Mercy Kayode: How African identity became her fashion currency

When Mercy Ebube Kayode first picked up sewing as a solution to a personal problem, she was unlikely to have imagined that the skill would eventually take her from Nigeria to the United Kingdom and place her designs on an international fashion platform.

Today, the founder and creative director of Royale Artelier is building a fashion identity around a philosophy that goes beyond clothing: “My Style, My Story.”

Kayode’s journey into fashion began during her National Youth Service Corps year in 2015, when repeated disappointments with local tailors prompted her to learn the craft herself. What began as an attempt to gain control over her wardrobe soon became a career.

“I got tired of giving people designs and not getting exactly what I wanted. Sometimes the clothes would come late, and sometimes the finishing would not meet my expectations. At some point, I decided that if I wanted to understand the process properly, I had to learn how to sew myself,” she said.

The decision would prove transformative.

After undergoing professional training, Kayode began sewing professionally in 2017. She started with individual clients before taking on collaborations with fashion houses, creative businesses and organisations.

One of her formative experiences came through her work with Living Seed Propagators Ministries, where she was involved in producing bulk choir uniforms and occasion wear for branches across Nigeria, including its annual National Convention.

Unlike bespoke commissions, the assignment demanded consistency on a much larger scale.

“Working on bulk production taught me a lot about discipline. When you are making one outfit, you can focus on that individual piece. But when…