Dumebi Iyamah Biography
Dumebi Andrea Iyamah (born March 18, 1993) is a Nigerian-Canadian fashion designer from Lagos, Nigeria. Andrea Iyamah is the founder and CEO of the fashion label Andrea Iyamah, which specializes in bridal, swimwear, and ready-to-wear lines.
Her take on women’s fashion and swimwear has been worn by celebrities such as Michelle Obama, Kate Hudson, Gabrielle Union, Ciara, and Issa Rae.
The 29 year old fashion enthusiast/designer has staged several high-profile fashion shows in Africa, Europe, France and the United States.
Wiki Profile
| Real Name: | Dumebi Andrea Iyamah |
| Date of Birth: | March 18, 1993 |
| Place of Birth: | Lagos State, Nigeria |
| Nationality: | Canadian – Nigerian |
| Marital Status: | Single |
| Occupation: | SuperModel |
| Net Worth | $1 million |
Early Life and Education
Iyamah was the fourth of four children born in Lagos to Andrew and Onyi Iyamah, both of Ika (Agbor) in Delta State. In Lagos, she attended Grange School for her basic education before travelling abroad for her tertiary education.
She graduated from McMaster University with a bachelor’s degree in Communication and Multimedia. At the age of 17, she founded her fashion brand in Ontario, Canada, while studying at McMaster University. She founded the fashion brand with the help and support of her family and close friends.
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Career
Dumebi is one of the youngest fashion designers in Nigeria. She started her Andrea Iyamah fashion brand in 2011, but now has her headquarter in Toronto and branches in Lagos and New York.
Her brand caters to females across borders, language and ethnicity that are confident, adventurous and unafraid of clothing designed with a statement.
Her aesthetics are mostly birthed from her Nigerian background. According to her, her work always have to tell some form of cultural story. It has to imitate her environment while adding a modern twist through structural shapes or something inspired by nature.
Andrea Iyamah began building her fashion brand at the age of 17 with the flagship store in Lagos that opened in 2017.
In her early blogging days, she shared her artwork with the digital audience, which included fashion sketches, portrait drawings, and photography.
In 2011, one of her designs was featured in a popular blog post, inspiring the creation of “Andrea Iyamah.” While pursuing her undergraduate studies, she worked on her business, beginning with designing custom couture for clients
She refined the brand so that it could be divided into three main categories: custom bridal, ready-to-wear, and swim/resort wear. Her work has received attention from publications such as Vogue, Elle, Essence, Refinery29, HuffPost, Cosmopolitan, and many more since she officially launched a full swim collection in 2013.
She has staged several fashion shows in Africa, Europe, France, and the United States, with major celebrities wearing her designs, including Michelle Obama, Kate Hudson, Ciara, Gabrielle Union, and Genevieve Nnaji. At Lagos Fashion Week 2019, she debuted her Spring/Summer 2020 collection.
Dumebi’s main motivation is interconnectivity. She wants her clients to connect with her designs.
Considering her excellent designs, she is regarded as the number one African resort wear brand designer and her works are referred to as “high fashion art”.
Personal Life
Iyamah is the fourth and final child of Andrew and Onyi Iyamah. Her father was a trained engineer, and her mother was a beautician who ran a hair salon and clothing boutique.
Both of her parents were entrepreneurs who owned their own businesses at the time she was born. She lost her father when she was seven years old and was raised by her mother.
Her sister, Somkele Iyamah who is an actress, is the director of the Andrea Iyamah fashion label.
Social Media
Instagram: @andreaiyamah
