Bubu Ogisi is the creative force behind IAMISIGO, celebrated for her fusion of artisanal craftsmanship and contemporary style. Drawing inspiration from her motherland, Nigeria, and her travels across Africa, she crafts pieces that narrate the continent’s diverse cultural heritage. Committed to sustainability, Ogisi emphasises traditional techniques and the stories within materials, aiming to deepen the global understanding of African fashion and invite audiences to appreciate the artistry in her designs.
We chat to Bubu leading to her showcase at Mount Nelson this November.
Your fashion design responds to and is deeply inspired by your research and travels through Afrika. How do you decide what histories and knowledge to use in your design?
Our research has systematically explored West, East, Central and Southern Africa. We aim to connect these places and understand the ancient techniques that have been used and preserved across objects, design, and craft, using the body as the ultimate canvas. In answering questions such as “how do we embrace our histories and move forward”, we look to the notion of connectivity and bring together multicultural processes to create free-minded pieces.
How do you conceptually balance artisanal crafts with contemporary fashion trend in your design?
The ideology is to highlight and promote cultural crossover without compromising identity. Our work at IAMISIGO is 100% artisanal and handmade, focusing on ancestral techniques, while incorporating waste and other unconventional fibres to create wearable artwork. In doing so, we highlight the importance of preserving handmade processes and upcycling.
What significance does showcasing in Cape Town at Mount Nelson hold for you, and how does it align with your vision as an African storyteller?
It speaks to our brand ethos of borderless ideologies. We aim to open people’s minds to a new language of materiality with this collection, expanding our audience by showcasing a performance installation in Cape Town that illuminates the work and its processes. As an entirely handcrafted brand, we also believe in the connectivity between hands and materials and value every time and space in which our works and practices are showcased.
