A Master Tailor’s Golden Moment: Seyi Vodi at 50

By the time Seyi Adekunle, known to the fashion world as Seyi Vodi, stepped into his 50th birthday celebration, Abuja had already begun to shimmer in gold. It wasn’t just the fabrics, though there were plenty of those, nor the lights or laughter. It was the crowd that gathered not for a politician or oil baron, but for a man who built his empire with thread, needle, and relentless drive.

Vodi’s life story could stitch itself into a Nollywood plot. After failing a bank employment test in the early 2000s, he didn’t sulk. Instead, he sewed. Starting out by hemming shirts and boxers for his NYSC mates in Akwa Ibom, he leaned into the hum of the sewing machine with monastic focus.

No shop. No staff. Just skill, a go-bag of fabric, and a determination stitched tighter than the seams he crafted. Fast forward two decades, and Vodi Group stands as one of the most respected fashion conglomerates on the continent.

That legacy was on full display as Nigeria’s finest gathered to toast the man who turned tailoring into an art of influence. Senator Dino Melaye linked up with Seyi Tinubu; Prince Isaac Fayose mingled with governors. There was George Weah, and of course, Funke Akindele, glowing as ever. Even the usually stern-faced Chairman of the EFCC came, not to audit, but to applaud.

Before the glitter, though, there was grace. In the days leading up to the festivities, Vodi paid a visit to Bishop David Abioye, seeking blessings as he often does. Those who know him well speak of his dedication, quiet prayer, and unwavering belief in divine timing. Style, for Vodi, is not just outerwear. It’s inner life.

At 50, the man who once stitched bedsheets into designer shirts now styles presidents, runs a fashion institute, and still credits his success to five values: God, resilience, hard work, consistency, and self-upgrade.