Black-owned brand Keïta on a mission to showcase Africa on a grand scale whilst promoting women’s empowerment
Black-owned brand Keïta on a mission to showcase Africa on a grand scale whilst promoting women’s empowerment
Feminine
contemporary
African
Keïta, a Lagos based womenswear brand is showing us the meaning of sisterhood as it embraces the notion of strong empowered women elevating each other. What’s not to love about a brand that supports the advancement of women? Especially in a time where we are sometimes undermined, more than ever we are seeing the importance of generating a community for us to unite, thrive and support one another. A Keïta girl is described as fun, elegant, sexy and a boss, we certainly are bosses in our own right! The beautifully crafted exclusive pieces from Keïta represent just that while also ensuring the brand utilizes the richness of African culture.
Tells us about your brand?
Keïta is a Nigerian based clothing brand which focuses on utilizing and showcasing the vast resources available to us in Nigeria. We also aim to invest in the untapped talent in the industry where we can. We are not only focused on resources in Nigeria, but Africa as a whole. We draw inspiration from all over Africa due to the richness of culture we possess on the continent. We sometimes get inspired through music or symbols from different tribes or art forms and incorporate these elements into our designs.
How would you describe your aesthetic/design?
Feminine, Contemporary, African
What makes you stand out?
We stand out mostly through our marketing techniques, specifically our animations. These accompany each drop and have slowly become part of our brand identity. It’s different and outside the scope of what is seen as ‘normal’ marketing strategies. It’s more fun and sometimes transcends reality. There are things that we are able to show in these animations that we would not be able to achieve with real models and sets.
What are your plans for the future?
Our plan for the future is simple; to showcase Africa on a grand scale. To make Keïta a lifestyle!
Do you think the fashion industry is lacking black creatives? If so, why?
Definitely. There is so much talent within the black community that is not given a chance to be showcased properly, a lot of these spaces are taken up by white people. There are so many limits placed on black people simply due to racism. There are fewer industry role models with the same influence and power as their peers. When black creatives do get a chance to pitch their ideas to these big brands, their work is sometimes stolen. Even when these power brands or publications try to be diverse, they’re still not making an effort as they’re limiting it to hiring the same black token photographer for shoots etc. This is as a result of black people not fitting the ‘norm’, although there has been some improvement over the years, the fashion industry still has a long way to go. There is so much undiscovered talent that needs to be tapped into.