About the Brand
About the Brand
About the Brand
Founded in April 2018 by Esther Okonta Onyebuchukwu, Estaz is a Nigerian fashion brand at the intersection of art, African identity, craftsmanship, and sustainability.
What began with a simple belief - that clothing should make a woman feel bold, confident, seen, and unforgettable - has evolved into a design philosophy rooted in transformation. Estaz creates bespoke couture and ready-to-wear pieces for women who embrace their individuality and are unafraid to occupy the spotlight.
At the heart of the brand is a commitment to reimagining what fashion can become. Estaz works with natural and biodegradable fibers such as jute and raffia, alongside discarded textiles and fabric waste, transforming overlooked materials through handweaving, reconstruction, braiding, and sculptural craftsmanship. Rather than treating sustainability as a limitation, Estaz uses it as a catalyst for material experimentation and artistic expression.
Estaz is a Nigerian sustainable brand founded in April 2018 by Esther Okonta Onyebuchukwu. At its core, Estaz is more than fashion — it is a movement that redefines elegance through sustainability, innovation, and cultural storytelling.
The brand celebrates the strength, confidence, and sensuality of women, creating bold silhouettes and timeless designs that empower them to stand unapologetically in their beauty. Beyond aesthetics, Estaz is committed to addressing fashion’s environmental footprint by championing eco-conscious practices — from using biodegradable fabrics such as jute and raffia, to reworking fabric waste into handwoven masterpieces that extend the life cycle of textiles.
Collections such as Mend of the Motherland, ReWoven, and Back to the Roots embody this philosophy - giving new life to discarded materials while celebrating African artisanal knowledge and contemporary couture. Each collection reflects Estaz's belief that sustainability can be desirable, expressive, and luxurious.
This vision has taken Estaz beyond Nigeria, with the brand showcasing its work on international platforms, including New York Fashion Week and Dallas Fashion Week, and most recently at Africa Fashion Up in Paris, where Estaz was awarded the Young Creation Prize in 2026. This recognition marks a significant milestone in the brand's journey and affirms its growing presence within the global African fashion landscape.
Today, Estaz is building a distinctive language for African fashion: bold in silhouette, rooted in culture, experimental in material, and intentional in purpose.
Through its work, Estaz seeks to prove that fashion can do more than adorn the body. It can empower women, preserve and evolve craft, transform materials, and carry African stories onto the global stage.
Collections such as Mend of the Motherland, ReWoven, and Back to the Roots embody this philosophy - giving new life to discarded materials while celebrating African artisanal knowledge and contemporary couture. Each collection reflects Estaz's belief that sustainability can be desirable, expressive, and luxurious.
This vision has taken Estaz beyond Nigeria, with the brand showcasing its work on international platforms, including New York Fashion Week and Dallas Fashion Week, and most recently at Africa Fashion Up in Paris, where Estaz was awarded the Young Creation Prize in 2026. This recognition marks a significant milestone in the brand's journey and affirms its growing presence within the global African fashion landscape.
Today, Estaz is building a distinctive language for African fashion: bold in silhouette, rooted in culture, experimental in material, and intentional in purpose.
Through its work, Estaz seeks to prove that fashion can do more than adorn the body. It can empower women, preserve and evolve craft, transform materials, and carry African stories onto the global stage.
Collections
Collections
Collections
Our Thought Process
Our Thought Process
Our Thought Process
Seeing Possibility Where Others See Waste
Seeing Possibility Where Others See Waste
Seeing Possibility Where Others See Waste
At Estaz, our creative process begins with a question: What if the materials we overlook are the very materials capable of creating something extraordinary?
Our approach to fashion is rooted in transformation. We believe that waste is not necessarily an ending—it can be the beginning of a new story.
We source fabric scraps from fashion businesses and discarded textiles sold in bales, materials often rejected because they are stained, fragile, irregular, or considered unsuitable for conventional production. Instead of seeing these imperfections as limitations, we see them as invitations to create differently.
Through handweaving, patching, braiding, reconstruction, and sculptural manipulation, we transform these overlooked materials into distinctive textiles and garments. The irregularities become part of the design language—the textures, contrasts, and imperfections creating pieces that could not have existed through conventional production.
We extend this philosophy to natural and biodegradable fibers such as jute and raffia, exploring how their raw character can be shaped into contemporary couture. Our craftsmanship allows the material to influence the silhouette, making the process as much about discovery as it is about design.
At Estaz, our creative process begins with a question: What if the materials we overlook are the very materials capable of creating something extraordinary?
Our approach to fashion is rooted in transformation. We believe that waste is not necessarily an ending—it can be the beginning of a new story.
We source fabric scraps from fashion businesses and discarded textiles sold in bales, materials often rejected because they are stained, fragile, irregular, or considered unsuitable for conventional production. Instead of seeing these imperfections as limitations, we see them as invitations to create differently.
