Meet Swazzi, stylist behind Tems styling for Raindance music video with Dave

When the visuals for Raindance, Tems’ collaboration with UK rapper Dave, began making the rounds, the styling stood out for its clean, understated and confident. Behind that calm finish was a tight, almost frantic process led by stylist Swazzi, who joined the project just a day before filming.

Swazzi said he was contacted by the team less than 24 hours to the shoot and initially doubted the call was real.

“A day before the shoot, I was contacted and told they wanted me to style Tems,” he said. “At first, I thought it was a prank, but they asked if I was available. I said yes immediately.”

Once terms were agreed, he was added to the production group chat, where the mood board for the video was shared. With little time to overthink, he focused on a clear direction.

“I wanted something sleek and simple,” he said. “I also wanted her in Nigerian designers not costumes or just custom pieces, but real runway looks from collections.”

What followed was a long, sleepless night. Swazzi reached out to designers across Lagos, pulling pieces wherever he could. Some of the outfits were not in Tems’ size, but designers worked through the night to make adjustments and deliver by morning.

“I couldn’t sleep,” he said. “ I pulled pieces from every designer I know, even designers who didn’t have her size were able to alter pieces overnight and deliver them the next morning.”

By the morning of the shoot, the pressure had not eased. While the crew waited at the jetty for the boat to take them to set, deliveries were still coming in. In all, Swazzi had about 10 hours to put everything together, with no fittings and no prior previews.

Tems had already identified some Nigerian designers whose pieces she wanted for the video, but not all were available. Swazzi sourced what he could, unsure how she would respond seeing the outfits for the first time on set.

“That was where the panic came from,” he admitted. “She hadn’t seen them before.”

The fear, however, quickly disappeared.

“When she saw the pieces, she loved them, and everything fit perfectly,” he said.

Swazzi also worked closely with Dave’s team, sharing outfit options for approval, while assistant director Danmbo encouraged him to push for the best possible outcome.

“It really showed how teamwork works on a project like this,” he said.

Even after the shoot wrapped, the experience took time to sink in.

“It didn’t feel real until I saw the video on TV,” he said.

For Swazzi, Raindance marked a major moment in his career styling Grammy Award-winning Tems for a global release alongside Dave.

“It felt like a dream come true,” he said.

Looking ahead, he says the project has strengthened his resolve to keep pushing African designers onto global platforms, while also working with emerging designers across Europe and beyond.

“I’m excited about what’s next,” he said. “This is just the beginning.”