Dumebi Andrea Iyamah (born 18 March 1993) is a Nigerian-Canadian

fashion design Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by culture and different trends, and has varied over time and place. "A fashion designer creates ...

er born and raised in

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991 fo ...

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. She is the founder and CEO of the fashion label Andrea Iyamah that caters to bridal, swimwear and ready-to-wear lines. She is known for her take on women's fashion and swimwear, which has been worn by celebrities such as Michelle Obama,

Kate Hudson Kate Garry Hudson (born April 19, 1979) is an American actress and businesswoman. She has received numerous awards and nominations, including a Golden Globe Award, a Critics' Choice Movie Award and a Satellite Award, as well as nominations f ...

Gabrielle Union Gabrielle Monique Union-Wade ( Union; born October 29, 1972) is an American actress. Her career began in the 1990s, when she made dozens of appearances on television sitcoms, prior to landing supporting roles in 1999 teen films ''She's All That' ...

Ciara Ciara Princess Wilson ( ; Harris; born October 25, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, model and entrepreneur. She released her debut studio album, '' Goodies'' in 2004, which spawned four singles: " Goodies" (featuring Petey Pa ...

, and Issa Rae.

Early life and education

Iyamah was born in Lagos, to Andrew and Onyi Iyamah both of Ika (

Agbor Agbor is the most populous city among the Ika people. It is located in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State, in South-south geo-political zone of Nigeria, West Africa. Agbor is the headquarters of Ika South Local Government Area, in ...

) origin as the fourth of four children. She attended Grange School in

. She holds a bachelor's degree in Communication and Multimedia from

McMaster University McMaster University (McMaster or Mac) is a public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main McMaster campus is on of land near the residential neighbourhoods of Ainslie Wood and Westdale, adjacent to the Royal Botanical Ga ...

. She began her fashion brand

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

during her study at

at the age of 17, she founded the fashion brand with the help and support of her family and close friends.

Career

Iyamah started building her fashion brand ''Andrea Iyamah'' at the age of 17. The headquarters of "Andrea Iyamah" is in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

, with a flagship store in Lagos which was launched in 2017 In her early days of blogging, she shared her works of art including fashion sketches, portrait drawings, and photography with the digital audience. One of her designs was featured in a popular blog post in 2011 which inspired the creation of "Andrea Iyamah." She worked on her business while pursuing undergraduate studies, starting out with designing custom couture from clients. She refined the brand to diversify into three main streams, custom bridal, ready-to-wear and swim/resort wear. Officially launching a full swim collection in 2013, her work has garnered attention from press such as Vogue, Elle, Essence, Refinery29, HuffPost, Cosmopolitan and much more. She has staged several fashion shows in Africa, Europe, France, and the United States with major celebrities such as Michelle Obama, Kate Hudson, Ciara, Gabrielle Union,

Genevieve Nnaji Genevieve Nnaji (; born on 3 May 1979) is a Nigerian actress, producer, and director. She won the Africa Movie Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role in 2005, making her the first actor to win the award. In 2011, she was honoured as a ...

among others wearing her designs. She showed her Spring/Summer 2020 line at Lagos Fashion Week 2019.

Personal life

Iyamah is the last child of four children born to Andrew and Onyi Iyamah. Her father was an engineer by education and her mother was a beautician who owned a hair salon, clothing boutique. At the time she was born, both parents were entrepreneurs, owning their businesses. At the tender age of 7, she lost her father and was raised by her mother. Her sister, actress Somkele Iyamah, is a director of the ''Andrea Iyamah'' fashion brand.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Iyamah, Dumebi 1993 births Living people Nigerian fashion businesspeople Nigerian women in business Nigerian fashion designers 20th-century Nigerian businesspeople 21st-century Nigerian businesspeople Businesspeople from Lagos Nigerian women fashion designers