In the ever-evolving world of fashion, few designers have seamlessly blended tradition with modernity like Emmanuel Okoro, the creative force behind Emmy Kasbit. Known for his bold use of indigenous Akwete fabric, striking silhouettes, and a keen eye for storytelling through fashion, Emmanuel Okoro has not only carved a niche for himself but has also put Nigerian craftsmanship on the global map.

From winning the Lagos Fashion Week Fashion Focus Fund to dressing some of the biggest names in the industry, his designs exude culture, confidence, and a graceful elegance that challenges the status quo. But beyond the runways and red carpets, who is the man behind the brand? What fuels his passion for pushing African fashion to the forefront? And how does he continue to innovate while staying true to his roots?

In this exclusive interview with THEWILL DOWNTOWN’s Johnson Chukwueke, Emmanuel Okoro takes us on a journey through his career, the challenges of running a fashion empire, and what the future holds for his brand. Whether you’re a fashion enthusiast, a budding designer, or simply someone who appreciates the art of storytelling through style, this conversation is one you don’t want to miss.

Get ready to step into the world of Emmanuel Okoro—where heritage meets high fashion, and creativity knows no bounds.

Emmy Kasbit has grown into one of Nigeria’s most celebrated fashion brands. What inspired you to start this journey?

To be honest, for me, it’s always been about changing the narrative. Changing the perception of what people believed fashion to be, and when I say people, I mean mostly the Western world, how they perceive Africans, and what we bring to the table. Africans were not necessarily getting the attention for all the hard work I know we do. So, I wanted to be one of those fashion designers who put African fashion on the global stage and tell African stories in the best possible way. A lot of times, we see people who are inspired by Africans or something of African descent, and then they go ahead to tell the story but not telling the story the way it should be told. So I wanted to change that status quo and become one of the changemakers in the industry promoting traditional practices. By traditional practices, I mean the hand-woven technique that we work with, which is the Akwete, so I wanted to be one of the designers putting this craft on the global stage, and so far, so good; I think we are on the In the ever-evolving world of fashion, few designers have seamlessly blended tradition with modernity like Emmanuel Okoro, the creative force behind Emmy Kasbit. Known for his bold use of indigenous Akwete fabric, striking silhouettes, and a keen eye for storytelling through fashion, Emmanuel Okoro has not only carved a niche for himself but has also put Nigerian craftsmanship on the global map.

Your designs are deeply rooted in African heritage, especially with the use of Akwete fabric. Why is cultural preservation so important to your brand?

My dad has always been my hero, and he was deeply rooted in culture. I watched him while growing up, and he was very particular about culture.

Culture is one thing I believe has been left for us by our forefathers, and I think it’s also like a mandate that we have to preserve.

Like the Akwete technique, by the time I wanted to start this movement with the artisans, most of them were already packing their loads cause people were not coming through for them, so that also gave me the motivation to put smiles on their faces, and preserve this, and by so doing, people are getting more and more aware of this textile, lots of people own an Akwete piece. This way, we are creating more awareness, and the generation that will come after us will see this and will be inspired to do something else with it. So, that’s a way of passing it down to another generation.

The fashion industry is highly competitive. What challenges did you face when starting, and how did you overcome them?

Honestly, the main challenge then as a starting brand was access to funding, access to market, and good mentorship. But luckily for me, I enrolled in the Lagos Fashion Week platform, which is one thing I’ll always advise any young designer to do, and now it’s called The Green Access. I always tell people to find their voice and apply for things where you can meet people who can mentor you. So for me, it was access to funding and access to good mentorship, but luckily, I was assigned under a good mentor, and after that came the problem of the economy, you know, production issues, sourcing for a good team, just everything. But you know, when you are so focused, you find ways that you can work things out and find your way around it. Over the years, these are the things I have been trying to maneuver, and you know, you have to go through it so that over the years, these will be the stories you will tell when you eventually get to a higher place.

So yeah, that shaped the Emmy Kasbit that you see today, and without it, there wouldn’t be any story.

Your collections have been showcased at major fashion events like Lagos Fashion Week. How do these platforms impact your brand’s growth?

