The aesthetics of duality in the SS26 collection by IAMISIGO Bubu Ogisi's brand debuts at Copenhagen Fashion Week

Among the most anticipated debuts of this Copenhagen Fashion Week was the brand IAMISIGO, which presented its SS26 collection today, titled Dual Mandate, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the Lagos-based wearable art brand. Directed by designer Bubu Ogisi, the show transformed the industrial space of the Fabrikken studio into a ceremonial venue, blending African ancestral craftsmanship with a deep exploration of self and spirituality. This debut, supported by the Zalando Visionary Award 2025, was also the strongest statement of the brand’s philosophy, redefining fashion as a means to preserve culture and push toward more metaphysical reflections. "It takes us to the in-between: the liminal space where ancestors meet algorithms, where spirit tech and biotechnology are not separate but symbiotic", explained Ogisi. The collection’s name itself draws from Lord Lugard’s colonial doctrine, originally a tool of exploitation, transforming it into a personal and spiritual narrative centered on the concept of duality: hardness and softness, grounding and radiance, memory and movement. Materials such as Ugandan and Kenyan cotton, Nigerian raffia and jute, and Tanzanian sisal anchor the collection in earthy tones of mustard, rust, and moss, while reflective metals, Kenyan glass, and Nigerian recycled plastics opened the show to new compositional and creative solutions through a profound dialogue with materials.

The craftsmanship was the beating heart of the collection, rooted in collaborations with artisans in Nigeria, Kenya, and other sub-Saharan regions. Techniques such as hand-weaving, chainmail forging, fiber knotting, and glass blowing were employed not as decorative embellishments but as functional and spiritual practices. "That heritage is static and craft is quaint. Both are living technologies" explained the designer. "Craft is not just skill—it’s cosmology. Heritage isn’t backwards-looking—it’s the past, the present and the future. It is strategic memory and the industry often commodifies both without understanding the systems they emerge from". These “ancestral technologies” transformed raw materials into wearable narratives. For instance, the sculptural raffia piece required weeks of meticulous handwork, while the glass-embedded coat showcased innovative material manipulation. Each garment testifies to IAMISIGO’s commitment to preserving endangered African craft traditions, reawakening them in a contemporary context without losing their cultural significance. Among the most notable pieces were a sculptural raffia dress, with swaying fibers that come alive as the wearer moves, and a barkcloth coat with embedded glass fragments that capture the light—a mere glimpse of how far Ogisi pushed material experimentation. Accessories, such as glass bags filled with water and woven hats that double as containers, stood at the intersection of modern functionality and ancient craftsmanship, enhanced by a palette and textures ranging from soft, tactile weaves to rigid, reflective surfaces.

The craftsmanship itself was remarkable, serving as an anthology of a range of techniques and processes typical of numerous Central African countries, finally brought before an audience that perhaps had not yet discovered or fully appreciated them. The brand, founded in 2009 and relaunched in 2013, is based in Lagos, as mentioned, but its work also takes place between Nairobi and Accra. Bubu Ogisi, inspired by childhood travels across Africa with her mother, founded the brand to preserve Africa’s intangible cultural heritage through her concept of wearable art. The idea is to reshape fashion narratives and, above all, create pieces that are both ancient and futuristic: or as the founder defined it "a roaming academy, a cultural sanctuary, a research institute that merges material science with ritual practice and spiritual inquiry. It’s always been more than fashion—it’s a living system of re-memory and re-imagination". The brand’s philosophy rejects commercialism, embracing nomadic craftsmanship and circular design principles. By collaborating with artisan communities across the continent, IAMISIGO fosters reciprocal exchange, ensuring that traditional techniques evolve while remaining rooted in their cultural origins. The show demonstrated Ogisi’s ability to weave complex narratives, addressing significant themes like colonialism while simultaneously celebrating personal and collective identity.