n the 21st century, African fashion is in the global spotlight, from runways to its use by celebrities in music videos and film. It is almost impossible to ignore. When influential people like Beyoncé and Michelle Obama step out on red carpets wearing African clothing, they turn heads, and reinforce trends to follow.
African culture is popular around the world right now, Afrobeats and African dancers are on almost every screen. This inevitably causes the world to take note of what they are wearing. There are a large number of young Africans living around the world, who are increasingly trying to reconnect with their heritage. This includes learning about fashion from their homeland and adopting it to feel more in touch with their roots.
At U.Mi-1 we want people to connect to the heartbeat of Africa. Through the heritage of the Creative Director and our involvement in art, design and culture, we aim to show the beauty of Nigerian tribes through our designs. Our use of Aso-Oke, an indigenous hand-made Nigerian fabric, is testament to this.
The essence, traditional meaning and design of the material have been preserved. We use the fabric to create beautiful modern jackets and trousers, which we coin “African Denim”. Through this, we breathe new life into the cloth. With our collections we also want to showcase the richness and variety of culture in Nigeria, unseen anywhere else in the world.