Lagos Fashion Week has played a pivotal role in the Emmy Kasbit brand. I did win the Young Designers Prize in 2017/2018, and I would say that was the starting point. Even though I had launched the brand three years before then, that was the moment my journey started. It wasn’t just about winning the prize, but also the awareness that came with it, the press, the media, and all the attention that was needed to achieve this particular goal. That collection was also the first time I used the Akwete textile. So, getting all that press and attention helped people know the story and what I was trying to do; then came the funding that came with the prize, which also helped us develop our production space, which made things easier from there, and I feel like everything I have achieved today, I owe it to that particular moment I won that prize. The prize was there, and we also had the mentorship classes, you know, all the things that came with the prize. It opened my eyes to a major part of the industry.

What has been your proudest moment or achievement so far in your career?

A lot of things have happened for Emmy Kasbit. I can’t even say just one thing, but I will say for a fact that we now have our first walk-in space, which we have had for two years now. I feel like opening our doors to our family of clients and supporters— that alone was the biggest moment for me. Yes, I know I dreamt of it, but I sort of felt it was not possible, although I still had a bit of faith because I knew we were trying to build a substantial brand here, and opening the space in April 2023 was a major moment for me, even having to dress influential people in the world like the British Prime Minister, those are the moments I will look back and say we have had a journey.

How do you balance staying true to traditional craftsmanship while also evolving with modern fashion trends?

One thing we do is that we bring traditional themes to the modern age, so what we do is that for each collection story we are telling, of course, it’s a reference, and to tell that story, we need the DNA of the brand which is the Akwete, so from that we can then go into developing into modern styles to show people that there’s a lot that can be done with this fabric. Most people have this feeling that Akwete is limited, but there’s a lot to be done with it instead of just joining the bandwagon and going into fast fashion. This is also a sustainable thing cause we are trying to promote a craft, so it’s more like bringing the old to the modern stage and having to pair it in the collection and develop never-seen-before designs just to make people believe the story.

What is the creative process behind designing a new collection? Where do you draw your inspiration from?

My inspiration for designs, firstly, needs to have a cultural reference because, generally, I am inspired by culture. It is also about what has happened in the past, you know, past cultural events. I try to highlight the Eastern part of Nigeria, as I am from Abia state, so I look into past events and past cultural references and sort of like go into a trance; I also do a lot of research, as you can go online and find tools that can help. We even go as far as visiting a community to learn about the story we are trying to tell. We don’t want to go wrong with the story we are trying to tell, so we go get enough knowledge about it. So yeah, we look at past events and try to interpret them in a modern way. Let’s say for the New Yam Festival, we could imagine it in a certain way, with certain colours, just something culturally inspiring.

Nigerian fashion is gaining global recognition. Where do you see Emmy Kasbit in the next five years in the global fashion landscape?

When I think of the next five years, since we already have our headspace in Lagos, I see Emmy Kasbit having a lot of stock in the global market, you know, central Europe and the like. I also see us opening retail stores all over the world like London, Paris, and the like. It can get difficult with the constant import and export in Nigeria, so if we sort of develop another hub in any of these international cities, it would make it easier for us.

What advice do you have for young African designers looking to break into the industry?

I would say it the way it is: just keep your heads up; the industry is not an easy one, and you will have a lot of challenges.

But when you have this focus and know where you want to be, you won’t rest until you get there.

That’s why we come to work every day because we have our targets. Just try to set up your long and short-term goals and follow your heart, but also know that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and you are going to have a lot of hurdles to cross; this is what you are going to do.

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When you’re not designing, what do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Well, when I am not designing, I’m probably at a party, or if I don’t have any events, I will just stay home and watch TV shows.

How has your background and upbringing influenced your approach to fashion and creativity?

I think it played a very huge role, as I mentioned earlier, my dad is one of my heroes; to this day, I look at his old pictures, and I am always inspired by how he presented himself.

He was always the chairman of every group he joined, and the way he appeared for meetings in his cultural regalia, all those pictures to me, are all classics. I feel like those things come back to me; sometimes, I just go to look at his pictures, and before you know it, I will pick up something I missed earlier. I feel like with my upbringing, I mean, my mum and dad brought me up before they passed, we were a family of seven, and even without them here, our home is still a happy home. So, seeing how my dad always presented himself makes me want to present the best of the best when designing because if it’s not the best of the best, it will not make it to the shows, so that mindset plays a huge role in my design process.

If you could describe the Emmy Kasbit brand in three words, what would they be?

It will be luxury, African, and bold. Those will be my perfect words to describe Emmy Kasbit.

Johnson Chukwueke
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