Artist Spotlight: Andrea Iyamah

Artist Spotlight is a fashion-focused segment that takes a deep dive into the unique backstories and their creative processes. Highlighting the fashion industry's hidden gems and innovative talents.

Andrea Dumebi Iyamah was born in 1993 in Lagos, Nigeria, and is a Nigerian-Canadian fashion designer. Iyamah used her passion for fashion and the arts to advance her tailoring skills and educate herself about the fashion industry. Iyamah founded her fashion line Andrea Iyamah, also known as A.I, in 2011 at the young age of 17, all while being a full-time university student. The brand is based out of Toronto, Lagos, and New York. The brand is a mix of ready-to-wear swimwear and bridal lines and the design elements use colors and elements of nature to inspire the collection. Iyamah’s African heritage has a strong influence on the brand’s 2013 swimwear collection that was officially launched for the first time. This collection helped her become a favorite among celebrities such as Michelle Obama, Ciara, and Kate Hudson. Iyamah’s designs have been featured in InStyle, Forbes, Vogue, Huff Post, and many other publications. Iyamah’s most recent Spring/Summer collection, the “Harvest” paid tribute to the farmers who displayed their harvest after all of their hard work. The progress her brand has made is shown throughout the collection by exhibiting different designs and prints to help exude the brand’s message of creativity and adventure in women. Iyamah’s goal for her brand is to create a story that is told through every piece made and help celebrate different cultures through expressive and bold designs. 

Sources: 

ABOUT ANDREA IYAMAH. (n.d.). Andrea Iyamah. Retrieved October 4, 2021, from https://www.andreaiyamah.com/pages/about-andrea-iyamah

Andrea Iyamah | Shop Online. (n.d.). The Folklore. Retrieved October 4, 2021, from https://www.thefolklore.com/collections/andrea-iyamah