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Juliana Dede (right) costuming an artiste on set
By Damiete Braide
In Nollywood, where costumes often help define a character long before a single line is spoken, award-winning costume designer Juliana Dede has quietly built a reputation as one of the industry’s most influential creative voices.
For over 15 years, Dede has shaped the visual identity of some of Nigeria’s biggest productions, using fashion not just as decoration but as a powerful storytelling tool. Her work on acclaimed films such as Bling Lagosian and The Yard has earned her recognition for creating costumes that reveal character, emotion and social reality with remarkable detail.
Juliana Dede
Rather than simply dressing actors, Dede believes costumes give audiences their first introduction to a character.
“Costume is a language,” she said. “Before selecting a single garment, I study the character’s background, lifestyle, aspirations and emotional state.”
That philosophy guided her work on Bling Lagosian, the 2019 film directed by Bolanle Austen-Peters, which explored the glamorous but highly competitive lifestyle of Lagos’ wealthy elite. Every outfit, she explained, was carefully selected to communicate status, ambition and the pressure to maintain appearances.
“The wardrobe became a powerful tool for expressing the tension between appearance and reality,” she said. “We used luxurious fabrics, bold colours and carefully chosen accessories to show wealth and prestige, while also revealing the emotional burden that comes with trying to sustain a public image.”
Her approach was entirely different for The Yard, where realism took centre stage. Instead of glamour, the costumes reflected ordinary lives, using worn fabrics, subtle details and lived-in clothing to mirror the realities of the characters.
“The challenge was to make the costumes feel authentic while still supporting the story,” she explained. “It involved different sourcing methods, ageing techniques and close attention to realism.”
Dede said every project begins with a careful reading of the script to understand each character’s journey before a single costume is designed.
“I read the script carefully to know who the character is and what they go through,” she said. “Then I study the actor, their posture, body language and natural style, and create a look that feels real and meaningful.”
She also examines the character’s lifestyle, emotional changes and social background while studying the actor’s previous roles and physical appearance to ensure the costume fits both the story and the performer.
Research, she noted, remains the foundation of her work.
For Bling Lagosian, she immersed herself in Lagos high society, attending social events, observing fashion trends among the elite and studying luxury brands to understand the culture of visibility and status.
“I wanted the costumes to feel aspirational yet believable,” she said.
For The Yard, her research shifted to understanding everyday communities, observing how clothing changes over time and how people’s personal circumstances influence what they wear.
Beyond research, Dede believes early collaboration with actors is essential. She prefers meeting cast members during pre-production with mood boards and visual concepts already prepared.
“This helps us share ideas early, discuss comfort and emotional needs, and improve the costume in a way that supports the performance,” she explained.
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She described costume design as a process that combines historical research, cultural understanding, psychology and visual storytelling. Every fabric, texture and colour must support both the character and the narrative.
According to her, fabric choice can influence performance in subtle but important ways.
“Fabric can show power, weakness, status or spirituality,” she said. “When chosen well, it supports performance and storytelling.”
She recalled one production where historically accurate costumes limited actors’ movement. Rather than compromise authenticity, she redesigned the internal structure of the garments so performers could move comfortably while maintaining the original look.
Although actors sometimes question costume decisions, Dede said disagreements are usually resolved through collaboration.
“When issues come up, I listen and explain the meaning behind each design so that comfort and character truth are both respected,” she said.
She also acknowledged that actors often contribute valuable insights during costume fittings. She recalled working with actor Bucci Franklin, whose feedback reinforced the importance of creating costumes that connect emotionally as well as physically with performers.
According to Dede, costumes shape more than appearance. They influence posture, movement and confidence.
“Heavy clothes can slow movement and suggest authority, while fitted clothes can encourage confidence and upright posture,” she said. “There is a strong link between costume and confidence. When actors feel good in what they wear, they perform better.”
One of her most demanding assignments involved creating a costume progression that reflected a character’s emotional growth while maintaining continuity throughout the film. She achieved this through subtle adjustments in colour, fabric and garment structure.
Behind every finished costume, she revealed, lies extensive unseen work, including fittings, fabric testing, garment ageing, continuity checks and adjustments for lighting.
Reflecting on the evolution of costume design in Nollywood, Dede said the profession has become more collaborative and research-driven, supported by digital technology, improved tailoring techniques and modern materials.
She believes costumes also reveal a character’s hidden emotions. Through colour, the condition of clothing and small design details, audiences can sense fear, conflict, struggle or personal transformation. For characters hiding their true identities, she often designs costumes that function as visual disguises while leaving subtle hints of emotional tension.
Looking back, Dede described both Bling Lagosian and The Yard as important milestones in her career.
“Bling Lagosian reinforced the power of costume in shaping a film’s visual identity and taught me how wardrobe can communicate complex social themes. It pushed me to think bigger and pay attention to every detail,” she said.
“The Yard reminded me that authenticity is just as powerful as spectacle. It taught me the importance of listening closely to the story and allowing the characters’ realities to guide the design process.”
For the award-winning designer, the greatest lesson from both projects is that costume design is ultimately about storytelling.
“Whether I am creating a glamorous look for a high-society character or a simple everyday outfit, my responsibility is to serve the narrative and help bring the characters to life in a truthful and meaningful way,” she added.
