Driven by a desire to showcase the richness of African identity, Tinu Smith, the CEO at Datina Designs, an Afrocentric ready-to-wear brand that provides affordable, eclectic, and high-quality fashion for women merges traditional aesthetics with modern trends.
The graduate of Women’s Entrepreneurship at Cornell University U.S.A, offers designs that are both timeless and striking. She started her fashion business in the 1990s with an initial capital of N50,000 from personal savings and income from her NYSC monthly allowance.
According to the ITF official trainer, fashion is a divinely inherited gift, because creativity came to her very naturally.
“My mum was a fashion designer, but I honestly never imagined I would follow the same route. Growing up, I wanted to become a broadcaster or work in print journalism.
“However, I’ve always been artistic and naturally stylish. After graduating from the university, during my NYSC year, I stayed in the boys’ quarters of a fashion designer who was exceptionally creative. Watching her work every day awakened something in me. Her designs stirred my interest and made me realise I wanted to learn the skill myself,” she explained.
She launched her fashion business in 1995, after spending one full year learning fashion designing. Tinu, who is a doctorate degree holder, emphasised that the Nigerian fashion Industry is vibrant, and full of opportunities.
“Beyond designs, there’s potential in Afrocentric fashion, vocational training and waste management/mitigation.
“Brands that creates impact, preserve culture and tackle waste and environmental challenges will thrive,” she noted.
Speaking on her trajectory in the business space, Tinu said the journey has not been without challenges.
“Starting out, access to funds was a major struggle, and building a business from scratch required a lot of sacrifice. I also had to deal with inconsistent infrastructure, rising costs, and the difficulty of finding well-trained staff.
“But each challenge pushed me to grow, learn, and become more resilient. Looking back, those obstacles shaped both my business and my strength as an entrepreneur,” she said.
The multiple award-winning Nigerian-based fashion designer said for her to navigate the murky business space, she became very intentional about building solutions.
“I learnt the art of fundraising to access grants and partnerships, invested in training staff so I can recruit people who understand our standards, and developed internal systems to make the business run smoothly.
“I also embraced technology, strengthened relationships with local suppliers, and diversified our revenue streams. These strategies have helped me stay resilient and keep the business growing despite the challenges,” she said.
Despite the challenges inherent in the business, Tinu disclosed her plans to expand the scale of the exportation of the firm’s clothing line regionally and internationally, and to make Afrocentric fashion more accessible worldwide.
“Domestically, we aim to stock our pieces in more major stores for wider reach.
“We’re also developing a fashion hub for skill acquisition, training the next generation of designers, while incorporating waste management and sustainable practices into our operations,” she stated.
She emphasised that the niche that stands her out is that her brand blends vibrant African aesthetics with contemporary designs, and reinvests its growth into equipping women with the tools, training, and opportunities they need to build sustainable livelihoods.
“Empowering underserved young women through fashion training, skills development, and community impact initiatives, is what helps us stay ahead of the business curve,” she emphasised.
Tinu noted that staying resilient during inflation, streamlining her operations, strengthening partnerships with local suppliers, and focusing more on locally sourced materials to reduce costs, among others helps the firm scale through the surging inflation that is squeezing many SMEs in Nigeria.
For the upcoming entrepreneurs, she encourages them to stay focused, consistent, keep learning and investing in themselves.
Besides, she said they should build structures early, manage their finances wisely, and never be afraid to start small.
Surround yourself with the right people and mentors, stay adaptable, and let purpose and not pressure guide your journey.
