Cynthia Asije

Cynthia Asije is a multi-award-winning textile designer and Creative Director of The Adirelounge, a hand-dyed textile company that creates unique designs on non-conventional fabrics like chiffon, t-shirts, scarves, and silk. The organization also trains rural women, widows, and vulnerable and out-of-school youth in Adire textile skills.

She holds a bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Benin. Following this, she worked in a financial institution for two years. Cynthia also has a Certificate in Entrepreneurship from the prestigious Fate Foundation and Enterprise Development Center in Lagos. In 2016 she was part of the Heineken Lagos Fashion and Design Week Campaign “Connecting the Dots”. She has also won awards like the ACE Award for “The Best Indigenous Textile Designer” and Fashion Finest Indigenous Fabric Maker of the Year 2018.

She was recognized on the 2018 Ynaija Power List for Fashion and Style and 100 Africa’s Next Start-Up by the International Finance Corporation-World Bank Group. She was part of the Diamond Bank BET 6 Building Entrepreneurs. She is also an AYADA LAB Fellow and a 2019 Tony Elumelu Foundation Fellow. She is a La French Tech Founder Awardee, 2021 AWIEF Creative Industry Award, and 2023 Top 100 Women in Social Enterprise in Europe Awardee.