PEABODY — As Boye Asenuga tells it, her clothing brand ChicNiCity is a combination of her Nigerian heritage with contemporary styling reflective of her experiences living in the city.
Asenuga founded ChicNiCity in 2017, after working in fashion for two decades. She said she was inspired to start the company because of a perceived lack of African-inspired designs in fashion, and a desire to fuse her African roots with her life in Peabody.
“I just wanted something that represented me,” she said. “Fashion is another way to introduce your culture to other people, so that inspired me. I just wanted pieces I could wear day in, day out as a modern woman living in the U.S., but still had my heritage fused into it.”
Asenuga’s fashion career began while she was a college student in Nigeria studying law, before eventually making fashion her full-time career. When she moved to the U.S., she decided to go back to school and bolster her “skill and knowledge.” She attended the School of Fashion Design in Boston, before going to the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, where she studied product development.
Most of the designs Asenuga crafts feature bright, bold colors and intricate patterns. Asenuga explained that she outsources manufacturing to a company in India, but places an emphasis on quality materials that can hold up to the demands of living in New England. ChicNiCity uses what Asenuga called “trans-seasonal” fabric that makes its clothes “very modern.”
Asenuga said ChicNiCity has garnered positive reactions not just from those with African roots like her, but also from people who don’t know the inspiration behind her designs, giving the brand a broad appeal.
“Our best seller, The Abby Dress, is worn by women all over the world, from the U.K. to Dubai to Singapore,” she said. “African-descent or not, we’ve gotten a fantastic reception to the pieces.”
Asenuga said that in addition to providing quality, she hopes her clothes can spark a conversation about the prints and designs, hopefully bringing more attention to African culture.
ChicNiCity is set to appear on HSN for the second time later this week, on Sunday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Asenuga said the company’s first appearance earlier this month “went very well.”
“HSN as a company has been wonderful to a small business owner like me,” she said. “Every step along the process when I needed help they were very kind and gracious. I believe people connected with my story and my message.”
