Fashion, Culture, History: ADjéi + Next of Kin

A New York fashion executive once said, “fashion is about story telling and starting conversation. It always has been and always will be”. I couldn’t agree more.

A collection always leaves me wanting more when it feels like the brand has put thought into every little detail of the clothes. Like every detail contributes to a bigger story.

Well meet the namesake brand, ADjéi and his debut collection #FlashbackFriday.

Kwasi Adjei, a creative at heart, began his academic career in Ghana studying sociology. He eventually dropped it to pursue his passion and study fashion in the fashion capital of the world, Paris. His luxury namesake brand, ADjéi, aims to focus on unique custom made garments. In the future, he plans to grow his brand with a sub-brand called “Next of Kin”. This will provide ready-to-wear streetwear pieces to the market. This, I think, is a huge opportunity as streetwear is steadily growing in Africa and all over the world. It’s taking over!

 

Inspired by part of the folklore and history of his country Ghana, Adjei, now a graduate of IFA Paris, based his collection on the story of King Agorkoli and the Anlos. King Agorkoli was a ruler of Notsie, a town in South East Togo (which eventually became part of Ghana). During his reign, due to his cruelty and harsh treatment, the Anlos plotted an escape. They sought the help of a powerful hunter called Torgbui Tsali and escaped the town by walking backwards so as to disguise the direction of their footprints and confuse their pursuers.

Interesting story right? This story is a reminder that slavery, to an extent, existed before the arrival of Europeans in Africa. But it’s also a reminder of the resilience and creativity of the African people.

The colours of this collection are mostly earthy and neutral tones, reminiscent of the earth the Anlos walked on to escape. Another major part of the collection is the fabric. Though not Ghanaian, Malian mudcloth was used in a lot of pieces. This is a traditionally woven cloth originating from Mali. However, my absolute favorite part of the whole collection is the “backward” design. Most of the styles were designed backwards such that it creates the illusion that the people wearing them are actually walking backwards.

 

 

 

The full collection will be unveiled tomorrow, Monday 25th June at the IFA Paris Graduation fashion show, during Paris fashion week. Till then, here’s a sneakpeek into the collection:

 

What are your thoughts on #FlashbackFriday?