"From Bland to Beauty: Nigerian Designer Shares Inspiring Creative Process Behind Upcycling Fashion Brand

"From Bland to Beauty: Nigerian Designer Shares Inspiring Creative Process Behind Upcycling Fashion Brand

Rimac Tie Dye Fashion is a Lagos-based fashion brand dedicated to creating beautiful tie-dye pieces and promoting sustainability in fashion through upcycling. In this interview, the creative director shares more insight into the goal of the brand.

From fabric design to sourcing for upcycling materials, Igobasi Rita MacDonald goes into detail about her creative process and what makes her brand unique.

The graduate of Fine and Applied Arts from Niger Delta University who is in her early 20s has been running her fashion brand for over three years.

Rimac's designs/Nigerian fashion brand
Photos of some designs by Rimac. Credit: @rimac_ng
Source: Instagram

How designs are created at Rimac

Rimac takes an interesting approach to upcycling. Together with the team, Rita visits local markets to source items of clothing that fit into products for their target market.

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These include shirts, dresses, pants, shorts and blazers.

"We ensure that the materials used are environmentally friendly and ethically sourced by looking out for clothing that were made from cotton, silk and linen."

Clothes made from cotton, silk, and linen can be more environmentally friendly than clothes made from synthetic materials such as polyester, nylon, or acrylic.

The biodegradability nature of these kinds of materials means that they will eventually break down in the environment. Unlike synthetic fibres made from petroleum-based chemicals which take hundreds of years to decompose.

The inspiration behind upcycling and tie-dye in the fashion brand

Igobasi Rita who is also a textile designer says people expected she would go into fabric production. However, this was not the case.

"I wanted to do more than just create designs on fabrics, I knew I had to do something different with my knowledge about tie dye. That was the beginning of my upcycling journey."

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Incorporating upcycling into Rimac brand

On how she ensures that upcycled and tie-dyed pieces are unique and individual, Igobasi Rita maintains that no two tie-dye designs are exactly the same as they are hand dyed.

"So for every design we recreate, we try to add a touch of uniqueness. There’s always a twist for every piece. We focus on dyeing clothes that can be reused or repurposed, as well as incorporating tie-dye designs that completely transform old clothing into amazing new pieces."

Upcycling clothes is a form of upcycling that involves transforming old or unwanted clothing into new, more valuable items.

This practice helps to reduce the amount of clothing that ends up in landfills or pollutes the environment.

By reusing clothing that would otherwise be thrown away, upcycling reduces the amount of waste that needs to be processed and disposed of.

Tie-dye has been a popular trend for decades, and it's easy to see why.

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Rimac makes contemporary designs that cater to both feminine and ultra-feminine women with its unique blend of colours and patterns that create a stunning, one-of-a-kind look that's perfect for any occasion.

These designs are simply stunning, with each piece featuring a blend of vibrant colours that are sure to turn heads

Challenges in creating upcycled and tie-dyed fashion

Igobasi Rita says that a major challenge in creating designs for her brand is sourcing materials that are high quality enough to create durable and fashionable clothing.

"Upcycling materials can be time-consuming, it requires careful selection and preparation of materials. Tie-dyeing also requires careful consideration of the dyeing process and the colours to be used."

On how she engages with her customers and community to promote sustainable fashion, she has this to say:

"Part of our brand ethos is upcycling and revamping. Most of our customers are aware of that already, so whenever they buy any of our pieces, they are consciously or unconsciously making sustainable purchasing decisions."

With a growing online presence and a promise to make showstoppers out of their clientele, Rimac is sure to make a mark in the Nigerian fashion industry in the years to come!

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Kumashe Yaakugh avatar

Kumashe Yaakugh Kumashe Yaakugh is a lifestyle journalist with over five years of working experience at Legit.ng. She graduated from Benue State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communication in 2013. In 2022, she received the award for' Excellence in Fashion Reporting'. Kumashe Yaakugh is the author of 'While She Slept'. Email: caroline.yaakugh@corp.legit.ng