Tesslo is more than a fashion label. It is the story of craftsmanship, resilience, and reinvention – a design house that has evolved over two decades from a Lagos atelier to a US-based fashion house.
Founded in 2005 by designer Tessy Oliseh-Amaize, the brand began with a bold vision to elevate African aesthetics onto the global stage. Born into a family of footballers in Nigeria, Tessy took a different path, trading the field for the studio. After earning a fashion design degree at Middlesex University in London, she returned home to Lagos and launched Tesslo, quickly making her mark by winning Nigeria’s Best Fashion Designer Award at the prestigious Nigeria Fashion Show in 2006.
Recognition was only the beginning. From Lagos to Paris, from D.C. to Los Angeles, Tesslo’s work has been showcased on international runways and red carpets, celebrated for its fusion of African heritage, Western tailoring, and fearless experimentation.
Our Journey
The story of the Tesslo brand is incomplete without its journey across continents.
Nigeria, its birthplace, and a country of more than 250 ethnic nationalities with rich cultural traditions and heritage.
United Kingdom, where Tessy honed her craft, studying fashion product management at Middlesex University in London and graduating magna cum laude in 2005. At Middlesex, Tessy wrote her BA thesis on how music influences fashion.
United States, where a period of exile in New York City became a time of reinvention, blending grit and resilience at a very difficult time in the trajectory of the Tesslo brand.
This cross-continental journey has forged the Tesslo brand’s DNA: African at its core, global in outlook.
The Tesslo Aesthetic
The Tesslo brand stands for clothing that is timeless yet contemporary, sophisticated yet bold. It envisions the African designer as a global citizen and storyteller, designing pieces that carry cultural roots yet transcend borders.
The giraffe, Tesslo’s logo, embodies this ethos. Graceful, elegant, and quietly commanding, it mirrors the brand itself – confident, captivating, subtle, and effortlessly stylish.
It's so great to see what our past students are getting up to. Just look at these incredible designs by fashion alumni @TessyOliseh – she even designed her own wedding dress 😍 https://t.co/C5JAEfx6cn
— Middlesex University (@MiddlesexUni) March 15, 2019
Just Jackets
In 2025, Tesslo launched Just Jackets. At a time when fashion is saturated with fast trends and overpriced “luxury,” the house is focusing on “the jacket” reimagined with depth and purpose.
