[3] She said part of her interest in returning to Nigeria then, right before the nation got its independence, was "to provide jobs for people and tackle unemployment" [8] At the beginning, she had a hard time convincing Nigerians to buy local fabrics and design, because people felt that British culture was better.
[9] Throughout the sixties, her Shadé's Boutique, and clothing shops in Lagos became the go-to place for Nigerian-made outfits of different styles.
[5] Some of them include Abah Folawiyo, Betti O, Folorunsho Alakija, and Nike Okundaye, who all have had great impact on Nigerian fashion.
[10][5] Thomas-Fahm specialized in the use of locally woven and dyed textiles to make modern contemporary styles that became known in Nigeria and around the world.
[11] She transformed iro and buba into a wrapper skirt;[12] and the creation of the 'ajuba now popularly known as the 'boubou' form men's agbada.