettes, the clothes, the glamour, it was the structure, the system. That was what I would hear their founder always say, you have to get your systems and your structures right. The founder had a lot of access, I would follow her to fashion events, it gave me a strong start.”
She adds however, “as a brand, we’re still not fully broken into the fashion industry as we are still a growing brand I would say. Last year was really when things started to open up for us in terms of people getting to know us and our brand as part of the brands that make up like the fashion ecosystem”
The artist says the inspiration behind her creativity is storytelling. “I like to say, ‘the messenger must first become the message.’ I really believe that fashion is a tool to tell stories.
“I don't want to create art that is just beautiful, but art that is transformative and I realised that storytelling is. If we even go back to the Bible, Jesus always told stories to break down complex truths into things that everyone could understand.
“I approach my art and my textiles the same way. Every now and then I get inspiration for a theme or an experience that I want to share, and I realised that the best way to share that is by telling the story. Being in the fashion industry and textile industry, I think about how I translate this message that I want to share in a print, in the colours, in the patterns, in the campaigns. Before I create textiles, I find that I go through that journey.”
“Ultimately, I want people to be transformed when they come across Seun’dele.”
Delving deeper into her process beyond storytelling she says “I’m obsessed with colour, it comes second for me, before even the silhouette or the pattern. I think that putting together interesting colour combinations comes naturally for me. The story or theme inspires what sort of patterns I create. So, I go to my sketchbook then just try to sketch a couple things out until I find what I like.”
“I try to run it through a target audience. Oftentimes, you know when someone likes it or not, just from their first reaction. Through that I know what should go into a drop.”
She says “Batik is the primary traditional technique that I use, but I also do hand painting as well as screen printing. I think I would love to explore weaving as well.”
Oyedele says she always knew growing up that she would be an artist. “I saw a book of quotes that I had when I was maybe 10. It was plastered with very colourful cello tape, and it had the colours that I use now, for Seun’dele. If nothing could convince me that I was supposed to be an artist, I think that book of quotes did it for me.”
Outside of Seun’dele, Oyedele is a photographer. “I started photography long before I started fashion. It was at the beginning of secondary school. I’ve always loved taking candid shots. Photography was my first controlled artistic practice.
“I realized that our photos play a major role in our brand identity. People look at our photos and are able to feel something even before they wear the piece. Everybody says that there's just something about our photos, they make you feel something.
“I realized that in fashion, your brand identity is really important, and our visual storytelling has really contributed to it a lot. It matters as much as the silhouettes, patterns and prints that you design. I take all of our brand shoots and campaigns, and I really enjoy it.” she says.
Her advice to anyone starting out in the industry is “to understand your ideal target audience. How I dress might not necessarily be how you think of styling, and even what kind of pieces you find interesting.
“In the early days, I realized that I had a lot of challenges because I didn't really understand who I was serving. But when you understand that it changes everything down to how you create your campaigns, how you style your pieces, even down to the kind of silhouettes that you create.
“Once you’ve understood your target market, try to understand the world they live in, and find how your brand can fit into that world and their ecosystem.”
She adds that it is important to explore, collaborate and not “be intimidated by bigger brands. There is a reason you were born to create. Don't forfeit your distinct creative voice. Find and define it, because that's what is going to set you apart.
“Everybody has an unfair advantage. Look for it.”
Oyedele says she is “currently creating a collection that is inspired by the hustle and bustle of Lagos, of home. I've been collecting inspiration everywhere, from the sounds that conductors of Danfo buses make, down to the women who sell on streets, every single touch point you can imagine.
“I'm really excited because for the longest time, I've always wanted to create a collection that speaks to the heart of where I come from.”
Very inspiring