Starting with Stitches: How Chi and Stainless Fashion Was Born.
There wasn’t a business plan. No sketches pinned to a wall. Just me, a curious little girl in Nigeria, standing in front of a mirror, experimenting with my mum’s wrappers and blouses, trying to turn them into something “new.” Something that felt like mine.
Looking back now, I realize Chi & Stainless didn’t begin when I launched a website or sold my first dress, it started the first time I tied an Ankara scarf around my waist and imagined it as a ball gown.
🧵 A Quiet Beginning
I was always drawn to clothes that told stories. Not flashy pieces, but garments that whispered of something deeper—who wore them before, what memories they held, how they made you walk a little taller.
At the time, I didn’t even know “fashion design” was a career. I just knew I felt something powerful every time I transformed an old blouse into something I could claim as my own.
In 2018, while working full-time and juggling other life paths, I began studying garment construction out of pure curiosity. I had no atelier, no professional studio, just a growing interest, online tutorials, and a few clients who became loyal customers the moment they saw what I could do.That period taught me more than any classroom ever could: how to problem solve, improvise, and trust my hands even when I wasn’t sure what they were doing yet.
Every fabric I touched felt like an open-ended sentence. Especially Ankara. Its boldness matched the confidence I was still growing into. Working with Ankara helped me connect with my culture in a deeper way; it made me proud, made me present. Even now, it remains a core part of the Chi & Stainless identity.
🖋️ From Curiosity to Craft
I began sharing my early pieces quietly, first with friends, then with people who became clients through word of mouth. The first time someone asked to “pay” me for an outfit I created, I was stunned. Not because I didn’t believe in the work, but because I hadn’t yet believed that others would.
That moment was the quiet birth of Chi & Stainless. Not the brand as it is today, but the seed of something sincere and rooted in love for storytelling through clothing.
My Sketch Book | Chi and Stainless Fashion
💬 Why This Story Matters
If you’re reading this, you’re meeting me at a moment where Chi & Stainless has grown far beyond that little girl in front of the mirror but the spirit remains the same. We still believe that fashion should carry memory. That clothes are more than trends, they’re stories.
This is just the beginning.
There’s more to come. But I wanted to start here—with the thread that started it all.
✨ Related Links:
See my first collection “Origins” →
Shop pieces made with Ankara →https://chiandstainless.com/shop/
Follow my design diary →