ADVERTISEMENT

Fashion designer Oyinda Akinfenwa from Nigeria is creating gorgeous multifunctional dresses that can easily be worn very differently to suit your mood and to always keep your style fresh. Most recently, she posted an emerald green dress that can be styled in 4 ways.

“When I’m trying to create dresses like this, sometimes it takes me weeks to come up with something, other times it takes days,” the designer, who runs her own brand called Janore, told Bored Panda.

Scroll down for our insightful chat with her about her work, her passion for fashion, and her newest dress! She feels on top of the world when designing clothes and hopes that her customers feel the same when wearing them, too.

More info: Twitter (Designer) | Twitter (Brand) | Instagram (Designer) | Instagram (Brand) | YouTube

Image credits: just_oyinda

You can style this emerald green dress in 4 ways, and they look fantastic!

Image credits: Oyinda Akinfenwa

ADVERTISEMENT

This golden-brown dress can be worn 4 different ways as well

ADVERTISEMENT

Oyinda told us that when creating a new design, she starts out by drawing whatever comes to mind. “Sometimes, I start with the sleeves then draw the body later or start with the neck or something and complete it when I figure out what I want it to look like,” she said.

ADVERTISEMENT

“But also I make changes along the way when I start sewing to make it more perfect.” The designer admitted that sometimes she makes mistakes. However, she likes to go along with them, instead of getting rid of them: “It usually works for the dress.”

According to her, her newest design—the green dress—was originally meant to have long sleeves. “After cutting it out, I decided to leave the sleeves out. A lot of other changes were also made along the line.” She added that she spent a lot of time thinking about that design, just like she does while creating every single one of her dresses.

This dress is the most versatile. Oyinda says you can use it to create numerous unique looks

Image credits: Oyinda Akinfenwa

ADVERTISEMENT

Meanwhile, this deep red dress with polka dots has 3 different styles you can go for

When it comes to staying passionate and motivated about fashion, it seems like Oyinda is always full of energy and creativity. “Do you know how cool it is to make your own dress? I also get this thrill from being in my own creative space. It’s amazing to be able to look at something normal and make something extra out of it while keeping it simple but perfect,” she said.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Designing makes me feel like I’m on top of the world because I get to show everyone what is in my head and they love it! I also want to contribute to the fashion industry and it’s important to keep doing something creative and interesting because that’s what fashion design is also about.”

Oyinda revealed that she didn’t know that she’d end up diving headfirst into the world of fashion design. She found her calling completely by accident.

“I didn’t even know I could make a dress or a shirt. But it started when I was 17. I was at home and so bored and wanted to take some pictures, so I decided I should use a new outfit, then I made a top out of my mum’s scarf. It came out pretty good and then I did it again the next day and the next and the next and here we are.”

Finally, this design can be styled in 3 ways, too

ADVERTISEMENT

Image credits: just_oyinda

The designer has ambitions to take her fashion brand Janore worldwide and can’t wait to show everyone more of her ideas. So keep an eye on her social media for new designs. And if you enjoy her work and want to order something, Oyinda does deliveries all over Nigeria.