Introduction.

Before Nollywood actress Sunshine Rosman shined in the Bubblegum dress or the brand gained over 10,000 followers on social media, there had been years of blood, sweat, and hard work behind the brand Melira Fits that made it what it is today.

In this edition of Inspiring Entrepreneurs, Aderinsola Malomo sits down with the creative brain behind Melira: Opemipo Ikuemonisan, who talks about her coming-up story, how the brand has grown over the years, her dreams and aspirations, and, of course, how Bumpa has been a part of her business growth journey.

Behind the Seams

Hi, Opemipo. How are you doing?

I’m doing fine, thank you.

Great. Before we delve into Melira Fits and its amazing story, who is the person behind the brand?

My full name is Opemipo Ikuemonisan, and I am the founder of Melira Fits. I am just a 25-year-old, Gen Z woman who has always loved clothes and everything fashion.

Lovely. Tell us a little bit more about how Melira started.

I have always loved fashion and how a well-made dress can flatter or even transform the way a woman looks, but it was just a hobby at first.

Then, during the lockdown in 2020, I became totally obsessed with tailoring, so I started watching videos on YouTube and TikTok, practicing on my mum’s sewing machine, and even learning as an apprentice under a family friend.

I started posting my learning process on Twitter, WhatsApp, and Instagram, and people started asking me to create designs for them.

That’s how I started making pieces for friends, family, and classmates before I officially launched Melira in 2021.

Interesting. So, the demand you got from building in public made you start the brand officially?

Yes, you can say that.

Amazing. Did you always know you were going to end up doing fashion?

Not really. However, I’ve always been into arts and crafts, making things out of paper, cardboard, beads, crochet, etc.

It wasn’t until later that I took an interest in fashion, but the creativity was always there.

Nice. How did you choose the name Melira Fits, by the way?

(chuckles) That one is a brand secret. I’m not sharing.

The Early Days for Melira

Every business has a starting point, and experiences ups and downs, so did Melira.

What did the early days of Melira look like?

(Sighs) Early days had me sourcing materials locally, which I still do to a degree.

I’m talking about going to Aleshinloye Market in Ibadan, Yaba Market, Balogun Market, Oshodi Market etc in Lagos.

I started out in Ibadan, so my workspace was the small apartment I shared with my sister, which quickly became too small for the business.

Then I moved out and rented a small one-bed that housed me and three of my tailors then.

Wow. That must have been tight. How has the business expanded since then?

First off, I moved to Lagos and got more hands.

Now, we have different people doing specific things. Some people are responsible for cutting, some sewing, some sourcing materials etc.

A delivery company handles all my logistics, and orders no longer come from just referrals at this h point.

We get orders from Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and both within and outside Nigeria.

That’s impressive growth. Can you recall a defining moment that convinced you that you were on the right path, doing the right thing?

I’d say the turning point came earlier this year, in February, when we launched our first official collection.

The support was overwhelming. Orders were pouring in from different parts of the world, and it opened a major investment from my current business partner, who had always supported my fashion journey but decided to scale with the brand at the time.

Everything around the launch felt really validating, because that collection had been years in the making, and it felt like the brand was finally being seen.

Growth, One Dress At A Time

Running a business isn’t just about sales; it also challenges you as a person and a business owner.

How has doing business stretched you or made you grow as a person?

Seeeeeeee. Doing business made me realize that I wasn’t the easiest person to work with, and I used to shout in the beginning when I got frustrated.

I’ve become a more patient person, boss, and partner because of business.

I’m kinder now, better at communication, and more receptive to receiving help, which has also helped me understand customers better.

I have better insight into the preferences of customers, what wholesalers like, what designs would potentially perform better, and much more.

What challenge shocked you the most about running a business in Nigeria?

It’s hard to pick just one challenge because they are plenty and they affect the business in different ways.

For example, on staffing, you want to find people who are good and also want to stay.

Fabric sourcing is another problem. Sometimes we can’t restock or launch a great design because the fabric isn’t available anymore, which turns some customers away.

On top of that, our made-to-order model slowed us down. We're now shifting to ready-to-wear so we can save time, serve customers faster, and run more efficiently.

