The story of Osereme Ebewele Brown is of a Nigerian creative who rose from personal failure, family tensions, and industry obscurity to become a torchbearer of African luxury.
Ebewele Brown, founded by Osareme Ebele Brown, is a luxury fashion brand and lifestyle house born from pain, grit, and cultural reverence. With his signature precision, Afrocentric elegance, and relentless attention to detail, Brown has built both clothes and a legacy that now walks the corridors of power, culture, and global ambition.
A brand born from a broken moment
Brown’s turning point came at rock bottom: expelled from university, misunderstood at home, and newly a father. Faced with limited options and an urgent need to survive, he poured his restlessness into fashion.
Without formal training, but guided by a creative instinct, he co-founded the early version of what would become Africana Couture. Eventually, parting ways with his partner Charles, Brown went solo.
For years, he designed anonymously, refusing to name his brand, but that changed in 2018 after a prominent client challenged him to “own his excellence.”
Reflecting deeply, he named the brand Ebewele Brown, in honour of his late father, Ebewele Brown Francis, a celebrated sportsman and politician from Edo State.
“Giving the brand my father’s name was not just about legacy,” Brown told BD Weekeender. “It was about accountability. I made a vow to build something that would stand tall like the man it was named after.”
From humble beginnings to a global vision
What began in cramped workshops, a 20-foot container, and chaotic markets has now become a sleek, international fashion brand with physical roots in Abuja, Lagos, and Conakry in Guinea. Today, Ebewele Brown operates from a flagship showroom in Maitama, Abuja, and employs over 100 staff across its design houses and its latest achievement, the Abuja Garment Factory.
The factory, launched in 2023, is a 500-square-meter facility that has radically increased the brand’s production capacity and transformed it into a manufacturing powerhouse.
Capable of producing between 20 to 50 outfits daily, the facility not only serves the Ebewele Brown brand but also supports other fashion labels in West Africa.
“I am building the infrastructure for a continent that has long depended on imports,” he said “Without a world-class production facility, no matter how brilliant the vision, the standard cannot be achieved. We built this factory not just for us alone, but for the future of African fashion.”
A brand that speaks in three languages
Within the Ebewele Brown umbrella are three powerful labels, each catering to a distinct kind of man, but all grounded in the same ethos of quality, culture, and character.
The Ebewele Brown signature line is bespoke menswear that blends European fabrics with Afrocentric silhouettes. “No two pieces are the same,” the founder said. The OLDWYN line, born from Brown’s practical business instincts, offers ready-to-wear sophistication for men on the move. It’s accessible, elegant, and immediate. Then there’s Sainte, the brand’s upscale casual wear, created for the young, upwardly mobile, fashion-forward individual.
“Every collection represents more than clothing,” he added. “They are statements of African identity told through clean lines, meticulous finishing, and unmistakable confidence.”
The business of legacy and the art of detail
While the industry battles copycats, fluctuating currencies, and underfunded artisans, Brown is thinking long-term. He sources materials from Nigeria, Italy, Turkey, Hong Kong, and Switzerland, balancing quality with economic realities. “At one time, we bought ten rolls of Italian fabric. Due to the high exchange rate, we now buy three and augment with equally premium alternatives,” he said.
Beyond aesthetics, Brown is hands-on. His presence at the factory is near-constant, leads design reviews, mentors staff, and maintains quality control checks across departments. “People think I’m just selling fashion,” he noted. “But I’m selling precision, story, and identity.”
Challenges, grit and the business of people
The road hasn’t been smooth, the founder said while recounting the difficulty of retaining skilled tailors, the sting of having 80% of staff leave at once, and the emotional toll of managing artisans. He also acknowledged that fair pay, constant communication, and respect have become non-negotiables in running a sustainable creative business in Nigeria.
“Our greatest asset isn’t machinery. It’s people,” Brown said. “You must respect your tailors the same way you would respect a banker. If you pay peanuts, you kill the magic.”
Power cuts are another daily hurdle, with the factory spending ₦150,000 on backup electricity daily. Despite this, Brown presses forward, confident that African fashion deserves the infrastructure and reverence given to Western luxury houses.
A father’s name, a nation’s future
Today, Brown is a father himself. His daughter, born during a period of personal turmoil, remains a quiet yet powerful source of motivation behind his success. Although his relationship with his own father was distant during his lifetime, Brown now carries his father’s name across borders, campaigns, and couture.
“Everywhere I go and introduce myself, people often say, ‘That’s not you, that’s your father,’ he said. “I just smile and say, ‘I’m commonly called Brown, so it’s easier that way.’ When I say I’m Osereme, many don’t recognise the name. I miss him a lot.”
