Mercy Kayode: How African identity became her fashion currency

When Mercy Ebube Kayode first picked up sewing as a solution to a personal problem, she was unlikely to have imagined that the skill would eventually take her from Nigeria to the United Kingdom and place her designs on an international fashion platform.

Today, the founder and creative director of Royale Artelier is building a fashion identity around a philosophy that goes beyond clothing: “My Style, My Story.”

Kayode’s journey into fashion began during her National Youth Service Corps year in 2015, when repeated disappointments with local tailors prompted her to learn the craft herself. What began as an attempt to gain control over her wardrobe soon became a career.

“I got tired of giving people designs and not getting exactly what I wanted. Sometimes the clothes would come late, and sometimes the finishing would not meet my expectations. At some point, I decided that if I wanted to understand the process properly, I had to learn how to sew myself,” she said.

The decision would prove transformative.

After undergoing professional training, Kayode began sewing professionally in 2017. She started with individual clients before taking on collaborations with fashion houses, creative businesses and organisations.

One of her formative experiences came through her work with Living Seed Propagators Ministries, where she was involved in producing bulk choir uniforms and occasion wear for branches across Nigeria, including its annual National Convention.

Unlike bespoke commissions, the assignment demanded consistency on a much larger scale.

“Working on bulk production taught me a lot about discipline. When you are making one outfit, you can focus on that individual piece. But when you are producing for a large number of people, you have to make sure the quality, measurements, finishing and delivery are consistent,” she said.

The experience helped sharpen her technical skills while also giving her a deeper understanding of the business side of fashion.

In 2022, she channelled those experiences into the establishment of Royale Artelier, a contemporary fashion brand built around craftsmanship, cultural expression and individuality.

At the heart of the brand is Kayode’s belief that clothing is a form of communication.

“I believe clothing speaks before we do. What we wear can tell people something about where we come from, what we value and how we see ourselves. That is why I always say, ‘My Style, My Story.’ I want people to see themselves in what they wear,” she said.

That philosophy has shaped Royale Artelier’s design language, which draws from African textiles, colours, craftsmanship and cultural references while incorporating contemporary silhouettes.

For Kayode, however, celebrating African fashion does not mean reproducing traditional clothing without adaptation. She believes African designers have an opportunity to influence global fashion while retaining the cultural elements that make their work distinctive.

“African fashion should not be seen as something that belongs only to Africans or something that is limited to traditional clothing. Our creativity can evolve. Our textiles, colours, craftsmanship and stories can exist within contemporary fashion and still retain their identity,” she said.

That conviction became even more significant in 2023 when Kayode relocated to the United Kingdom.

Moving to a new country meant rebuilding relationships and establishing a market from scratch, but it also exposed her work to a broader audience.

Through referrals, relationships and growing interest in her African-inspired contemporary designs, Royale Artelier gradually began reaching clients beyond Nigeria, including customers in Ghana and Canada.

For Kayode, the expansion reinforced a belief she had held from the beginning: African identity does not have to be diluted for African fashion to become globally relevant.

One of the defining moments in that journey came when Royale Artelier was presented at Hull & East Yorkshire Fashion Week, hosted by House of Tuyi in partnership with Hull City Council.

Kayode used the platform to present The Afriq Collection, a body of work that explored African identity through contemporary fashion.

“For me, seeing my work on that runway was more than just showing clothes. It was confirmation that the story I had been building could exist on a bigger platform,” she said.

“I looked at the collection and thought about how far I had come — from learning to sew because I was frustrated with tailors to presenting my work at a fashion week in the UK.”

Yet, despite the growth of the brand, Kayode has deliberately maintained a connection with the practical side of fashion.

She continues to design and sew, believing that understanding the craftsmanship behind a garment is important even as a fashion business grows.

“Even as the brand grows, I don’t want to lose the craftsmanship. I still want to understand the fabric, the cut, the finishing and the story behind every piece. Growth should not mean losing the reason you started,” she said.

Her ambitions for Royale Artelier now stretch beyond building a successful fashion business in Britain.

She wants the brand to become internationally recognised while maintaining the cultural identity that distinguishes it.

“I want Royale Artelier to become a globally recognised fashion brand, but I don’t want us to get there by becoming something we are not. I want our African creativity to be part of what makes us relevant internationally,” she said.

For Kayode, the future of African fashion is therefore not simply about securing places on international runways. It is about having enough creative and commercial influence to shape the global conversation.

“I believe the next chapter of African fashion is about moving from visibility to influence. For me, the future is bigger than seeing African designers represented on international runways. I want to see African designers setting trends, building internationally recognised brands, creating employment, influencing global aesthetics and helping define where the fashion industry goes next,” she said.

Her story is ultimately one of transformation: a young woman who initially learned to sew to solve a personal problem eventually discovered a profession, built a brand and found an opportunity to take African creativity to a wider audience.

And as Royale Artelier looks towards its next chapter, Kayode appears determined to ensure that its global ambition does not come at the expense of its identity.

For her, the clothes may change, the markets may expand and the platforms may become bigger, but the story remains central.

“My Style, My Story.”

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