Fashion Offscript

As a continuation of the conversation with Khadija Dikko on structuring Nigeria’s artisanal production, this episode of Fashion Offscript focuses on her personal journey. She discusses her evolving practice from aspiring textile designer to in-house designer to her ambition to start a textile design brand, and how demands from brands have accelerated this transition.Khadija also reflects on the significance of this moment in time for the fashion and textile industry in Nigeria. In a world where sustainability is the buzzword, the collapse of the textile industries in the 80s and 90s presents the industry with a clean slate to build systems that work and are future-proof by bringing artisans into the process of structuring the industry from the beginning. We also explore the complex history of ankara (African prints) in Nigeria, particularly how it’s deeply embedded in Northern Nigerian culture yet industrially detached, raising questions of ownership and affordability. Finally, our conversation extended to her thoughts on textile experimentation in the fashion industry, including designers whose ideas are expanding what has typically been created using traditional textiles. To keep up with her work, you can find her on Instagram: @wovenbykhadija.This conversation was recorded on December 13, 2025.

For our first episode of Fashion Offscript, we’re in conversation with textile designer Khadija Dikko. Together, we discuss her experience working in Nigeria's fashion industry, building structures that facilitate knowledge exchange and support, and respecting the role of artisans as an in-house textile designer, and how Nigeria can learn from India to structure our largely artisanal textile industry. Finally, she shared how knowledge exchange works between artisans in Northern Nigeria and Lagos fashion house — THIS IS US NG, and some ideas on how we should be thinking of textile innovation in Nigeria. To keep up with her work, you can find her on Instagram: @wovenbykhadija. This conversation was recorded on December 13, 2025.