Fashion Impact Fund Grant Recipient:
Datina Designs
Ibadan, Nigeria
Organization: Datina Designs
Website:datinadesigns.com
Location: Ibadan, Nigeria
Program Focus: Garment construction, pattern drafting, and fashion entrepreneurship training
Participants Trained: 20
Program Duration: November 2024 – October 2025
The Fashion Impact Fund provided a grant to support a workforce education program delivered by Datina Designs, a fashion and vocational training center based in Ibadan, Nigeria. The program focused on providing technical training in garment construction, pattern drafting, and textile selection, equipping participants with the skills needed to produce high-quality garments and pursue professional opportunities within the fashion sector.
“The Fashion Impact Fund is honored to invest in fashion workforce development solutions that expand access to skills training and entrepreneurial opportunity. By equipping participants with the technical capabilities needed to thrive in the fashion industry, programs like Datina Designs create ripple effects within local economies, strengthening creative industries, supporting small enterprises, and contributing to more resilient and inclusive fashion systems.”
— Kerry Bannigan, Founder, Fashion Impact Fund
Education
The program provides hands-on training in garment construction, pattern drafting, and fashion illustration. Participants begin with foundational skills including sewing techniques, operating industrial sewing machines, and taking accurate body measurements. Early projects include the creation of tote bags, pencil skirts, A-line skirts, pleated skirts, kimonos, and kaftans.
As training progresses, participants advance to more complex garment construction techniques including drafting and sewing mono-strap and plunge necklines, bust and cup caging, as well as tailoring techniques such as shawl and yoke lapels. Throughout the program, fashion illustration and sketching classes support the development of creative design concepts while reinforcing technical garment construction skills.
Workforce
The program prepares participants with the technical and entrepreneurial capabilities needed to pursue professional opportunities within the fashion sector. Alongside garment construction training, participants receive instruction in business development and project management, helping them understand how to establish and manage fashion enterprises.
Through a combination of practical training, mentorship, and project-based learning, participants develop both the technical and business skills required to pursue employment or entrepreneurial ventures within the fashion industry.
Manufacturing
By strengthening technical garment production skills, the program contributes to expanding the skilled workforce supporting Nigeria’s fashion and apparel sector. Workforce training initiatives such as this help build local production capacity while supporting the development of small-scale fashion enterprises within regional creative economies.
Impact
The program supported 20 participants in developing technical skills in garment construction, pattern drafting, and fashion entrepreneurship. Through hands-on instruction and mentorship, participants strengthened their production capabilities while gaining the knowledge required to pursue employment or establish independent fashion ventures within the industry.
GRANT RECIPIENT
Atinuke Smith
Atinuke Smith is a Nigerian fashion designer and the founder of Datina Designs Fashion House and Fashion School in Ibadan. With more than 25 years of experience in the fashion industry, she has developed Datina Designs into a training institution that equips emerging designers with the technical and entrepreneurial skills required to succeed in the fashion sector. Her work combines garment design, fashion retail, and vocational training, helping strengthen the creative economy in Nigeria while expanding access to professional opportunities within the industry.
“The Fashion Impact Fund allows us to expand training opportunities within our community, equipping participants with the skills and confidence needed to pursue careers in the fashion industry. Through programs like this, we are able to strengthen local talent and support the growth of creative enterprises.”
