6:24 am - February 23, 2025
Tessy Oliseh-Amaize is carving out her own path in the fashion world, step by step, and making a name for herself in the process. While she may be known to some as the sister of Nigerian soccer legend Sunday Oliseh, Tessy is proving that she is a force to be reckoned with in her own right. As the founder of Tesslo, her eponymous fashion brand, she is reimagining traditional wax print ankara designs with a modern twist—a style that is as much about mathematics as it is about aesthetics. Her journey from a science student to a celebrated fashion designer is a testament to her creativity, determination, and innovative spirit.
At the heart of Tessy’s designs is a fusion of African culture and cutting-edge fashion. Her “Africa to the World” collection is a prime example of this fusion, showcasing vibrant ankara fabrics infused with geometric patterns that create an optical illusion of depth and movement. Each design is a labor of love, taking anywhere from four to eight weeks to create. Tessy often references mathematics in her creative process, explaining how the Pythagoras theorem influences her work. “My designs are all mathematics,” she says. “You need to think of shapes and even calculate shapes that do not exist.” This unique approach sets her apart in the fashion industry, where such meticulous attention to detail and scientific precision are rare.
One of her standout pieces, “Pyramids,” is a knee-length dress inspired by the pyramids of Giza. The design features prism-like shapes arranged in alternating directions, creating a dynamic and visually striking effect. Another notable creation is “Mpi,” a varsity jacket adorned with rows of protruding cones, paying homage to the animal horns used in Nigeria’s Igbo culture during weddings, chieftaincy titles, and musical performances. Tessy explains that for “Pyramids,” she relied on geometric calculations, while for “Mpi,” she manipulated the fabric in geometrical dimensions to create the horns. “I thought that the real beauty of executing this inspiration would be more impactful if I have them all together in a cluster around the outfit,” she says. These pieces not only celebrate African heritage but also push the boundaries of fashion design.
Tessy’s journey into the world of fashion began in the UK, where she studied Fashion Product Management at Middlesex University London in the early 2000s. A major turning point came in 2006 when she was crowned Nigeria’s best designer at the Nigerian Fashion Show competition. This recognition opened doors for her, and she soon began designing for TV shows. However, her move to the US was a humbling experience. “It was like starting afresh,” she recalls. Unlike in Nigeria, where ankara clothing was already in demand, Tessy had to prove her creativity to an American audience, which meant elevating her craft. Now based in Washington, D.C., her designs are gaining increasing attention. Last September, she was invited to close the Ankara Festival Los Angeles, a celebration of African fashion, and her work was also showcased at the Congressional Black Caucus and Philly Fashion Week.
Despite her growing success, Tessy is aware of the stereotypes surrounding African fashion. She is on a mission to challenge these perceptions. “Outside Africa, when people hear ‘African prints,’ it is as if the expectation is that it’s not truly African unless it looks primitive or poorly made,” she says. “I’m rebelling against that. African fashion is rich, diverse, and deserves to be seen as sophisticated and high-quality.” Her commitment to this vision has earned her celebrity supporters, including Folake Olowofoyeku, star of the US sitcom “Bob Hearts Abishola,” who wore Tesslo’s “Hollywood” dress at the Ankara Festival. The dress, inspired by old-school Hollywood glamour, featured sleeve cuffs shaped like mid-century lamps. Tessy has also received a commission from celebrity stylist J. Bolin for one of his high-profile clients.
While Tessy’s accomplishments are undeniably impressive, she is also giving back to the next generation of designers through her “Fashion Professor” project. She has hosted 35 mentoring sessions on Instagram, covering topics like understanding fabrics, billing clients, and navigating the industry. Her goal is to inspire young designers to aspire beyond Nigeria and to avoid the mistakes she made along the way. “I looked at how I could inspire the next generation of fashion designers within and beyond Nigeria and decided to mentor them and help them avoid my own mistakes while charting their own unique paths,” she explains. Tessy’s work comes at a time when Western designers are increasingly exploring ankara fabrics, often with greater access to funding than their Nigerian counterparts. Yet Tessy believes African designers should not limit themselves to designing or selling exclusively to Africans. She envisions a future where Nigerian brands like hers can sell out in international department stores like Harrods or Macy’s.
For Tessy Oliseh-Amaize, fashion is more than just a career—it’s a calling. While her designs are deeply rooted in African culture, she refuses to be pigeonholed as an “African designer.” Instead, she aspires to be recognized as a global brand designing for the global market. “I don’t want to be put in a box and labeled an African designer,” she says. “I want to be identified as a global brand designing for the global market. This is what would make me fulfilled.” As she continues to break barriers, Tessy is proving that with talent, hard work, and a bold vision, anything is possible. Her story is one of passion, resilience, and the power of fashion to connect cultures and inspire change.