I had the pleasure of meeting Ardelle at the beginning of this year just before quarantine and since discovering Ardelle’s brand last year, I have watched her designs grow from strength to strength in their sophistication, form and originality.

I love looking put together at all times and Ardelle’s strong yet exquisitely feminine and timeless pieces will make you look like you take pride in your appearance with minimal effort.

Let’s meet the designer behind the next addition to your wardrobe.

Hey Ardelle! Tell us a bit about yourself 

Hey, my name is Ardelle Fawehinmi, I’m a British born Nigerian. I’m 23 and the designer and creative director of Ardelle. 

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Can you tell us about your design process from ideation to realisation?

https://www.instagram.com/p/CEY0zl0pBGQ/

The design process for me always begins with inspiration. This can come from many sources, but it’s important for me that inspiration comes first. This allows my ideas to have room for various interpretations before settling on a final design. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CEWPdgEJ1GX/

I create a lot of samples before I finally settle on a final design and then I begin to look at fabrics and what fabric best suits the given design. 

I like to believe I am pretty flexible when it comes to my design process, but one thing I won’t budge on is originality.

The Omenma piece is beautifully and simply elegant, I love some shoulder cleavage! What was the inspiration behind it?

The name Omenma is an Igbo Nigerian name which means ‘Full of goodness’. My main inspiration for the SS20 collection was The African woman. In my culture our native clothing is called ‘Iro ati Buba’ which essentially is an oversized boxy top and a wrap skirt.

The source of my inspiration was the simplicity of the top and from there everything else was birthed. I really wanted to highlight the beauty of the African woman and our native clothing. 

How are you finding ways to connect with the Ardelle woman post-quarantine? 

I believe social media is a powerful tool that we all have to learn to make the most of. It’s given me room to explore who is engaging with the Ardelle content and who is actually buying from us. This helps me to tailor the way I connect with The Ardelle Woman. 

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Mailing lists are an extremely important tool and a great way to connect directly with The Ardelle woman. 

What steps are you taking to make Ardelle as sustainable as possible?

Minimising fabric waste, sourcing fabrics that we know can last over a long period of time. We also ensure that we are not bringing out new products too frequently as we believe in slow fashion and encourage our customers to buy what will stand the test of time. 

Does being Christian influence the clothing you make?

Most definitely. It’s very important for me as God is my anchor. My faith feeds into everything I do and my clothing brand is one of them.

What’s next for Ardelle?

We have our new A/W collection coming out and many exciting things to come down the line.