Shade Thomas-Fahm

Folashade Thomas-Fahm
BornSeptember 22, 1933
OccupationFashion designer
Notable workShade's Boutique

Shade Thomas-Fahm, born Victoria Omọ́rọ́níkẹ Àdùkẹ́ Fọlashadé Thomas (but known colloquially and professionally as "Shadé Thomas"), is a Nigerian fashion designer. She regarded as Nigeria's first modern fashion designer"[1][2] and pioneer.[3] She was the first fashion designer to open a fashion boutique in Nigeria.[4] Fahm brought attention to the Nigerian fashion industry,[5] and her enduring impact was celebrated at London's Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London in 2022.[6][7] She was also the first Nigerian woman to study fashion design at St. Martin’s School of Art in London, and worked briefly as a fashion buyer at Simpson’s of Piccadilly before returning to Nigeria.[8]

Biography

Thomas-Fahm was born, on September 22, 1933, to the family of Bankole Ayorinde Thomas and Elizabeth Olaniwun Thomas. She is Yoruba. She attended St. Peter's School, Faaji, Baptist Girls' School Araromi, and later New Era Girls' College, both in Lagos.[1]

In the 1950s, as was the practice at the time, she applied to go to England to study as a nurse. She left in the summer of 1953. But on getting to England, she was captivated by the well-fitted shops of the West End of London and took to fashion.[3] She enrolled at St. Martin’s School of Art in London, where she studied fashion design, becoming the first Nigerian woman to do so.[8]

She said part of her interest in returning to Nigeria then, right before the nation got its independence, was "to provide jobs for people and tackle unemployment" [9]

At the beginning, she had a hard time convincing Nigerians to buy local fabrics and design, because people felt that British culture was better.[10]

To address this, she began redesigning traditional garments like the iro and buba, making them lighter, more fitted, and suitable for modern urban life. She also popularized the use of hand-dyed adire and aso-oke in ready-to-wear styles.[11]

Throughout the sixties, her Shadé's Boutique, and clothing shops in Lagos became the go-to place for Nigerian-made outfits of different styles.[3]

Maison Shadé, opened in 1960 in Yaba, Lagos, is widely regarded as the first modern fashion boutique in Nigeria. It attracted Nigeria’s elite and visiting dignitaries [12]

Thomas-Fahm influenced a lot of her contemporaries, from the 70s to date.[5] Some of them include Abah Folawiyo, Betti O, Folorunsho Alakija, and Nike Okundaye, who all have had great impact on Nigerian fashion.[13][5]

Legacy

Thomas-Fahm specialized in the use of locally woven and dyed textiles to make modern contemporary styles that became known in Nigeria and around the world.[14] She transformed iro and buba into a wrapper skirt;[15] and the creation of the 'ajuba now popularly known as the 'boubou' form men's agbada.[16]

She served as president of the Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria (FADAN), using her platform to mentor upcoming designers and advocate for culturally rooted, sustainable fashion.[17]

She was the president of the Rotary Club of Victoria Island from 2009 to 2010.[18]

References

  1. ^ a b Nicolaadams (16 June 2020). "Fashioning the Nation: A blouse created by a Nigerian fashion innovator". Discover. Brighton Museum & Art Gallery. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  2. ^ Staff, Reterdeen (31 January 2019). "7 Nigerian Female Heroines You May Have Forgotten". Reterdeen. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Noor Haq, Sana. "Nigerian fashion pioneer Folashade 'Shade' Thomas-Fahm will be celebrated at 'Africa Fashion' exhibition". CNN. Warner Bros. Discovery. Retrieved 5 August 2022.
  4. ^ Agbonkhese, Josephine (31 August 2017). "Recovered looted funds should be channeled into reviving textile sector — Shade Thomas-Fahm". Vanguard. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Forbes Staff. "Why Fashion Breaks My Heart". Forbes Africa. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  6. ^ Elan, Priya (7 July 2021). "V&A exhibition will use 250 objects to highlight creativity of African fashion". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  7. ^ Theodosi, Natalie (20 January 2021). "Victoria & Albert Museum Plans a Major African Fashion Exhibition for 2022". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Shade Thomas-Fahm transformed Nigerian fashion". doi.org. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
  9. ^ Agbonkhese, Josephine (3 October 2015). "Nigeria was much more favourable 55 years ago — Sade Thomas-Fahm". Vanguard. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  10. ^ Ekunkunbor, Jemi (2 October 2010). "50 years of recycled fashion". Vanguard. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  11. ^ Nation, The (2018-06-02). "FOLASHADE THOMAS-FAHM: Allow your imagination run wild". The Nation Newspaper. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
  12. ^ Awosika, Tomisin (23 September 2021). "Who Is Shade Thomas-Fahm?". The Republic. ISSN 2992-448.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: ignored ISSN errors (link)
  13. ^ "Shade Fahm | The Birdword by KOIBIRD". www.koibird.com. Retrieved 2021-07-19.
  14. ^ "Nigerian Fashion Pioneer Folashade 'Shade' Thomas-Fahm Will Be Celebrated at 'Africa Fashion' Exhibition". Africa.com. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  15. ^ "R6042 Blouse; Buba". Fashioning Africa. Brighton Museum & Art Gallery. 24 May 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  16. ^ Akutu, Geraldine (28 July 2019). "Awaiting gains of Nigeria's Multi-billion Naira Fashion Industry". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
  17. ^ ADEKUNLE, MUSA (2024-10-26). "Shade Thomas-Fahm: Nigeria's ageless fashion matriarch". The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World News. Retrieved 2025-04-26.
  18. ^ Igbinovia, Josephine (29 December 2012). "Rotary is about continuity of service - Thomas-Fahm". Vanguard. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
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