Patience Torlowei | |
|---|---|
 Patience Torlowei in 2019 | |
| Born | Patience Etipou Torlowei (1964-07-24)24 July 1964 (age 60) Enugu,Enugu State, Nigeria |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Known for | Textile Artist, Fashion Designer |
| Website | patiencetorlowei |
Patience Torlowei (born 24 July 1964) is a Nigerian fashion designer. She is the creator of the "Esther Dress", the first piece of couture ever to join theSmithsonian Institution'sNational Museum of African Art's permanent collection.
Born inEnugu toIjaw parents, Torlowei graduated from the Textile Arts and Technology faculty at theYaba College of Technology. She moved to Belgium in 1989. As a fashion designer she has worked to create bridal clothes andlingerie as well as ready-to-wear attire.[1] She founded her first fashion line, Patience Torlowei BVBA, in 2006.[2]
A dress designed by Torlowei,Esther, is currently owned by theNational Museum of African Art (NMAA) inWashington, D.C.; it is the first piece ofhaute couture to enter the museum collection. It depicts scenes of oil and diamond extraction and of war, and is made of a variety of materials including gold fabric.[3][2] The piece had been previously featured in a fashion show at the museum in 2014.[4] Torlowei was included in the 2019 show "I Am… ContemporaryWomen Artists of Africa" at the NMAA.[3]