When I was a teenager, I hated wearing what everyone else was wearing. Actually, that’s not true. I wanted to. I just couldn’t. While my friends spent their holidays abroad, returning with new clothes and stories, I stayed at home in Nigeria, helping my parents run their business. They were the first in their families to break out of poverty, and their world was about work, not wanderlust.
The Means But Not the Mindset
My parents had the means but not the mindset. They could afford to take us travelling, to introduce us to art, to explore more — but those things didn’t matter in our world. Their focus was survival, stability, and respectability. They appreciated fashion, yes — but not as self-expression. It was about presentation. So, I had to find my own way.
Where My Style Really Began
I started sketching clothes in my head, then taking my ideas to a local tailor. I hunted through Nigeria’s Okrika markets — busy second-hand markets full of one-off treasures. I began crafting a style that was entirely my own.
That’s where Kemi Telford really began.
Not in a studio.
Not on a business plan.
But in those early moments of improvising, imagining, and refusing to look like everyone else.
Why We Create in Small Quantities
Our commitment to creating in small quantities comes from this place. From the belief that clothes should feel personal. Intentional. Rare.
We hear it often:
“I don’t want to walk into a room and see someone else in my dress.”
“I want to feel like I chose this — not like it was pushed at me.”
“I’m tired of clothes that say nothing about me.”
That’s why we make less.
Because when something is made in small numbers, it means something more. It means you’ve chosen with care. It means we’ve created with purpose.
The Muse Shirt and Skirt: Made for the Woman Who Knows
The Muse Shirt and Muse Skirt were designed with all of this in mind.
They’re not just beautiful — they carry story.
- Crisp lines
- Strong shape
- Quiet confidence
Crafted for women who want to be seen — really seen. We didn’t make many. We never do. Because you don’t need more clothes. You need the right ones.
With love,
Yvonne x