World Entrepreneur Day, celebrated every 21st of August, highlights the global impact of entrepreneurs. In Africa alone, there are over 245 million businesses, many of which enrich communities far beyond their borders.
Ramatallahi Abubakar, a Nigerian-born fashion designer who now lives in Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK, is among one of them. With a mission to create beautiful outfits and make women feel confident through what they wear, the mother of one decided to become an entrepreneur and founded Ramatporsche Design.
“I realised early on that fashion was my calling — it allows me to tell stories through fabric,” Ramatallahi says. “I use bold colours, intricate lace, and flowing silhouettes inspired by African culture, but I merge them with modern, minimalist touches.”
Her first foray into designing was during her time studying Medical Science at Kwara State University when she made her department’s lab coats. In 2020 she was named Student Fashion Designer of the Year, and by 2021 she was showcasing her work at the Kwara Tradefair.
The fashion designer balances running her business with caring for her daughter and running sewing courses in Bradford in the UK – where she now calls home.
But while creating and designing is Ramatallahi’s passion, she found there are lots of other things to consider when making and selling. “The challenge is balancing creativity with the business side,” she says, “especially managing costs and deadlines.”
She began searching online for affordable, good quality items such as sewing needles, pattern paper and a mannequin and found she could source everything she needed for her business from online marketplace Temu.
“My mannequin from Temu was a game-changer,” Ramatallahi says. “It saved me from constant back-and-forth fittings and allowed me to perfect designs much faster. The quality is outstanding — sturdy, durable, and perfect for fittings. I was so excited when it arrived that I dressed it in one of my gowns and shared photos with friends — they all wanted the link!”
She estimates shopping online saves her 40-50% compared to local stores, which makes her quality designs more accessible for her clients.
And she’s not alone: in a recent IPSOS survey commissioned by Temu, shoppers said they saved an average of 24%, and roughly 8 in 10 said the platform offered excellent or good value for money.
Beyond making a successful entrepreneur herself, Ramatallahi says she hopes to inspire others to start their own creative business.
Ramatallahi shares her skills through 12-week sewing classes where beginners learn to cut and sew outfits and often use tools and materials such as sketchbooks for planning and illustrating ideas.
Her advice this World Entrepreneur Day is simple: “Start with what you have, keep learning, and don’t wait for everything to be perfect before you begin,” she says. “The best part is seeing a client’s face light up when they wear something I’ve made: it’s priceless.”
