A 27-year-old Nigerian fashion designer and tailoring student, Samuel Chinecherem Ezeh, says he has set a Guinness World Record after stitching a robe whose sleeves stretch an extraordinary 51.20 metres (167.97 ft). For scale, that’s longer than the Statue of Liberty is tall (46.5 m) and even outpaces an Olympic-size pool (50 m).
Samuel Chinecherem Ezeh breaks the Guinness World Record
Samuel Chinecherem Ezeh breaks the Guinness World Record
Ezeh—who studies at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University—cut, designed, and sewed the piece in under four hours during a February 2024 attempt, but the sprint became a slog when two sewing-machine needles snapped in quick succession. “At one point I felt like crying,” he admitted later. With help from a supervisor, fresh needles and a quick reinstallation, he got the machine humming again.
Samuel Chinecherem Ezeh breaks the Guinness World Record
Samuel Chinecherem Ezeh breaks the Guinness World Record
Financing the project proved just as tricky. After sponsorships fell through, Ezeh covered about 70% of the costs himself. The robe used 62 yards of fabric—around two yards for the body and 60 yards dedicated to those outlandish sleeves—in a patterned material he sourced specifically for the feat.
The Anambra-based creative began learning the craft as a secondary-school apprentice and launched his label, Eco Collection World of Beauty, in 2020. After receiving email confirmation from record adjudicators, he says he turned back home to celebrate—shouting with relief that he had “made it.”
Samuel Chinecherem Ezeh breaks the Guinness World Record
Samuel Chinecherem Ezeh breaks the Guinness World Record
Ezeh now wants the robe to travel as far as its sleeves suggest, planning an international tour to showcase the piece and, he hopes, inspire other young designers to scale up their ambitions. “I’ve always wanted the world to know me for my fashion skills,” he said. “This is a start.”