Through handweaving, patching, braiding, reconstruction, and sculptural manipulation, we transform these overlooked materials into distinctive textiles and garments. The irregularities become part of the design language—the textures, contrasts, and imperfections creating pieces that could not have existed through conventional production.
We extend this philosophy to natural and biodegradable fibers such as jute and raffia, exploring how their raw character can be shaped into contemporary couture. Our craftsmanship allows the material to influence the silhouette, making the process as much about discovery as it is about design.
At Estaz, our creative process begins with a question: What if the materials we overlook are the very materials capable of creating something extraordinary?
Our approach to fashion is rooted in transformation. We believe that waste is not necessarily an ending—it can be the beginning of a new story.
We source fabric scraps from fashion businesses and discarded textiles sold in bales, materials often rejected because they are stained, fragile, irregular, or considered unsuitable for conventional production. Instead of seeing these imperfections as limitations, we see them as invitations to create differently.
Through handweaving, patching, braiding, reconstruction, and sculptural manipulation, we transform these overlooked materials into distinctive textiles and garments. The irregularities become part of the design language—the textures, contrasts, and imperfections creating pieces that could not have existed through conventional production.
We extend this philosophy to natural and biodegradable fibers such as jute and raffia, exploring how their raw character can be shaped into contemporary couture. Our craftsmanship allows the material to influence the silhouette, making the process as much about discovery as it is about design.
Even after a garment leaves our studio, its story can continue. Through our rental service, selected pieces are given the opportunity to be experienced by more than one woman, extending their useful life and allowing their stories to travel further.
For Estaz, sustainability is therefore not simply about choosing a different material. It is a way of thinking.
It is about questioning what is considered valuable, preserving the knowledge held in craftsmanship, and continuously finding new possibilities in what already exists.
We do more than reuse materials.
We reinterpret them.
We give them purpose.
We turn what was overlooked into art.
Even after a garment leaves our studio, its story can continue. Through our rental service, selected pieces are given the opportunity to be experienced by more than one woman, extending their useful life and allowing their stories to travel further.
For Estaz, sustainability is therefore not simply about choosing a different material. It is a way of thinking.
It is about questioning what is considered valuable, preserving the knowledge held in craftsmanship, and continuously finding new possibilities in what already exists.
We do more than reuse materials.
We reinterpret them.
We give them purpose.
We turn what was overlooked into art.
Even after a garment leaves our studio, its story can continue. Through our rental service, selected pieces are given the opportunity to be experienced by more than one woman, extending their useful life and allowing their stories to travel further.
For Estaz, sustainability is therefore not simply about choosing a different material. It is a way of thinking.
It is about questioning what is considered valuable, preserving the knowledge held in craftsmanship, and continuously finding new possibilities in what already exists.
We do more than reuse materials.
We reinterpret them.
We give them purpose.
We turn what was overlooked into art.
To lead a new era of African fashion where art, craftmanship, sustainability and innovation shape the future of global couture.
To lead a new era of African fashion where art, craftmanship, sustainability and innovation shape the future of global couture.
To lead a new era of African fashion where art, craftmanship, sustainability and innovation shape the future of global couture.
Our Vision
Our Vision
Our Vision
Our Mission
Our Mission
Our Mission
At Estaz, our mission is to create fashion that empowers women and gives materials, craftsmanship, and culture a renewed purpose.
We create bold, artistic couture that celebrates the strength, confidence, and individuality of women while challenging conventional ideas of luxury. Through the use of natural fibres such as jute and raffia, alongside discarded textiles reworked into handwoven surfaces, we transform overlooked materials into pieces of lasting artistic and functional value.
Our commitment to circularity extends beyond the materials we use. Through craftsmanship, thoughtful production, and our rental service, we seek to extend the life of garments and reduce the culture of single-use fashion.
We draw from African heritage while continuously experimenting with contemporary silhouettes, materials, and techniques—preserving craft not by keeping it unchanged, but by allowing it to evolve.
At Estaz, our mission is to create fashion that empowers women and gives materials, craftsmanship, and culture a renewed purpose.
We create bold, artistic couture that celebrates the strength, confidence, and individuality of women while challenging conventional ideas of luxury. Through the use of natural fibres such as jute and raffia, alongside discarded textiles reworked into handwoven surfaces, we transform overlooked materials into pieces of lasting artistic and functional value.
Our commitment to circularity extends beyond the materials we use. Through craftsmanship, thoughtful production, and our rental service, we seek to extend the life of garments and reduce the culture of single-use fashion.
We draw from African heritage while continuously experimenting with contemporary silhouettes, materials, and techniques—preserving craft not by keeping it unchanged, but by allowing it to evolve.
