How I worked with Nigerian Fashion House ‘Emmy Kasbit’
Akwete Craft as Contemporary Style, Cultural Memory & Archive: creating a mini collection with Indigenous Igbo Textile in memory of my father.
In September 2023 I was swept into a cluster of unending events in commemoration of my father’s death. And in true Igbo/Naija style, the “what are we going to wear?” question vied for first-place on my to-do list.
If you've ever witnessed a contemporary Igbo funeral, IRL or by photo, you may have noticed an all-white ensemble worn by the ‘Chief Mourners’ (spouses, and children/descendants of the deceased). I’m not sure where this practice originated from. I’ll research. Later.
Now, while I love a ‘unifying’ dress code for an event, the idea of getting clothes that I’ll never wear past the event (I see you wedding garments) stresses me. I wanted to create clothes that I loved, and would wear again. Clothes that would function to identify and unify us chief mourners. Clothes made from natural textiles that honored our local workforce and practices. I wanted to memorialize my formidable father Vivi O Oruche. To create a legacy piece that served as an archive of story and context for our future generations, and our culture at large. I wanted clothing made from Akwete woven textile.
Enter Emmy Kasbit. The unisex fashion brand founded by Emmanuel Okoro prioritizing sustainability, cultural heritage, and traditional craftsmanship. The ideal co-conspirator to realize this vision. Working with them gave me the opportunity to engage with a fie fie team, and tap into our indigenous Igbo craft and skills to achieve something beautiful!
The team: Me, Nkeiruka Oruche (VOO Legacy Creative Director), Bruna Alves (Graphic Designer), My sister Ginnie O (Style/Design Consultant), & Emmanuel Okoro (Emmy Kasbit Founder & Creative Director), Philomena Chigozie (Akwete Weaver) and the Emmy Kasbit team.
But, pulling a concept in from the ethers, working with an established fashion house, designing & weaving textiles from scratch, creating custom outfit pieces for a variety of bodies/personalities, in 3.5 months, with a team across 2 continents and 4 cities, was a feat.
So, how did I achieve this gargantuan task you ask?
First, I begged
Okay. I classily asked. I reached out to Emmy Kasbit (EK) in mid-May 2023 (my father died on April 25), and was like “I need custom-custom EK for 8 people”. Like raw materials and weaving, textile design that I’m conceiving, and fits created by EK custom.
My father’s funeral would be in September that same year. We would need cloth woven and the sets made in span of 3 months. EK was in the middle of a busy production period for their next season release, and prepping for international and local shows. Among many other things.
The request was moving mad. But listen. Did it get done or did it get done?
That’s what I thought.
Then the VOO Legacy Design Brief & Moodboard appeared
I worked with my ride or ride graphic designer Bruna Alves to develop options for the fabric motifs that would be woven. Bruna and I had already been working on a suite of collaterals for my father’s memorial including flyers, banners, programs, custom memorial gifts, t-shirts, and other fabrics to be used for funeral events. So we had our moodboard and files of graphics ready for each area, including options for Akwete.
We had convention for our colors, logo, motifs, and combos ready!
Logo: Hand-cut impression of his initials
Colors: colors drawn from branding of the various companies marketing materials (‘cos business mogul), and colors pulled from old photos and albums
Symbols/Motifs: A combo system using Nsibidi symbols that illustrated what my father represented to his communities
We shared this with EK.
Then Emmy Kasbit Responded & Re-Drafted
EK was like sis there’s what you ordered, but there’s reality.
Just ‘cos we had our lil designs and concepts, didn’t mean we really understood what could actually translate to being woven; how colors, patterns, and placement worked on the loom. EK was like yeah your drawings are cute and all butttttttt this is how it needs to be adapted to be woven. Also you’re asking for the most with these phrases of text you want in here too.
So. Revisions abound.
Abind? Abounded?
The Emmy Kasbit house used what we sent, and with much grace, patience and clarity, worked up modified renditions based on Akwete weaving reality. To solve for the idea of my fathers various community titles woven in as part of the fabric, they created separate panels of each name/title phrase as their own fabric strips.
Then a mini looksheet of my dad’s looks + Emmy Kasbit’s entered the chat
Once the actual fabric concept was sorted, it was time for ‘okay what are we wearing?’. The approach to this was to gather photos of looks from my father over the years, and some of EK’S signature silhouettes. Then we created looks for each person inspired by the collabo. Those fabric strips with his titles/names? Each one got matched to the apparel of who we thought embodied the spirit of the title/name.
Got in the Studio to get fitted
As we were inundated with funeral planning, and all in various locations within and out the country, we sent in measurements and sizes for garment construction. A couple of weeks before the funeral, we had in-person fittings. Adjustments were made. Another final fitting days later. Clothes picked up. Then my sister and I, straight to the village, with a week to spare before funeral events began.
I balled my eyes out when I met the Akwete artisan in person
Through the whirlwind of funeral planning and handling things, there weren't many moments to pause, and be in the process. In October 2024, a little over a year after my father’s funeral, at the Emmy Kasbit 10 year event in Lagos, I met Philomena Chigozie, the Akwete weaver whose hands crafted the textiles we adorned ourselves with in honor of my father. I cried. What an honor. In awe. Forever.
I was so wrapped in the swaths of grief that the process was blurry, but we were held and had such a warm and top-notch working experience with the EK team. And I got the opportunity to do something I loved, and tf good at. One of the pieces of cloth is in my father’s grave. Even through the blurriness I learned quite a bit, and appreciate the experience of working to realize something that connects us and our heritage.