Demilade Fasoranti is a designer and aspiring architect based in Washington, D.C., with a focus on culturally responsive and interdisciplinary design.
Originally from Ondo State, Nigeria, her creative perspective is shaped by both Yoruba and Ondo subcultures. These roots laid the foundation for Lisiida, her emerging studio where design becomes a medium for cultural sustainability; preserving, evolving, and exploring the relevance of cultural narratives through space, material, and form.
Demilade’s early interest in the built environment was sparked by hands-on experiences; From crafting clay structures with her father to observing local construction sites as a child. Her academic journey led her to Howard University, –— an institution renowned for its commitment to social justice and ethical leadership. There, she earned a Master’s in Architecture, and deepened her understanding of the power of design as a tool for healing, storytelling, and transformation.
Her award-winning thesis examined the entangled relationship between colonization, tribalism, and brain drain in Nigeria — a reflection of her enduring interest in the systems that shape postcolonial life.
Studio Lisiida was born from this layered experience. It is not just about fashion or architecture, but about continuous exploration (Sawari)preservation, intentional collaboration, and design-led cultural expression, all in pursuit of a better, more self-defined Nigeria and Africa.
