Maryam Turaki

Photographer

Fashioning a Business

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Location: Abuja

Nationality: Nigerian

Biography: Maryam Turaki (b. 1991) is a documentary photographer based in Abuja, Nigeria, driven by a passion for humanity and life. She focuses on humanitarian, cultural, social stories, education, and human rights issues in Africa. She... MORE

Motapwa Ismaila-Azinge, looks o...ere she runs her business from.

Motapwa Ismaila-Azinge, looks on in the distance while two of her employees Ella and Anna-Paul work on a dress. Motapwa has repurposed her garage into a store where she runs her business from.

Motapwa’s store has p...s Anna-Paul, Ella and Seyilnen.

Motapwa’s store has playful energy and she is very spontaneous with her jokes and her employees Anna-Paul, Ella and Seyilnen.

Paying attention to color detai...he process in creating a dress.

Paying attention to color detail and comparing which works best is an important part of the process in creating a dress.

An employee Anna-Paul sews piec...f the pieces that make a dress.

An employee Anna-Paul sews pieces of fabric together. Motapwa’s employees do the sewing of the pieces that make a dress.

A lot of the measuring, design,... employees to be sewn together.

A lot of the measuring, design, and cutting for a dress is done by Motapwa, before she passes the pieces on to her employees to be sewn together.

Being a mother and fashion desi...becoming a part of the process.

Being a mother and fashion designer means sometimes taking measurements in your home, your children and family becoming a part of the process.

Having multiple customers means...nt files to find the right one.

Having multiple customers means needing to filter through several measurement files to find the right one.

A sketchbook filled with dress ... not an exception to that rule.

A sketchbook filled with dress designs is a requirement for any fashion designer; Motapwa is definitely not an exception to that rule.

Motherhood for Motapwa means sh...her son Tauren while she works.

Motherhood for Motapwa means she sometimes shares a laugh and a hug with her son Tauren while she works.

Colorful fabrics stores are one...rything needed to make a dress.

Colorful fabrics stores are one of the many stops Motapwa makes when in the market shopping for everything needed to make a dress.

Accessories are a very importan...and color is an acquired skill.

Accessories are a very important detail for making a beautiful Motapwa design. Finding the right type and color is an acquired skill.

Chike Azinge, Motapwa&rsquo...azing father to their two kids.

Chike Azinge, Motapwa’s husband, is not only a supportive spouse but an amazing father to their two kids.

Motapwa accepts all the help sh...es breaks to feed baby Arielle.

Motapwa accepts all the help she can get from her mother-in-law, who babysits her five-week-old baby girl Arielle. Motapwa takes breaks to feed baby Arielle.

After a long day, Motapwa dozes off while holding baby Arielle.

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Public Story

Fashioning a Business

Copyright Maryam Turaki 2024

Date of Work Sep 2021 - Sep 2021

Updated Jul 2023

Location Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria

Topics Documentary, Editorial, Journalism, Photography, Photojournalism

Summary

Motapwa Ismaila-Azinge, a mother and fashion designer, loved to create elaborate dresses when she was young. She has since built a business around that hobby — sharing her fashion sense with Nigerian women for weddings, church and everyday wear.