Looking back at where you started, how has your business grown now?

In the beginning, I wasn’t really making money. I was barely surviving.

The fact that our selling prices were also ridiculously low did not help. For example, we could make up to N4 million in revenue but get little to no profit. In fact, I would still borrow to buy equipment.

However, we have improved our processes, pricing, and more.

This year is still our best year yet, and in one month we made up to ₦15 million. Although a lot of this is still going back into the business for set up, expansion, equipment, and other things.

Let's Talk About Melira and Bumpa.

That’s amazing. Speaking of growth, has Bumpa had any part to play in this?

Yes, Bumpa has played a huge part in our growth.

For example, if we didn’t have our Bumpa website by the time we blew up on Twitter, we would not have been able to manage the volume of orders we got at the time.

Using Bumpa allows customers to place orders instantly, without waiting hours for a reply, which can often lead to a loss in sales.

It also helps us track what products or sizes sell faster, how many people visit our site, and gives insight we’d never be able to manage manually.

Need a Bumpa website? Click here

Love to hear it. Are there new challenges that have come with this new level of growth you have achieved?

Right now, our biggest challenge is shipping because our new designs are more delicate. The way delivery companies handle deliveries sometimes means the outfits may get to the customer rumpled, which isn’t great.

Shipping to international customers can also be a problem with clearing, timeline extensions, and so much more.

Then there’s the cost and stress of running everything — production, logistics, even marketing.

So at this stage, the real challenge is finding a rhythm where every part of the business functions together and we are figuring it out.

Based on what you know now, would you have done anything differently when you started your business?

I would have started thinking of optimising what the process of managing the business is for me.

So, for example, I would’ve stocked up on fabric more before launching collections or pieces, so that I wouldn't have stressed myself so much.

To the Next Fashion Entrepreneur

The best lessons come from the battle-tested experiences of others who have been there and done that.

What is the best business advice you’ve ever received to date?

The most impactful advice I’ve received came from ‘Andrea Iyamah’ at an International Women’s Day seminar I attended, where she emphasised the importance of setting up systems that work for my business.

Now, I prioritize structure in every area: sizing, tailoring, marketing, even customer care. It’s helped me stop trying to do everything alone and made things run smoother overall.

That’s profound. Let’s talk about the future. What are your big dreams for Melira?

My biggest dream? It’s simple.

I want to get to a point where I don’t have to open my eyes before 10 a.m., and the business is running smoothly without me.

I want to have peace of mind to think bigger, expand into new markets, and build Melira into something much bigger than just making clothes.

What advice would you give to a fellow entrepreneur just starting out in the fashion business?

You first have to be sure this is what you really want to do and be OBSESSED.

Understand and study the industry you want to enter as well, then practice, test, and be consumed with what you really want to do.

If you could describe Bumpa to an entrepreneur who has never used it before, what would you say?

I’ll just tell them that if you want your life to be easier as a business owner, if you want orderliness, accountability, or be able to track orders, you need to use Bumpa.

One thing I especially like about Bumpa is that it works well as a terminal.

It's like a customer coming into your shop and saying, "I want this and that," and you just get to record and process it directly on Bumpa.

Bumpa reduces stress and anxiety for business owners, honestly.

Want to start doing business the stress-free way? Click here to get started.

Where can people find Melira?

You can find us on our website, Instagram, TikTok, or Twitter.

We’re planning pop-ups and fashion shows as the year wraps up, so keep an eye out.

Nice. Thank you so much for your time, Melira. Wishing you the very best in business growth.

Thank you very much.

Conclusion.

It’s always inspiring to sit down with businesses like Melira Fits, who are changing what fashion looks like for Gen Zs and Millennials, one BubbleGum or Nova dress at a time.

This is the Bumpa success story and one of the things we are proudest of: being able to support inspiring entrepreneurs like Melira on their business journey.

Want to join other businesses like Melira and use Bumpa for your business growth? Click here to create your account & get started.

If you already use Bumpa and want to feature in our Inspiring Entrepreneur Series, please click here.