Andrea Imayah is the perfect role model for anyone who wants to create a successful fashion line. Her success has grown so much over the years, that she has been able to create and expand her swimwear brand, as well as starting another brand under her name. Ever since she was a young girl, Imayah knew that her dream was to be a fashion designer. She took the matter into her hands and left nothing to fate, instead, she started learning valuable skills from a young age, and at 13 years old, she was already sewing, drawing fashion styles and painting color techniques.

Even though Imayah is based in Canada, there is no doubt that her African roots go deep into her inspirations and into both of her brands: Andrea Imayah swimwear and Andrea Imayah. She explained in a recent interview with The Corporate Canvas that being Nigerian is part of an even bigger picture. It is because of this inspiration that her designs have managed to stand out, and in her own words: “Using the rich culture of such a thriving continent, each piece we design is embedded with inspiration from the colors and traditional prints of not just Nigeria but other African countries as well. From product design to Andrea Iyamah campaigns, diversity is our underlying theme.”

Although her success today is admirable, and she makes managing 2 successful lines seem easy, Imaya explains that it has not always been easy to attain success in the international fashion industry. It started being a challenge because of the fact that she was a full-time student, and after that, she started noticing how “With fashion comes a trendy hype, but the reality is many upcoming designers tend to face the harsh reality of little to no funding which is easily hidden under the hype. There’s a chain reaction leading to this problem which stems from the trivialization of the fashion industry by potential investors.” After years of her hard work and planning, she managed to get her fashion line out of a beginner phase however, she explains and recommends to beginner designers that since “The unfortunate truth is; no one can see your dreams as clearly as you can, as an emerging designer you must properly educate yourself about your brand, and set realistic goals. Survival should come before profit, in that accord patience is your best bet.”

Andrea Imayah is a woman that has to be admired because of her great talent, success, and strength. If you are a women entrepreneur that wants to follow her steps, make sure to follow her advice and remember about her number 1 advice: Be patient, consistent and hard working – and expect to work long hours.

Photo Credit: Industrie Africa