Expanding fashion practice: Mercy John Otisi and community-driven approaches

Rita Okoye

Mercy John Otisi’s work in fashion goes beyond making traditional collections or following seasonal trends. As the creative director of SleyCrafts Fashion Ltd, she often experiments with structure, textiles, and modern styles.

Lately, she has focused on sharing knowledge within communities, reflecting an expansion of her work beyond collection-based design.

In 2024, Otisi organized fashion business and craft masterclasses in communities in Ogun and Osun States. She trained about fifty women who wanted to start sustainable fashion businesses. Working with Tiffany Amber, the sessions covered both creative skills and business basics, from making garments to growing small businesses in local markets.

The workshops focused on teaching practical skills instead of just showing fashion as something to aspire to. Participants learned basic construction methods, how to work with materials, and why consistency and finishing matter in making clothes.

The sessions also covered pricing, building client relationships, and running a business for the long term: topics often missed in informal craft settings. This approach draws on Otisi’s background in illustration, product design, and garment making.

Holding the training in local communities was a deliberate choice. By working directly with women artisans in areas known for their craft traditions. The sessions framed fashion as a practical source of income rather than only a form of display.

The sessions encouraged discussions about keeping craft traditions alive while meeting today’s market needs, which is a common challenge for designers using traditional materials and methods.

This way of working moves the focus from building a single brand to supporting the wider fashion community. In an industry that often highlights runway shows, Otisi’s focus on teaching and mentoring is an important kind of leadership. She recognizes that lasting growth in fashion depends not just on famous designers, but also on the strength and stability of the communities behind the scenes.

Working with Tiffany Amber places this project in a broader professional setting. Teaming up with a well-known fashion house shows trust in the industry and a shared responsibility to support new talent. These masterclasses are not just a one-time event; they are part of Otisi’s ongoing effort to connect creativity with sharing knowledge.

As people talk more about sustainability, ethics, and local economies in fashion, projects like these show that designers can be guides as well as creators. For Mercy John Otisi, leadership is shown not just in the clothes she makes, but in the support systems she builds. This kind of work operates outside runway settings and focuses on strengthening production skills and local participation.