Ruth Erikan James (born 9 June 1995) popularly known as Veekee James is Nigerian

fashion designer Fashion design is the Art (skill), art of applied arts, applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction, and natural beauty to clothing and its Fashion accessory, accessories. It is influenced by diverse cultures and different trends and has va ...

gospel singer Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music vary according to culture and social context. Gospel music is compos ...

and

entrepreneur Entrepreneurship is the creation or extraction of economic value in ways that generally entail beyond the minimal amount of risk (assumed by a traditional business), and potentially involving values besides simply economic ones. An entreprene ...

. She is the founder of Veekee James, a fashion brand and also the convener of Zion Warship, a monthly gospel concert. In 2021, she was the recipient of the

AMVCA The ''Africa Magic Viewers' Choice Awards'' (AMVCA) are a set of accolades presented by MultiChoice recognizing outstanding achievement in television and film across Africa,, through an annual ceremony hosted in the Exhibition Center of the Eko ...

for best designer of the year. In May 2023, she debuted her first single "Nothing Less".

Early life and education

Ruth Erikan James was born on 9 June 1995 in

Nsit Atai Nsit Atai Local government area was created in the year 1996 with its capital at Odot by the government of Gen. Sani Abacha. It has an area of out of an about 17,000 square kilometers, with 62 villages. Location Nsit Atai is located in south ea ...

Akwa Ibom State Akwa Ibom is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South, South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. It borders Cross River State to the east, Rivers State and Abia State to the west and north-west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south. The state ...

where she also hails from. She was born into the family of Mr Augustine James and Mrs Esther James as the only daughter among two brothers. Her father was an architect, while her mother owned a tailoring outlet. She lost her father when she was almost five years old, making her mother the sole breadwinner of the family. While she was still an infant, her family relocated to

Ajegunle Ajegunle, popularly known as "AJ City" or simply "AJ", is a neighbourhood located in the heart of Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria. It is located in the Ajeromi-Ifelodun Local government areas of Nigeria, local government area of Lagos. Ajegunle in ...

Lagos State Lagos State (, ) is a States of Nigeria, state in South West, Nigeria. Of the 36 States of Nigeria, Nigerian states, Lagos is the second List of Nigerian states by population, most populous state but the List of Nigerian states by area, smallest ...

, where she also spent most of her childhood, alongside her two brothers, and also acquired her primary and secondary education there. In 2015, she got into the

University of Uyo The University of Uyo is located in Uyo, the capital of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The university was formerly known as the University of Cross River State. On 1 October 1991, the Federal government of Nigeria established it as a Federal Univer ...

to pursue a degree in

Biochemistry Biochemistry, or biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology, a ...

but left to pursue her passion.

Career

Veekee James started learning how to make clothes when she was still a child from her mother, Esther James. In 2019, she was inspired by her mother to start her own fashion brand "Veekee James . She first started her brand by opening a fashion outlet on the

Lagos Mainland Lagos Mainland Local Government is a local government area in the Lagos Division of Lagos State, Nigeria. It is located in central Lagos and has its headquarters at Ebute Metta. Lagos Mainland Local Government is one of the most densely popula ...

, but later relocated to the

Lagos Island Lagos Island () is the principal and central Local government areas of Nigeria, Local Government Area (LGA) in Lagos, Nigeria. It was the capital of Lagos State until 1957. It is part of the Lagos Division. As of the preliminary 2006 Nigerian ce ...

, in search for more opportunities. With time, she founded Veekee James Man, a fashion brand for men's wears and Shoprikan, for women. In 2022, she won the

and the Hercomony Awards as the Best Fashion Designer of the year. In 2023, she won three awards including the Future Awards Africa. In February 2023, she organized her first masterclass that helped over 100 fashion creatives from different countries develop their skills. In March 2023, she launched her podcast ‘''Bible Stories With Veekee James’.''

Discography

Singles

* ''Olugbeja'' (2023) * ''Nothing Less'' (2023)

Awards and recognition

Personal life

In October 2023, Veekee James announced her marriage to Femi Atere on social media. In February 2024, they had their traditional wedding in

, and a vintage-themed white wedding ceremony in

Lagos Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...