They said no one would buy from me because I’m black — UK-Based Nigerian fashion designer Eluwande
UK-based Nigerian fashion designer, Matthew Eluwande, has shared his inspiring journey from personal loss and discouragement to international recognition in the fashion industry.
“Matthew Eluwande, born in Briston, UK. My parents moved back to Nigeria when I was 4 months old. I didn’t have any memory of this country,” he recounted in an interview on TransferGo Africa
His return to the UK came after a major family tragedy. “While in Nigeria, I lost my dad when I was seven years old, and things changed very quickly. Immediately, my dad died, my mum lost everything.”
Back in the UK, Eluwande faced harsh realities as he tried to find his footing. “I had gotten all the experience of running my own business, designing hats and all that. I remember my friend told me that there are jobs that people like us do when we get here. It’s either you train yourself to be a nurse or a care assistant, or you do a cleaning job.”
The discouragement didn’t end there. “I have to be honest, they meant well when they said to me, ‘Mathew, don’t go into fashion, nobody is going to employ you.’ I said, look, I could start my own business. They said, don’t start it here, nobody is going to buy from you. And I said why, and the lady was pointing to my skin. She said because you’re a Black man.”
