In Nigeria’s bustling fashion scene, few names carry the weight of both innovation and humanity, such as Ebewele Brown.
The designer behind the thriving menswear label that bears his family name calls himself a style architect, not for flair alone, but because he has spent years building something deeper than clothes: a system that values artisans as the lifeblood of the industry.
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At a private showing of his latest Sainte collection in Lagos, Brown told a room of fashion insiders, including PREMIUM TIMES, that the secret to his success isn’t just clean lines or refined kaftans. It’s people.
“You don’t scream at artisans; you work with emotions. Our greatest asset isn’t machinery. It’s people. Respect your tailors the same way you would respect a banker. If you pay peanuts, you kill the magic.
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“You don’t scream at artisans; you work with emotions,” Mr Brown said, explaining that the craft depends on people who pour their feelings into every stitch. “The hardest challenge is discipline for them and for you, but if you treat them well, they’ll build your legacy.”
While the fashion industry has enjoyed high fashion demands in Nigeria, Mr Brown admitted that the power, professional, and emotional management of fashion artisans has been a significant problem for him.
Doggedness
Despite the challenges, Osereme Brown’s resilience and determination shone through. He shared that the growth of his fashion empire was marked by expulsion from formal education, his father’s death, family disagreements, and the separation of business partnerships. Yet, he persevered, using these experiences to fuel his creative journey.
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In the early 2010s, the stylist co-founded Africana Couture with his former business associate, Charles, but parted ways in 2014. This preceded many creative fashion inventions from his solo brand until his customers started demanding more brand identity that complemented his grit, and thus came Ebele Brown in 2018.
Ebewele Brown rings a loud bell, the fashion creative branded his business to honour his late father, Ebewele Brown Francis, a popular Edo political statesman. The name pays homage to his father’s legacy and constantly reminds him of the values and principles he instilled in him.
“Giving the brand my father’s name was not just about legacy. It was about accountability. I vowed to build something that would stand tall like the man it was named after,” he said.
He revealed the power of the name: “Everywhere I go and introduce myself, people often say, ‘That’s not you, that’s your father.’ I smile and say, ‘I’m commonly called Brown, so it’s easier that way.’ When I say I’m Osereme, many don’t recognise the name. I miss him a lot.”
Mr Brown, who had won multiple awards for his creativity, cultural impact, and entrepreneurial excellence, admitted that his father’s name has made a great impression on his brand identity.
The founder of Ebewele Brown reconnected with his father at the collection unveiling, saying, “We’re gonna talk about the time where I had a rough time growing up with my dad, in courtesy of me being a stubborn child. It is something I have chosen to do for life. Ebelewe Brown is not my business; it’s my dad’s business. It’s a business born out of pure gratitude, and I mean it.”
Growth Journey
The brand began modestly in Abuja, and Mr Brown deliberated building a strong foundation before expanding to Lagos. The city proved fertile ground, primarily because former President Muhammadu Buhari, widely known for his preference for traditional kaftans, was in office. This strategic move and the brand’s commitment to quality and innovation paved the way for its rapid growth and recognition in the industry.
He added that the global brand, which now has physical settings in Abuja, Lagos, and Conakry in Guinea, enjoys rapid development in Abuja under the leadership of former President Muhammadu Buhari, who happens to be a popular wearer of the Kaftan, which his brand specialises in.
“The reason why we settled in Abuja was that it was less chaotic, and then we made the traditional attire, and that’s what they wear everywhere, so we felt we’re going to stay in Abuja for maybe a year or two, lay the grounds and come back to Lagos,” he said.
He added, “Buhari made it easy for my brand because kaftan was what Buhari wore.”
Fashion factory
Today, the brand boasts over 100 employees, a design house, and a state-of-the-art Abuja Garment Factory that produces up to 50 outfits daily. It also supports production for other African fashion brands.
The Ebelewe Brown showroom is partitioned uniquely: OLDWYN showcases refined ready-to-wear pieces for the modern, elegant man, while downstairs, SAINTE offers upscale casualwear and streetwear rooted in African soul, with premium, globally crafted essentials for the stylish, young professional.
He said about his fashion factory: “I am building the infrastructure for a continent that has long depended on imports. No matter the vision’s brilliance, the standard cannot be achieved without a world-class production facility. We built this factory not just for us alone, but for the future of African fashion,” as he noted the reasons for establishing his fashion enterprises.
While heavily diluted with African identity, the fashion brand specialises in manufacturing readily available men’s fashion products in different styles, crafts, and designs. The brand believes each dress passes different prestige on to the owner.
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“They are statements of African identity told through clean lines, meticulous finishing, and unmistakable confidence,” he stated.
The award-winning stylist admitted that his brand’s selling point went beyond fashion. Every design product has a story behind materials from Nigeria, Europe, and Asia. He said, “People think I’m just selling fashion, but I’m selling precision, story, and identity.”
The international fashion brand, renowned for African traditional wear, pants, t-shirts, and more, also claimed that “cleanliness” in its fashion output has earned customers from the high-middle class, entertainers,top-position holders, celebrities, and fashion icons. He boasted, “Our quality today is still better than that of the Chinese fabric.”
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