Lisa Folawiyo’s designs are seriously stunning. Her custom prints and impeccable attention to detail — each hand-embellished piece requires around 240 hours of work — have won over the hearts and sartorial sensibilities of women across the globe, including one of our favorite style goddesses: Solange Knowles. One look at her line and we guarantee you’ll be totally smitten.
Lisa Folawiyo (formerly known as Jewel by Lisa) is a multi-faceted global womenswear and accessories collection. Designer, Lisa Folawiyo perfected the art of wearing Ankara (local West African fabric) through the use of ornate embellishment; Lisa Folawiyo transformed the fabric, creating a global print and turning the label into a coveted luxury brand. Incorporating texture with this culturally established tradition has been the key to Lisa Folawiyo ʼs success, creating a conceptual and global design hybrid.
Fused with its very own custom luxury prints, Lisa Folawiyo masterly delivers contemporary garments. With a strong eye for tailoring and fit, Folawiyo creates feminine and modern silhouettes with nods to traditional African aesthetics. Each Lisa Folawiyo garment boasts a handcrafted and unique history from inception to construction.
Folawiyoʼs expert beading craftsmen hand embellish each Lisa Folawiyo piece, on average a 240—hour process that reflects the brandʼs focus on design integrity.
Lisa Folawiyo has shown its collections on international platforms – from Johannesburg, London, Paris, to New York at New York Fashion Week (SS10 & SS12) as part of the Arise Magazine collectives at the Mercedez-Benz New York Fashion Week Spring Summer ‘10 & ’12 collections, and Lagos at the celebrated Lagos Fashion and Design Week (LFDW) in Lagos, Nigeria.
Additionally, the label presented its AW ‘12/Resort ‘13 collection at the prestigious Pitti W Tradeshow in Florence via Lagos Fashion and Design Week, with Nigeria as Guest Nation. Most recently, the label showcased its Spring
Summer 2013 collection in Milan at the Vogue Talent Exhibition in collaboration with Vogue Italia.
Lisa Folawiyo has been featured in several publications such as Vogue.com, The New York Times, Harper’s Bazaar US, Harpersbazaar.co.uk, Lucky, Women’s Wear Daily Drapers, , Vogue.co.uk, Style.com, BBC.co.uk, MTV.co.uk, Vogue.it, Dazeddigital.com, ModaOperandi.com, The Financial Times Online (How To Spend It), Glamour Magazine (South Africa), Essence, Arise, Ebony, Marie Claire (Italia, Russia, & South Africa). The brand has also been well received and worn by the likes of Actresses, Lucy Liu, Thandie Newton; and Singer, Solange Knowles.
Lisa Folawiyo ‘s AW ‘12/Resort ‘13 collection was available on Pre-order on esteemed luxury online pre-tailer Moda Operandi. Lisa Folawiyo’s SS13 collection was available at British Luxury Department store, Selfridges via a Pop Up space designed and supported by Lagos Fashion and Design Week (LFDW).
Lisa Folawiyo has collaborated with global brands such as Blackberry and L’Oreal, to create limited edition Blackberry Phone cases and Lipstick & Nailpolish covers, respectively.
Lisa Folawiyo, founder and creative director of Lisa Folawiyo studied Law at the University of Nigeria. With no formal training, she started the label in her home, after the birth of her daughter in 2005. Her passion for clothes and her innate sense of style led her to create what at the time had never been done, the embellishing of the local Ankara fabric; which has now become a global phenomenon.