It is a fabric that forms the foundation of the brand Ize has built: by placing the centuries-old traditions of Asoke into a modern framework, he is hoping to revive a struggling industry embedded in the history of Nigerian culture. “The only way to preserve and revive those things is not only to start making them again in a very modern way but also to be forward-thinking,” he says. Accordingly, a gently sculpted fringed tunic dress and flared trousers are further textured through picks in their threads—a new technique developed by one of his employees. “I’ve really got to give it to her,” he laughs. “I’ve never seen anything like it before. She’s been weaving since he was a child, and when she heard what we were doing in Ilorin, she got in touch and told us she’d make us something special.”
Kenneth Ize SPRING 2021 READY-TO-WEAR
Kenneth Ize
There has been evolution elsewhere too: The narrow-cut, structured tailoring that has quickly become Ize’s signature has now been extended to include silhouettes that gently connote different eras: from slightly slouching ’40s shapes (“I wanted a bit of a colonial feel, it’s part of our history”) to short-sleeved ’80s pieces inspired by “the way old men and heads of state dress in Nigeria now,” he explains. “I want them to see what we have in our country: that they should be looking at what we have on offer at home and helping to advance it. Their tailors are African, but never the fabrics that they use.”
Kenneth Ize SPRING 2021 READY-TO-WEAR
That is perhaps what is most exciting about Ize, that he is designing clothing that places his cultural history on the global stage. “I’m Pan-African. I love my culture so much and there is so much to share. If I had to explain African culture in one word, it would just be love. There’s a lot to learn from that,” he says. “And my clothes might not say it in your face, but the reason I am doing them is very political. I’m not going to compromise my culture, my Blackness, my sexuality, my gayness. I’m not going to compromise who I am.” With that determination, and with just two on-season Paris Fashion Week presentations under his belt, Ize is already racking up the successes. Now that the factory is up and running, his future looks brighter still.
#Kenneth Ize SPRING 2021 READY-TO-WEAR
#Kenneth Ize SPRING 2021 READY-TO-WEAR
#Kenneth Ize SPRING 2021 READY-TO-WEAR
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