TAWA talks Courage and the Price of Purpose

“Where African culture and artisanal excellence meet English elegance and heritage.” Thus reads the Instagram handle of Nigerian designer, TAWA. Her air is one of warmth and self-ease.  When Naya Antonio and I finally manage to grab a quiet moment with her following her show-closing collection, I’m intrigued by an allusion to a turbulent personal journey “ . . all the textures, silhouettes, they’re  . . . like journeys I’ve been through, like rough turns and everything. So I just intertwine everything together to make it tell a fashion story.”

Raised in an extremely strict religious household, Tawa definitely took the road less travelled when after years of dutifully contorting herself to dutifully fit into parental templates for career and life. Her father wanted her to practice law, her mother wanted her to embrace the domesticated life. Yet throughout the years of awkward compliance and self-denial, her passion remained what it had always been – fashion.  A stint in travel and tourism, some years doing law, a father’s scoldings, estrangement and even motherhood couldn’t stifle the persistent flame of purpose held since her childhood. A daughter-father standoff ensued with Tawa protesting that ‘law isn’t me’  and declaring she wanted to do fashion. ‘No!  Fashion is not allowed’ came the familiar reply from her incensed father.

Mok Photography

This time purpose prevailed. And the now battle-hardened mother of two was prepared to pay the price – a period of estrangement from her father until he eventually caved in, realizing that parental chastisements and disapprovals were no match for his daughter’s newfound courage and commitment to finally pursue her passion.

In her final year as a fashion student at Coventry University  she was named Outstanding Adult Learner of the Year in the BTEC National Awards. So here at Fashion show Live 2026, how does it feel for this mother of two young adults, to be finally doing what she loves, what she’s always loved?

  “Oh,” she gushes, her face beaming,  “I mean, it’s just, God has just been great and I’m like so grateful and all. Even this morning when I was waking up to come here, I’m like, wow, I’m so excited. I’m like, this is happening. So, yeah, you know, I’m just blessed, I think. And it’s just amazing. Wow.”

Mok Photography

I’m further intrigued when Naya inquires about the intersection between faith and fashion. Is there a correlation for Tawa between her fashion and her Muslim background?  “I don’t think it correlates at all” she explains, “because even before I left home I stopped being a Muslim. My dad was so strict. He went to Arabic schools and all of that. . .it was just not flowing with me.”

So how does she feel when she taps into different designs and accentuates women’s bodies for example? “I feel amazing because it is like a privilege for me to make something.”   Finally walking in a path that’s authentically aligned with her passion, TAWA is living her best life these days. In the creative process she has found something therapeutic.  “Because I enjoy it. That’s where my joy is. You know, I get this idea of creating something and I just, you know, go to my little studio and I just start creating something, it gives me joy. I just feel so… calm and easy.”

When it comes to future aspirations the priority is continued self mastery.  “Like being healed and, just knowing myself and knowing what triggers and what doesn’t trigger and when to cut something off and when not to and when to say no at the right time and not just be a doormat. .having that courage and strength to say what you mean.”

With regards to the  TAWA brand, that personal journey remains integral. “When somebody wears your pieces, you want to believe that they know what is behind that creation, (and) not just wearing it because they like it or maybe because people are talking about it, (but) because they understand where you’re coming from and they want to help your journey.”

Her journey, like her fashion is her gift to the world.

“Because I like to empower women. Before we come out of our shell, we’re always shy because we don’t want people to say this or that about us, because of where we’ve come from or what people know about us already,  . . So when I tell them my story and they resonate, I feel so good. Like, oh, there’s so many people, you know, that’s beautiful.”