Luxury, comfort and style. These are some of the best words used to describe the Banke Kuku brand. The eponymous label is Founded and Creatively Directed by the very talented Banke Kuku. It is a womenswear lifestyle brand based in Lagos Nigeria, which specializes in the lounge and occasional wear, catering for women looking to look effortlessly stylish and phenomenal. “The Banke Kuku first started off as a textile design brand, until we moved with intent, into exploring the other world of fashion designing,” Banke told me on a zoom call. “The brand is a lifestyle brand which seeks to make women feel elated, by blurring the line between lounge and occasional wear,” she adds.
Founder, Banke Kuku brand started off as a soft furnishing brand before moving to textiles, after completing a major program in Textile Designing from the Arts and Design College, London. From there, she – Founder and Creative Director, seeped into one of the major parts of fashion – designing. This journey and determination to make a success out of the brand have since granted her access to various high sits and tables in the fashion sphere, translating into both national and international markets like China, Japan, and Dakar.
A close look at the Banke Kuku brand would expose you to a come-along journey, whose pilot is abreast with expert knowledge on where they’re headed. This is to say that they have over time, built a brand with great structures, possessing the crispest details and ethos. “Our message at the moment is quite clear, as a close look will help you understand that we are deeply inspired by nature and the Nigerian culture,” she says. Since making a major decision to move back to Nigeria from London, the designer has experienced such an increasing market surge, garnering both commentary and congratulatory messages on the success of the 2year old fashion arm. “I had to pave the way for myself as a textile designer when I moved back. The Nigerian fashion industry was such a creative fast-paced scene, and I really wanted to be a part of it. I’m indeed grateful for how it all turned out.”
A major problem that incessantly occurs in the fashion industry even with the numerous conversations around it is the issue of sizing. Another major lapse is how certain brands aren’t really sure who they’re designing for, and in such vain, miss the marks and points of honing an aesthetic. This can ripple back an effect of changing the personality of your clients, causing further discomfort. “The Banke Kuku brand is an inclusive brand, and you could tell that from our sizes, skin tone of models, and our overall positioning,” she says. “We design pieces for every woman, and we try not to change them. We just want them to look good, feel relaxed and comfortable.”
The fashion arm of the Banke Kuku brand launched a few months before the compulsory lockdown in Nigeria. It was at the time the CoronaVirus pandemic was gaining entrance into countries, dismantling the economy, and pushing aside businesses that were growing or already established. It was a time for communities to build business structures, so as to stay afloat. This period tested the doggedness and tenacity of young brands like Banke Kuku, forcing them to put things in place, in order to usurp the negative force of insolvency. “The beginning was pretty tough, because the unavoidable lockdown was enacted a few months after our launch. We had so much uncertainty,” she says. “However, it was a learning curve and an overall awesome creative moment for me. The responses were so great, I wished I’d started earlier,” she adds.
“The world of fashion designing is a journey, and you really have to go through the whole process. Know who you are as a person, so people can enjoy the brand you project to them. This takes time, understanding and patience. Because fashion is very fast-paced, we need to learn to adapt; out with the old, in with the new.”
-Banke Kuku, CEO & Founder, Banke Kuku.
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