Ifunanya Onyekwere, “Nanya,” earned her bachelor's degree in Industrial Physics from Abia State University in Nigeria. During her undergraduate studies, she developed a passion for fashion and used her recess periods to take fashion and design classes. She moved to the United States after she married and was accepted into Custom Collaborative where she enhanced her sewing and pattern-making skills. Nanya has been with CC since inception and graduated from Cohort 1 in 2017.

A set-back Nanya faced prior to Custom Collaborative was being adequately compensated for the value and quality of her work. "When I came [to Custom Collaborative], I was making clothes for my church members and they were paying me peanuts. I didn't know I was being used. Custom Collaborative helped me learn to charge what my time is worth. It was something Ngozi and the group were always, always telling me. 'No, you don't have to be scared [of raising your prices]. You made this clothing with love, time, and your sweat!’ She's inspired me to create a Custom Collaborative in Nigeria. I think about what she's done and what I can take back home because she has inspired me to be a better person."

Since, Nanya has incorporated her professional and design skills from Custom Collaborative into her own brand, Aify's Clothing. The brand’s collections showcase a unique selection of original designs in womenswear and accessories. A CC favorite is the timeless vest with matching bucket hat. The style is a classic that will last a lifetime with bold prints to serve as a staple in your closet. The set was featured in our Holiday Market of artisan goods made with love by our CC markers and is available to purchase in our shop. Nanya is passionate about giving back to society and is doing so by using part of the proceeds from her brand to feed the less privileged in her community; she is looking forward to spreading this initiative globally.

Nanya’s client wearing her custom wedding skirt at the ceremony. Photo by @mrschloemonroe

In her most recent project, Nanya created a beautiful and unique wedding skirt for a client inspired by Carolina Herrera. She really enjoyed the design process and working with the bride on this custom, heart-felt project. Despite the challenges, Nanya was able to overcome and deliver a beautiful piece that captures such a memorable moment for years to come, “My challenge was the distance from my client. She [lives] in Virginia and she had to take the measurements herself. This caused a shortage in the skirt length but I was able to fix that during the first fitting.”

Nanya also contributed to our latest Fashion That Works project by sewing dining napkins for Choix Home. It was a pleasure to work with the Choix Home team who understand our vision and support our goal of creating work opportunities and improving socio-economic outcomes for all women.

We are honored to support Nanya on her trailblazing journey within the industry. You can check more of her work on Instagram, @aifysclothing.

Nanya's Story