In 2017, Fatima Wande Lagundoye founded Y’wandelag with a major purpose; to serve as a womenswear brand that will preserve the traditional asooke weaving technique. In her words, “The silk asooke was becoming extinct as it is not often seen in the Aso Ebi scene anymore”. Five years after this, the brand has recorded major milestones both in Nigeria and the global fashion space.
As a traditionally modern and structurally fluid womenswear brand, Y’wandelag is inspired by three keywords; culture, community, and craftsmanship. This forms the basis of each collection released by the brand as they are created from the stories that shape us as a people, as well as basic items that are familiar to us.
The brand graced the runway of one of Nigeria’s prestigious fashion shows, The Lagos Fashion Week in November 2021, and a few months after this, a new collection was released. The Kadara collection is the Fall/Winter ’22 collection of Y’wandelag, created to invoke questions on the concept of destiny. Drawn from the Yoruba translation of destiny, the Kadara collection explores the curiosity of the brand’s founder about whether we as humans choose our destinies or experiences are predetermined.
“Centered in a strong sense of identity and culture, with narrative pieces that illustrate our paths in life as it differs from another person’s, for which everyone must walk.” The collection further illustrates the brand’s vision that extends beyond physical beauty into cultural concepts, storytelling, craftsmanship, and an embodiment of sustainability and preservation.
Y’wandelag’s method of reinventing fabrics is so interesting, using the fusion of crafts like hand embroidery as well as upcycling deadstock fabrics to create beautiful pieces for individuals in search of distinctive outdoor pieces. The Kadara collection is up for sale, kindly visit the website to shop.
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