In Nigeria, many people still deal with idle clothing by giving it away, passing it to relatives, or simply stuffing it into the wardrobe and forgetting about it. Oluyemisi Fadahunsi, a former corporate and commercial lawyer who is now head of legal and governance at a large African industrial group, believes these hanging clothes are not just idle fabric—in her eyes, they are value, business, culture, and an opportunity to rethink how we consume and dispose.

She therefore founded the curated second-hand fashion platform Eko Fashion Loop (EFL), which vets quality fashion pieces before listing them for resale, giving them a next wardrobe. Fadahunsi says many people around her have wardrobes full of quality dresses, designer pieces, handbags, shoes, and accessories they rarely wear, while others are looking for exactly these things but cannot afford them or do not want to pay full price.

She stresses that the resistance to second-hand trading in Nigeria is not about a new concept but a stereotype: buying second-hand is often understood as not being able to afford new clothes. Her rebuttal is that buying and selling second-hand cars, phones, electronics, furniture, and even real estate is seen as normal, and fashion should not be treated differently just because it has been worn.

According to her, the platform's core is trust—every item listed must pass vetting for quality, condition, appeal, and presentation, with detailed descriptions and clear images, and signs of wear disclosed honestly rather than concealed; authenticity is especially important for luxury and designer pieces. Pricing takes into account condition, brand, era, scarcity, and market demand.

On both the display and consumption sides, she also mentions Africa's demographics and digital environment: Nigeria has one of the youngest populations in the world, and young people encounter brands from around the world through social media, e-commerce, and digital platforms, but "seeing" does not equal "being able to buy," and the good things sitting idle in others' hands are exactly the gap. She believes Africa does not have to be flooded by textile waste like the global North first and then turn back to learn about circular fashion.

She has separate expectations for Nigerian designers. Citing Lisa Folawiyo, Banke Kuku, Ejiro Amos Tafiri, and others as examples, she says local creativity and craftsmanship deserve to keep circulating, and buying a new designer piece supports it once, while "circulating" it extends the brand's vitality, makes the work more accessible, and preserves fashion history. She hopes brands will consider designing for durability and establish resale, archive, or buyback mechanisms.

Fadahunsi calls the platform's community members "EFL Loopers"—they may be students looking for a special outfit, young professionals building a wardrobe, or entrepreneurs wanting to turn idle items into cash. In five years, her goal is for Eko Fashion Loop to become Africa's trusted curated fashion resale platform; her longer-term goal is more cultural: to make resale ordinary and to have consumers ask when buying, "What happens to it after I'm done with it?" In her view, owning should also mean stewardship.

Source: From wardrobe to marketplace, Yemisi Fadahunsi is giving every woman’s fashion a second life · Originally published on 2026-09-26