Autumn Adeigbo is continuing her growth momentum. For fall ’22, the designer, known for colorful and conversation-starting dresses and clogs, has added boots to her shoe assortment. Now, Adeigbo said her customer can dress head-to-toe in her popular matching prints, which now include a new geometric style.
“I think we’re going to have more success with cross-sectional dressing as we grow more into a global brand,” she added. “You’re seeing matching sunhats with apparel across the market. And I love to extend that to the shoe.”
In 2020, Adeigbo, then a one-woman show, secured $1.3 million of institutional investments. She made headlines as the first eponymous fashion brand led by a female, Black designer to raise more than $1 million in venture capital funding. Then, in September 2021, she secured additional funds of nearly $3 million, led by venture capital firm Offline Ventures, bringing her total investments to more than $4 million.
Since then, Adeigbo has grown her team and can be found in doors such as Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Shopbop, among others.
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For spring ’22, Nordstrom added Adeigbo’s shoe collection to its offering, featuring the brand’s popular platform clog styles. The retailer also expanded its order to include her boots for the upcoming fall season.
“We love the creativity and design of Autumn Adeigbo footwear, and our customers do, too. Clogs and embellishments are key trends for the season and her collection provides customers with new options to express themselves,” said Tacey Powers, Nordstrom EVP and GMM for shoes. “We’re excited to evolve our assortment to include apparel, along with the footwear, allowing our customers to shop the ‘world of Autumn Adiegbo,’ and we’re proud to amplify the voice of this Black-owned brand in our contemporary space.”
Ready-to-wear is Adeigbo’s main revenue driver, though shoes remain a passion for the designer and have been quickly gaining traction for the brand. For spring ’23, Adeigbo said she’s looking to add more evening-driven silhouettes to the footwear collection, for instance.
And next up, Adeigbo has her eyes set on opening her own store.
While consumers can find her collection online, the designer still believes in the traditional business model. Having her own physical location, on top of key wholesale accounts, would continue to tell the Autumn Adeigbo story, she said.
“It would be an extension of my life, my heritage, my team, my experiences,” Adeigbo explained. “When I’m personally getting dressed in my home, I have my headbands, my shoes, my dresses and it’s so emotional. I want my customer to be able to come into one place and do that. That is going to be a home run for us.”
