Collaborator: Beatrice Black Atari
Signature Style: Structured lines meet feminine detailing
The KISUA by BEATRICE BLACK ATARI collection gives 50s silhouettes a modern African spin, using eye-catching wax print fabrics in aqua, gold and earthy neutrals. Atari's love for fashion runs in the family, having learnt pattern making from her mother and four aunts as a child in Lagos. This heritage continues to influence her designs and Atari's collaborative range with KISUA is inspired by the vibrant sights and sounds of Nigeria's capital city.
Collaborator: Chechi Arinze
Signature Style: Contemporary classics with African accents.
The KISUA by CHECHI ARINZE Collection is a sophisticated reinterpretation of everyday apparel with panelled skirts and structured suits cut from graphic cotton and silk blends. An MA in Architecture from the University of Lagos laid the foundations of Arinze's design practice, reinforced by an apprenticeship with renowned Nigerian designer Ohimai Atafo. She launched her eponymous label, Uchechi Arinze, in 2012. The coastal architecture of Lagos continues to fascinate Arinze and, combined with Nigeria's psychedelic street style, forms the core inspiration for this collaborative range with KISUA.
Collaborator: Jamil Walji
Signature Style: New Edge Africa
The KISUA by JAMIL WALJI collection marries modern structure with feminine fluidity, integrating panelled tailoring into the construction of each garment. Walji first studied and then lectured Fashion Design at the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, Malaysia, before moving back to Nairobi to pursue his own label, Jamil Walji. Walji's Eastern training and eye for precision, combined with his love of Kenya, make for a novel interpretation of African style, as reflected in this collaborative collection with KISUA.
Collaborator: Juliet Kwamboka
Signature Style: Wanderlust Wear
The KISUA by KANGA KULTURE collection is a minimalist interpretation of Safari culture, characterized by an all-cotton collection in neutrals, prints and stripes. Former model turned designer Juliet Kwamboka travelled between Australia and the USA for ten years before settling back into her native Nairobi to launch the Kanga Kulture label. This jet-set lifestyle combined with Kwamboka's Kenyan heritage were key inspirations for the collaboration with KISUA. The result is a collection that brings international African style into the closet of any perpetual globetrotter.
Collaborator: Kiki Kamanu
Signature Style: Orient-inspired, structured yet feminine.
The KISUA by KIKI KAMANU collection references two stylistic opposites, Africa and Asia, in an easy fusion true to the designer's globetrotting lifestyle. Waist-tie Kimono blouses and A-line trousers live alongside lively print skirts and maxi wrap dresses. Kamanu has been experimenting with pattern making since she was a young girl, reworking her twin sister's clothing into samples for new creations. Though Kiki Kamanu's studio is based in Lagos, the designer is constantly on the move and this collaboration with KISUA showcases her many cosmopolitan inspirations.
Collaborator: 8
Signature Style: Summer Essentials
KISUA FOR 8 is the result of an exclusive collaboration between KISUA and 8, the Italian go-to brand for contemporary wardrobe essentials. The exciting range draws on both labels’ DNA, fusing KISUA’s vibrant prints and minimal silhouettes with 8’s timeless aesthetic to create 14 key pieces in a citrus colour palette. Each feminine style is easy to wear and injects a fresh pop of energy into summer dressing.
Collaborator: Lola Omokunga
Signature Style: Expressive basics for bold women.
The KISUA by LOLA BUTTONS collection embodies the designer's belief in simplicity and fine craftsmanship as the key to elegance and style. She dedicates countless hours to creating bespoke pieces alongside her ready-to-wear range, with every garment being informed by a close study of the female form for which it is made. This collaborative range with KISUA is inspired by Lola Button's vivacious clientele in Lagos; the women who discover themselves through the meticulously constructed clothing that Omokunga creates.
Collaborator: Poqua Poqu
Signature Style: Understated elegance
The KISUA by POQUA POQU collection is best described as Afro-Nautical.A spectrum of blue and marine is interwoven with cream lace and satin to create Ghana's answer to the hounds tooth, a fabrication technique utilized throughout the collection. Poqu was born and trained in Ghana and is based in the country's capital city Accra. For Poqu it is impossible not to be inspired by the streets, beaches and sounds of her hometown, and this collaborative range with KISUA pays homage to the panoply of contemporary Ghanaian fashion.
Collaborator: Tobi Martins
Signature Style: Daytime Dandy
The KISUA by TOBI MARTINS collection reinterprets day-to-night wear through playful geometrical knits and deconstructed basics. After graduating in Agriculture and Management from the University of Nottingham, Martins' love for fashion called her back to her native Nigeria to establish the Prima Rouge label. This collaboration with KISUA is inspired by and made for stylish women who are always on the move.
Collaborator: Bisola Edun Afrika
Signature Style: Draped Silhouettes with handcrafted finishes.
The KISUA by TAE AFRIKA collection features draped and pleated silhouettes that incorporate the label's signature bold prints and handcrafted embellishment. Edun came to fashion design relatively late in her career, but a natural eye for tailoring and expressive details has fast tracked the designer's reputation within Lagos and abroad. The collaboration with KISUA is made for strong, creative women who aren't afraid to experiment with fashion.
Collaborator: Tina Lobondi
Signature Style: Subtle elegance in luxurious fabrics
The KISUA by TINA LOBONDI collection combines luxe fabrics with the iconic wax print to create classic, feminine garments that are as chic as they are quintessentially African. Kinshasa-born Lobondi studied fashion design in Paris and at the London College of Fashion, before settling into a studio in West London to launch her own brand. This collaboration marks the first of a series of planned projects between the Tina Lobondi label and KISUA.
