IAMISIGO Aesthetic Translation of Comprehensive African Heritage into Wearable Art Pieces

IAMISIGO is a fashion label based in Lagos, Nairobi, and Accra, founded in 2009 by Bubu Ogisi with the aim of preserving and promoting African fashion. The brand has become known for aesthetically stimulating handcrafted items that experiment with textures, color, and various methods of changing locally sourced sustainable African materials.

Through in-depth study with remote African communities in various parts of the African continent, IAMISIGO creates wearable pieces of art using unconventional materials and traditional heritage textiles. It uses space design, visuals, and film to communicate lost historical narrative, transform found data, and apply it to clothing and fibers as a silent protest against post- and neo-colonialism.

One of the brand's main focuses is to totally decolonize the mind by questioning and engaging a variety of views in regard to socio-political concerns such as religion, gender, traditions, symbols and scripts, tribes and magic, as well as future challenges such as the environment. IAMISIGO enjoys using African crafts and traditions to edify fashion in distinct ways, displaying richness in the African culture.

Having realesed various collections, its most recent, titled "White Gold" inspired by one of the most precious element on earth, Salt. Shows how exceptionally intuned to African culture and heritage the brand is. The collection features striking pieces made with recycled materials and through highly sustainable practices including a recycled salt jute sack used to make a patchwork coat, a handmade mini bag made with calfskin, and another mini bag made with banana and palm raffia. Natural dyes were also made use of for production; natural salt, hibiscus, charcoal, and walnut.

Recently, IAMISIGO has diversified to household products including art,furniture and functional design. The clothing brand presently has a showroom in Lagos, Nigeria, and pieces are available at its retail outlets in Accra, Lusaka, London, Johannesburg, Addis Ababa, and Paris. IAMISIGO has been opportuned to gracefully showcase its unique creations in ELagos Fashion and Design Week in 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2015, as well as the International Fashion Showcase (London Fashion Week) in February 2015 and the South Africa Fashion Week Exhibition in Durban in May 2015.