08/04/2026
"I am Esther Sam, founder of Starcol Dynamics. We create Sirius Designs, a female fashion brand solving the lack of shape inclusivity in Nigeria's fashion industry, where most brands design primarily for the hourglass figure. This creates pressure on women to conform. We create well-fitted, stylish outfits that make every woman feel confident and seen, regardless of her body shape.
Our business operates through bespoke tailoring and ready-to-wear collections, generating revenue from custom orders and scalable product sales. Our target customers are fashion-conscious women seeking inclusive, flattering designs - an underserved but growing market.
We have served over 50 unique women, with an 89% customer retention rate and strong positive reviews, demonstrating clear demand and customer satisfaction. However, our ability to scale is limited by the lack of industrial finishing equipment.
With the right tools, we can increase production efficiency, maintain quality at scale, and meet rising demand, positioning us for expansion into wider markets through ready-to-wear distribution.
Sirius Designs contributes to economic growth by creating jobs and training young women in fashion skills, empowering them with sustainable income opportunities.
The grant will be used to purchase a four-thread weaving machine valued at 470,000 naira, with 10,000 naira allocated for logistics and 20,000 naira for branded packaging. This investment will improve finishing quality, increase production capacity, and enable us to scale our ready-to-wear collections effectively."
