Yemzi: The Fashion & Lifestyle Brand Championing Black Britishness
Yemzi, the fashion and lifestyle brand created by Elizabeth-Yemi Akingbade, faces both the uncertainty of future inclusivity and the enjoyment of championing Black Britishness.
Yemzi’s latest collection bursts with colours, patterns and prints. The brand “inspired by West Africa” and “made with Love in London”, was created by Elizabeth-Yemi Akingbade, who I spoke to about her ethics, the inspiration behind her brand, and Yemzi’s future.
Elizabeth was nine years old when she first became interested in fashion design. Before the age of eighteen she received various scholarships to continue her studies and it was at that point that Elizabeth decided to “look into my Nigerian side because obviously, the UK education system hadn’t put a huge emphasis on Black history.” In the past Elizabeth had felt annoyed when teachers would badger her to do a project on something African. Her response had always been “I don’t know anything about Africa.” However, when she turned eighteen, she realised that “what makes me different and unique is my Nigerian heritage, and I decided at that point to explore it, and then to put it into my work.”
Initially Elizabeth’s brand was going to be called BritNig - that is, British Nigerian - and she ended her degree with a final project which featured iconic Black British figures, such as Naomi Campbell and Diane Abbott. Winning runner-up in a wallpaper competition held by Zandra Rhodes, Elizabeth realised that she could really make something out of design, that she was talented and that her creations were getting noticed. Her first t-shirt designs were sold at SOBOYE on Calvert Avenue. Samson Soboye liked the t-shirt designs so much that he ended up buying one for himself. Another boutique curator saw Elizabeth’s t-shirts and invited her to Paris to sell them there. Thus, her journey began.
“For my brand, it was definitely just about looking at aspects of my culture.” Elizabeth’s first print was of a tiger, she was thinking about African in terms of fashion, and how that term can be applied, and initially she visualised this with animal prints and heads. However, as Elizabeth moved more into working with silhouettes, “it became about how I could adapt African tradition to be modern.” The headwrap, inspired by the ‘Gele’, the ‘buba’ top (pictured) and ‘iro’ wrapper skirt (pictured) are three of the styles that Elizabeth has focused on and modernised within her collections, to fit in with her own dual identity. Whilst Elizabeth celebrates her Nigerian roots, she also focuses on her Black Britishness, and adapts these traditional styles for her customers. “For example making my wrapper skirt in my exclusive silk satin print and slashing to insert diagonal bias cut ruffles and adding a very narrow waistband to tie recontextualises the traditional iro.” When defining her design process, Elizabeth said “I’m looking at how I can take aspects of my culture for the print design and what my people wear, and offer it in London or any city in the world, making it look current and fresh.”
There were particular aspects of Nigerian style that Elizabeth wanted to avoid, to truly make Yemzi her own. “I avoided using Dutch wax fabric because when people discuss African fashion, they default to Dutch wax, so I create my own fabric and have the skill to design my own prints.” Elizabeth has embraced all different aspects of Nigerian culture and brought them into her designs. For example in her second collection, ‘Down and Out in London and Lagos’, she took scarification marks and put them into a repeat pattern. When you look at scarification marks on a person’s face or body, you know who their family is and who they are from the intricate scars, and now, as Elizabeth says, “I’m putting these marks onto silk, and people are wearing them.” This lifestyle brand is not only repurposing and repositioning aspects of cloth and design, but also how visual images of Africa and African traditions are portrayed.
With any brand there always has to be an awareness of the customer. One of Elizabeth’s dress designs that was really well received was borne out of Elizabeth “realising what people like to wear.” “I’m responding to what people like and adding a bit more of that, because at the end of the day I have to strongly consider sales. I’m not in the position to create art for art’s sake.” While there might always be an element of design where you design something for yourself, Elizabeth’s point is at the heart of being a successful Black businesswoman. However recently, Elizabeth has had to confront an interesting question, one that, for this smaller and incredibly Black-focused brand, could create a dilemma.
“As I began to make more collections, he [Soboye] was selling some of my clothing. And I noticed that the women that were buying it most of them weren’t black. It’s difficult, it’s something I always think about because my customers definitely aren’t just Black people but my visual identity is very Black.”
It’s a hard point to approach. As a Black designer, artist, creator, do we want our work hanging, decorating, adorning white homes and bodies? Yes, of course, inclusivity is positive, but is there a part of us that wants to clutch tightly to the brand, intending to go for those whom we had in mind while making it? Elizabeth is very matter of fact and realistic about her expectations surrounding her customers, “It’s a Black design brand, but it’s purchased by different types of people.” There is laudable equilibrium here, but recently, whilst working on a photoshoot for her new collection, Elizabeth was faced with a question about a white model. It was the first time that she has used a white model; Yemzi’s website and Yemzi Icons, mentioned below, feature only Black women. The Ghanaian hairdresser on this particular photoshoot had asked Elizabeth if they could do cornrows for the white models' hair and Elizabeth’s first thought was “Can we do cornrows? Like how are people going to feel about this, how are people going to respond?” The implications are clear: a white model can wear this if she sports black attributes, which only further muddies the waters between Yemzi’s relationship to its customers.
Whatever debates may rage about the inclusivity of Black brands, on how far it should stretch, or whether it should stretch at all, one thing about Yemzi remains undebatable: “It is always going to be Black inspired and Black designed.” Elizabeth thinks that she will “start to bring in more diverse models because it reflects my customers.” And personally, I think why shouldn’t she? Rihanna didn’t create Fenty Beauty with only one foundation shade in mind, the inspiring thing about her brand is its inclusivity, and to succeed as a Black businesswoman inclusivity seems to be the way forward.
Yemzi Icons, however, remains a Black only space. “The vision for Yemzi Icons was born out of not seeing Black girls in the magazines I used to read growing up.” This section of Yemzi’s website, linked below, features pictures and interviews with all different Black female customers. A small story is told about them, their favourite piece, cultural food, information about their business if they have one, even their beauty tips. Community is an essential aspect of Yemzi and one that adds weight and poignancy to its position within the fashion and lifestyle industry. “The idea of Yemzi Icons is to keep touching base with the Yemzi girls and understand what their interests are and what they’re up to.” It’s a wonderfully personal touch. Ideally, Elizabeth would love to do photoshoots with each Yemzi girl in future, when this becomes possible. So far she has interviewed over 60 women. “As I introduce different models I’d have to consider if it makes sense to make Yemzi girls more open.” Elizabeth states, highlighting the conversations that may need to be had as the brand becomes more and more popular. But for now, “the ultimate Yemzi girl is a Black woman.”