Everything we create is guided by one belief: Clothing should empower.
To make a woman feel bold.
To make her feel seen.
To make her feel unforgettable.
And to prove that luxury can be expressive, culturally rooted, and responsible—without compromising on beauty.
Everything we create is guided by one belief: Clothing should empower.
To make a woman feel bold.
To make her feel seen.
To make her feel unforgettable.
And to prove that luxury can be expressive, culturally rooted, and responsible—without compromising on beauty.
Long-Term Goal
Long-Term Goal
Long-Term Goal
Over the next decade, Estaz aims to become a globally recognised African fashion house redefining sustainable luxury through art, craftsmanship, and circular innovation.
We envision building a circular design system in which materials are valued beyond their first use, where discarded textiles can be transformed into new textiles and garments, pieces are designed for longevity, and rental, reuse, repair, and reinterpretation become integral to how fashion is experienced.
At the heart of this ambition is a desire to demonstrate that African creativity can shape the global conversation on the future of fashion, not simply participate in it.
Beyond the garments themselves, we want to build an ecosystem around responsible creation: working with and creating opportunities for local artisans, developing material innovation, preserving and evolving indigenous craft, and sharing knowledge that can strengthen Nigeria's creative economy.
Over the next decade, Estaz aims to become a globally recognised African fashion house redefining sustainable luxury through art, craftsmanship, and circular innovation.
We envision building a circular design system in which materials are valued beyond their first use, where discarded textiles can be transformed into new textiles and garments, pieces are designed for longevity, and rental, reuse, repair, and reinterpretation become integral to how fashion is experienced.
At the heart of this ambition is a desire to demonstrate that African creativity can shape the global conversation on the future of fashion, not simply participate in it.
Beyond the garments themselves, we want to build an ecosystem around responsible creation: working with and creating opportunities for local artisans, developing material innovation, preserving and evolving indigenous craft, and sharing knowledge that can strengthen Nigeria's creative economy.
Ultimately, Estaz wants to contribute to a more sustainable Nigeria by showing what becomes possible when creativity meets responsibility—where fashion can create economic opportunity, preserve cultural knowledge, empower women, and reduce its impact on the planet.
Our long-term ambition is not simply to make sustainable fashion. It is to help redefine what African luxury can mean in a circular future.
Ultimately, Estaz wants to contribute to a more sustainable Nigeria by showing what becomes possible when creativity meets responsibility—where fashion can create economic opportunity, preserve cultural knowledge, empower women, and reduce its impact on the planet.
Our long-term ambition is not simply to make sustainable fashion. It is to help redefine what African luxury can mean in a circular future.
Short-Term Goal
Short-Term Goal
Short-Term Goal
In the immediate future, Estaz aims to deepen and scale its practice of sustainable, circular fashion—developing collections that push the creative possibilities of biodegradable fibres, reworked textiles, and material experimentation while maintaining the artistic identity that defines the brand.
We are focused on strengthening our relationships with local artisans, textile suppliers, and fabric markets to create more intentional pathways for sourcing and transforming discarded materials. We also aim to expand our rental and reuse model, giving more garments a life beyond a single occasion.
At the same time, we are focused on increasing Estaz’s visibility within Africa and internationally through strategic runway showcases, industry partnerships, and fashion platforms that share our vision.
Our goal is to use this next phase to move from individual sustainable projects to a stronger, repeatable practice. One that demonstrates how African craftsmanship, material innovation, and contemporary couture can work together to create fashion with lasting value.
In the immediate future, Estaz aims to deepen and scale its practice of sustainable, circular fashion—developing collections that push the creative possibilities of biodegradable fibres, reworked textiles, and material experimentation while maintaining the artistic identity that defines the brand.
We are focused on strengthening our relationships with local artisans, textile suppliers, and fabric markets to create more intentional pathways for sourcing and transforming discarded materials. We also aim to expand our rental and reuse model, giving more garments a life beyond a single occasion.
At the same time, we are focused on increasing Estaz’s visibility within Africa and internationally through strategic runway showcases, industry partnerships, and fashion platforms that share our vision.
Our goal is to use this next phase to move from individual sustainable projects to a stronger, repeatable practice. One that demonstrates how African craftsmanship, material innovation, and contemporary couture can work together to create fashion with lasting value.
We see Lagos Fashion Week and the wider African fashion ecosystem as important platforms for sharing this work and contributing to a new generation of African luxury that is creative, responsible, and globally relevant.
We see Lagos Fashion Week and the wider African fashion ecosystem as important platforms for sharing this work and contributing to a new generation of African luxury that is creative, responsible, and globally relevant.
We see Lagos Fashion Week and the wider African fashion ecosystem as important platforms for sharing this work and contributing to a new generation of African luxury that is creative, responsible, and globally relevant.
