Memories, often elusive and altered by the passage of time, are difficult to capture. However, various cultures have endeavored to preserve them. This season, Bubu Ogisi, founder of IAMISIGO, found inspiration in the ‘lukasa’ memory boards of the 19th-century Luba people. These boards, crafted from wood and adorned with beads and shells, served as both maps and historical records. Ogisi was also drawn to the intricate headdresses of the nsɛneɛfoɔ, the royal heralds of Asante in modern-day Ghana, which were made from colobus monkey hide and decorated with gold plaques and silver chains. “The first is an object that holds knowledge. The second is a human who carries it,” she explained.
Ogisi’s new collection, showcased in a misty industrial venue in Copenhagen, aimed to merge these two concepts. The collection featured high hats and bold shapes, evoking African royalty believed to be spiritually connected. The trousers, richly embroidered in colors reminiscent of mountains, dunes, and water, symbolized nature’s role in preserving memories. The collection also included elongated ties crafted from the brand’s distinctive beaded fabric, adorned with 3D snakes. “Snakes are one of the oldest animals. They have seen what the earth has seen,” Ogisi noted, highlighting that in African mythology, snakes are revered for their memory-like skin patterns.
Copenhagen Fashion Week, known for its sustainability standards, has embraced a unified vision of eco-consciousness. Ogisi, who first presented there last summer after winning the Zalando Visionary Award, seeks to broaden this vision. She aims to demonstrate that sustainability varies across contexts. For IAMISIGO, this means safeguarding African traditions, introducing heritage crafts to modern audiences, and exploring new natural materials. This journey is often complex. The brand began sourcing Ugandan bark cloth last November, experimenting with underground dyeing techniques to achieve the perfect clay hue. Additionally, artisans required time to adapt to working with banana and pineapple fibers.
“I love seeing our artisans get excited about new materials and ideas,” Ogisi expressed. “That’s the most fulfilling thing for me.”
