The brand name – Tubo is fast becoming the go to fashion brand whether or not the occasion calls for it . The designer behind the brand – Sandrah Tubobereni aka Tubo , is one designer who has successfully been able to deliver a rare mix of femininity, Fragility and the Strength of a Woman to produce fashion a magical piece just like the godmother in the fairytale – Cinderella.
The multi-award-winning and internationally acclaimed fashion designer is best known for her creativity and impact on the traditional African bridal design. Through her designs, Sandrah engages the senses in an appealing mind boggling conversation via her innovative ideas in fashion with her style of distinct silhouettes and chic prêt-à-porter fashion designs .
Tubobereni started her journey into the Nigerian fashion scene in November 2014, after switching careers Business Development and Finance to Fashion. TUBO is a brand that Sandrah Tubobereni built organically, from her bedroom in Dolphin estate, Lagos, with very little to no funds to start with, but just a passion and vision in showcasing the TUBO Woman.
Today, like the proverbial “created monster ” , the Tubo woman is unapologetic about her fashion choices , she is in a different class of her own – bold, sexy and empowered with a penchant for beautiful garments that celebrate her feminine more than just aesthetics but also with grace and class – just like Cinderella , only you actually get to keep your outfit- with No time bounds . Her client list boasts of highly placed women to the aspirational who would mind stretch their budget a little more just to buy a few more worthy stares and compliments. From being one of the official fashion designers of Olori Atuwatse III to Rita Dominic , Toke Makinwa to mention a few , each Tubo piece always seem to encapsulate our rich culture , bold colours, textures, signature construction and details in every designs.
According to Sandrah ,….”Tubo is the prefix of my surname “TUBOBERENI. I am Ijaw, from Portharcourt local government in Rivers state. I wanted a short traditional name so Tubo was just perfect knowing that I’ll give up my surname someday, I thought the best way to keep it forever was to use it as my business name….”
She literally started sewing and designing as a child, as she put it …” when I was in primary school. I made my primary school uniforms myself. I cannot even say what age exactly because I grew up in it. My mum was a seamstress in a little shop in Portharcourt where I grew up. She’ll ask me to make my uniforms myself or go and get flogged in school, trust me she wasn’t just threatening, I had to learn how to sew for myself. I knew how to use every machine there. So while in secondary school I took school uniforms and day wear orders from my mates in my dormitory and I was getting paid. By the time I got to university, I was not just a designer but a hair stylist and a makeup artist as well. When I left to go study MBA Global Financial Services in Coventry, UK, I couldn’t make dresses in England, I even tried to change my course to Global Fashion but it was very difficult. However my school let me go on fashion trips with the fashion students at extra cost and I also had to work as a financial consultant in a fashion company, Ecoluxe, London where I served as an intern, giving me the opportunity to network and see the fashion business from a global perspective.
After graduation, she came back home. Rather than struggle with the family business , she went with Moofa ( a renowned fashion designer ) to fashion week in Ghana . Ever since that trip, she never looked back . Tubo , finally bought her first sewing machine when a friend asked me to be her Maid of Honour and the cost of making my dress was more than two sewing machines. Thereafter she turned the apartment into a nice studio.
As Sandrah puts it “….Fashion happened for me full time when I realized I was wasting my time in the corporate world and I wasn’t fulfilling my purpose. To me it’s beyond sketching and stitching pieces of fabrics together, it’s about touching the lives of women I come in contact with, chasing my passion and changing the world starting from my little workforce, clients, vendors, etc. and the corporate world was restricting me from doing that….”
Creating a cohesive brand , she birthed the anti-fictitious womenswear label. This sophisticated brand has received a lot of accolades and carved the brand’s unique space in the Global Fashion industry as it was sought after at home and abroad