Estaz in the Press
Estaz in the Press
Estaz has been featured across fashion, lifestyle, television, and digital media platforms in Nigeria and internationally. From its sustainable design practice and artistic collections to its international showcases and growing industry recognition, the brand continues to contribute to conversations around African fashion, craftsmanship, sustainability, and innovation.
Explore our press features and media highlights below.
Estaz has been featured across fashion, lifestyle, television, and digital media platforms in Nigeria and internationally. From its sustainable design practice and artistic collections to its international showcases and growing industry recognition, the brand continues to contribute to conversations around African fashion, craftsmanship, sustainability, and innovation.
Explore our press features and media highlights below.
About The Founder
About The Founder
About The Founder
Esther Okonta Onyebuchukwu is a Nigerian fashion designer, creative director, and founder of Estaz, a sustainable fashion brand exploring the intersection of African identity, artistic expression, craftsmanship, and circular design.
A graduate of Petroleum and Gas Engineering from the University of Lagos, Esther's creative practice is shaped by an unusual intersection of engineering and fashion. Her awareness of the environmental impact of industrial production led her to question how fashion could be created differently—ultimately becoming a driving force behind Estaz's exploration of textile waste, natural fibres, and material innovation.
Since founding Estaz in 2018, Esther has developed a distinctive design language characterised by bold silhouettes, sculptural forms, cultural storytelling, and experimental craftsmanship. Through collections including ReWoven, Back to the Roots, and Mend of the Motherland, she has explored how discarded textiles, jute, raffia, and other materials can be transformed into contemporary couture.
Esther Okonta Onyebuchukwu is a Nigerian fashion designer, creative director, and founder of Estaz, a sustainable fashion brand exploring the intersection of African identity, artistic expression, craftsmanship, and circular design.
A graduate of Petroleum and Gas Engineering from the University of Lagos, Esther's creative practice is shaped by an unusual intersection of engineering and fashion. Her awareness of the environmental impact of industrial production led her to question how fashion could be created differently—ultimately becoming a driving force behind Estaz's exploration of textile waste, natural fibres, and material innovation.
Since founding Estaz in 2018, Esther has developed a distinctive design language characterised by bold silhouettes, sculptural forms, cultural storytelling, and experimental craftsmanship. Through collections including ReWoven, Back to the Roots, and Mend of the Motherland, she has explored how discarded textiles, jute, raffia, and other materials can be transformed into contemporary couture.
Her work has earned recognition both in Nigeria and internationally. Esther is a winner of the Stanbic IBTC FUZE Talent Show, Showmax Original Style Magnate, and the inaugural Barefashion Evening runway show. She was a Top 5 finalist at Designshark International 2022 and has showcased her work across platforms, including New York Fashion Week, Dallas Fashion Week, Miss Universe Nigeria, Nigerian Student Fashion and Design Week, Reroll Station Lab in Abuja and London, and African Fashion Up 2026 in Paris Fashion week.
In 2026, Esther and Estaz received the Young Creation Prize at Africa Fashion Up in Paris, marking another significant step in the brand's international journey.
Beyond designing, Esther has served as a judge at Miss Universe Nigeria 2025 and Miss Motherland Nigeria 2025, and has appeared as a guest on Silverbird television programmes, contributing her perspective to conversations around fashion and creativity in Nigeria.
Today, Esther is building Estaz into a globally relevant African fashion house where sustainability is not a limitation but a catalyst for creativity. Her ambition is to demonstrate that African fashion can lead conversations around responsible production, cultural preservation, material innovation, and the future of luxury.
Her work is ultimately guided by one belief: clothing should empower.
Her work has earned recognition both in Nigeria and internationally. Esther is a winner of the Stanbic IBTC FUZE Talent Show, Showmax Original Style Magnate, and the inaugural Barefashion Evening runway show. She was a Top 5 finalist at Designshark International 2022 and has showcased her work across platforms, including New York Fashion Week, Dallas Fashion Week, Miss Universe Nigeria, Nigerian Student Fashion and Design Week, Reroll Station Lab in Abuja and London, and African Fashion Up 2026 in Paris Fashion week.
In 2026, Esther and Estaz received the Young Creation Prize at Africa Fashion Up in Paris, marking another significant step in the brand's international journey.
Beyond designing, Esther has served as a judge at Miss Universe Nigeria 2025 and Miss Motherland Nigeria 2025, and has appeared as a guest on Silverbird television programmes, contributing her perspective to conversations around fashion and creativity in Nigeria.
Today, Esther is building Estaz into a globally relevant African fashion house where sustainability is not a limitation but a catalyst for creativity. Her ambition is to demonstrate that African fashion can lead conversations around responsible production, cultural preservation, material innovation, and the future of luxury.
Her work is ultimately guided by one belief: clothing should empower.
