Drop 1 - 12.24

This inaugural drop draws upon what is most intrinsic to us, the codes, symbols, and collective memory we inherit and embody. Informed by the spiritual and historical lineage of Benin, each piece reinterprets the past through a contemporary, forward-looking lens.

Ornamented dresses pay subtle tribute to the revenants spirits who return from the beyond, in honor of my late father, whose presence continues to shape this narrative. Tank tops and shorts, inspired by the formidable Dahomey Amazons, reimagine the strength and resilience of these legendary warriors uniforms within a modern sartorial framework.

The BüBü, pared down and adorned with fringe, evokes the rhythmic, hypnotic motion of the Zangbeto, traditional night guardians, transforming movement into symbolism.

Meanwhile, the draped shirt, with its fluid lines and quiet gravitas, recalls the elegance of royal attire, garments once worn by kings and dignitaries, reinterpreted here as an emblem of timeless grace and dignity.

Each garment, each line, speaks of return, resistance, and transformation.

This is the articulation of a new vernacular shaped by what is, and has always been, common to us.