Hollywood actress, Gabrielle Union, had her fiftieth birthday in grand fashion. In honour of her golden jubilee, the actress collaborated with Nigerian vogue model, Banke Kuku to launch a brand new assortment. According to the caption posted by Gabrielle Union and Banke Kuku concerning the collaboration; “A collection inspired by two women in love with all things fashion and African."
After much success with its spring collection and footwear launch, The Gabrielle Union Collection at New York & Company has expanded with a special edition capsule collection in collaboration with African designer Banke Kuku.
The unique 6-piece collection, inspired by Gabrielle Union’s 50th birthday, features everything from fall dresses to wide-leg pants with Kuku’s signature designs and bold prints.
In respect to Gabriella's post on Instagram, we can tell that she was very excited to work with Banke Kuku, “I've been a fan for so long, and to get to collab on something that we can share with everyone is so huge, the materials are so luxe and beautiful. It's the only way I should be bringing in my 50th draped in luxurious and beautiful prints.”
The geometric patterns are inspired by a traditional Ghanian cloth worn during ceremonies called Kente. In addition, the floral motifs are designed to resemble the hibiscus flower that grows in abundance in Nigeria. Between the warm yellows, rich blues, vivid pinks, and crisp greens, each piece is made to compliment all skin tones and encourage shoppers to step out of their style comfort zone. Banke’s fabrics are adire-print lookalike loungewear, where comfort is optimized. It’s an important collaboration in African fashion, and it places it on a global stage.
Models Rocking the Gabrielle Union and Banke Kuku Collection