ZAINAB KOLAWOLE is the Founder and Creative Director of STYLEDBYZK, a sustainable Nigerian ready-to-wear women’s fashion brand. Over the years, she has carved a niche as one of Nigeria’s most outstanding fashion designers by providing ready-to-wear and custom services to women of different ages, sizes, and cultural backgrounds. Her clothing has been sold across various countries, including the United Kingdom, the USA, Australia, Canada, Ghana, Dubai, and Germany.
She is well known for her Afrocentric designs, which incorporate African fabrics like Ankara, Adire, and Aso-Oke to showcase African culture. Zainab Kolawole has styled leading figures in Nigeria’s entertainment industry, including Toyin Abraham, Linda Osifo, Tomike Adeoye, Kemi Afolabi, Bola Ogunmola, Biodun Okeowo, and Ify Mogekwu.
Her designs have been exhibited in several exhibitions, including the Lagos Fashion Fair, Naijabrand Chick Trade Fair, and Eco Bank Oja Oge, and she has been featured in various fashion blogs, including Ms_Asoebi, Asoebiafrica, and the Bella Naija website.
In addition to her design work, Zainab Kolawole is a trainer and mentor who has trained several women in fashion design. She has successfully helped many women launch their ready-to-wear businesses in Nigeria including Brazil, the UK, and the USA.
Zainab Kolawole was also part of the team that worked behind the scenes for the African Fashion Show Yorkshire in the UK.
Her entrepreneurial drive, passion for fashion, and dedication to empowering others led her to create a community called ZKININFKUENCE, where she shares insights about the fashion business with emerging and established designers. She also authored an e-book titled Tailor Workshop Structure, which guides fashion designers on how to run their businesses successfully without needing to be physically present, based on her firsthand experience running her business from the UK while pursuing her master’s degree.
Zainab Kolawole holds a Law degree from Houdegbe North American University, studied fashion design at ATK Fashion, and is pursuing an MSc in Journalism at Leeds Beckett University.
