Fast fashion meets ancient technique in Nigerian artist's work

 In a world of fast fashion and mounting textile waste, 26-year-old Precious Mbonu is reviving an age-old technique, creating striking garments without a single stitch.

Based in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, the drape stylist shapes fabric into sculptural outfits using only pins, cloth and his hands. His work echoes traditional African wrapping styles, where fabric is folded and secured around the body to create elegant looks.

Mbonu’s approach emerged out of necessity. While working as a makeup artist, he says he repeatedly saw clients cancel photoshoots when tailors failed to deliver outfits on time.

“I knew I needed to make extra from what I was doing,” he said, adding that clients’ frustrations pushed him to find a faster solution.

Working directly on the body, he can complete a fully styled garment in as little as 45 minutes, a process that would normally take days with conventional dressmaking. “I chose pins because I knew pin was going to be faster than the sewing machine,” he said.

Since launching his draping business in 2021, Mbonu says he has completed more than 200 commissions and built a social media following of over 300,000. His services cost between $90 and $300, depending on the complexity of the design and location.

At Abuja’s fabric markets, Mbonu selects materials that hold structure and drape well. Unlike traditional tailoring, however, his fabrics are not permanently altered.

Because each piece is pinned rather than sewn, the same material can be reused multiple times and transformed into entirely different designs for new clients, an approach he says reduces waste.

While his work has found a growing customer base, creating garments directly on clients has drawn criticism in more conservative circles, particularly on social media. Despite that, demand for his designs continues to rise as clients turn to faster, more flexible alternatives to traditional fashion.

Production: Kazeem Sanni, Abraham Achirga, Angela Ukomadu/Reuters