Torlowei

Founded in 2017 by Patience Torlowei, Torlowei is a fashion label based in Lagos offering collections of strikingly feminine separates and delicate nightwear and lingerie. A mother of two children, Torlowei finally decided to pursue her passion for fashion once they had grown, and within two years, she was supplying wedding and cocktail dresses to over six countries within Europe alone, all produced from her converted garage in Belgium. Fueled by a combination of rapid expansion, high production costs, and a desire to return home to transfer knowledge and create jobs, Patience decided to move her atelier and all her production to Lagos, Nigeria, launching Torlowei in 2017.

According to Torlowei, the brand’s signature style is timeless. Using vibrant colors and eccentric prints and shapes inspired by fauvism and cubism, she reimagines classic silhouettes that tend to focus on generational traditions rather than the latest trends. Crafted from a variety of textiles—including soft cotton mousselines from Switzerland, woven silk dupioni from India, and hand-dyed batiks found in Nigeria—Torlowei’s collection of ankle-grazing evening dresses, flowing tiered skirts, formal jumpsuits, and more exude a quiet confidence that’s palpable.

“On the one hand… I love clean cuts and straight shapes in rigid materials such as cotton organdie and silk Mikado,” she says of her design style. “On the other hand I guess you could say I’m in love with the romantic: think crêpes and chiffons, French leavers’ laces, delicate embroidery work on the daintiest pieces.”

In 2014 the brand made history when a dress designed by Torlowei was acquired by the National Museum of African Art (NMAA) in Washington, D.C.. Named “Esther”, it is the first piece of modern designer fashion to enter the museum’s permanent collection. Featuring a hand-painted depiction of scenes of oil and diamond extraction and war, and is made of a variety of materials including gold fabric. Torlowei was also included in the 2019 show "I Am… Contemporary Women Artists of Africa" at the NMAA, and has been worn by the likes of André Leon Talley, Opal Tometi, Naomi Campbell as well as being featured on TV Shows such as Insecure.