After winning Zalando’s Visionary Award in January, Bubu Ogisi is gearing up to make her Copenhagen Fashion Week debut on Wednesday. The Lagos-based designer will present her Spring/Summer 2026 collection in the Danish capital, with the aim of putting on an unforgettable showcase. One that “forever holds space within Copenhagen Fashion Week”, Ogisi says.
Iamisigo launched in 2009 as an independent brand and rebranded in 2013, with its debut collection ‘11 Voltaire’, which featured a small array of hand-painted pieces. Now, Ogisi wants to bring Iamisigo to a new audience, expanding its reach to a different part of the world. “It’s about seeing how we can push the boundaries of our work, and push it beyond the African border, which is essentially the ethos of what we do,” she says. Her creative practice involves using fashion as a medium to decolonise the mind, challenging the West’s relationship with craft and design.
In Copenhagen, Ogisi is preparing to challenge the industry’s approach to fashion and design by casting a spotlight on ‘Made in Africa’. Winning the award, she says, “brings about a new opportunity for us to tell untold stories and propel ourselves further as a studio practice [and] wearable art brand”.
The Zalando Visionary Award was started in 2023 with the aim of creating “a more inclusive, innovative and forward-thinking fashion industry by empowering the next generation of creative leaders”, according to the German retailer. Iamisigo beat out two other competitors (Zalando declined to share how many brands applied for the award). As this year’s winner, Iamisigo received €50,000 to invest in the business and a further €35,000 “in support for a tailor-made show production”, per Zalando.
Beyond financial support, the retailer said it’s been working with Ogisi to provide tailored business development resources and access to key industry networks, such as mentorship with Dio Kurazawa, founder of sustainable solutions company The Bear Scouts, and a coaching session with award jury member Giuliano Calza, founder of Italian fashion brand GCDS. Following the showcase, the retailer will hold a collection re-see for Iamisigo, which they say will allow press and industry guests to experience the collection in a more personal setting. Iamisigo declined to share annual sales figures.
What stood out for Zalando is Iamisigo’s “unapologetic” storytelling, says Sara Spannar, VP of global marketing at Zalando, adding that the judges were also surprised by her unique production process. Iamisigo has developed a mapping system of creativity and craftsmanship within the continent — for example, using tree bark to create fabric. From working with traditional dyers in Nigeria to beaders in Kenya to artisans in South Africa, Ogisi demonstrates the potential of Made in Africa, one that involves collaboration from communities across the several African nations. “It was just mind-blowing, the thought process behind it and the link to tradition,” Spannar adds. “She was such a clear winner this time. She came with a new way of thinking when it comes to production. To show those ideas to the industry is super interesting.”
Over the past seven months, Ogisi and her team have been travelling to towns across the African continent, sourcing material, working with local artisans and producing the SS26 collection. For part of that journey, Zalando’s global marketing and creative direction teams have been on the ground with them in Nigeria and Kenya. Coinciding with Iamisigo’s debut on Wednesday, Zalando will release a documentary showcasing the behind-the-scenes creative and production process of Iamisigo’s upcoming collection, something they haven’t done for previous winners.
“Zalando is a huge platform, and they’re providing a lot of resources for us to engage with,” says Ogisi. That also includes access to Zalando’s audience, which consists of more than 52 million active customers across 25 markets in Europe, according to the German retailer. Now, Iamisigo gets a co-sign from one of Europe’s leading retailers as it pushes into new markets. Previous winners include Sinéad O’Dwyer and Paolina Russo.
Runway opportunity
The upcoming showcase is a continuation of the work Iamisigo has been doing in Lagos, Ogisi says, adding that her unique approach to storytelling will not be curtailed for the Danish market. The brand, which launched in 2013 and is a Lagos Fashion Week mainstay, is known to put on shows that deviate from the traditional runway format. Instead, they can be likened to a piece of spiritual theatre. Iamisigo’s SS24 collection in Lagos took place in a wood factory heavily scented with incense. Models were sent down the runway decorated with wood shavings, while a woman with a soundbath sat on a mountain of wood, eerily singing throughout.
“We’re taking that extremely seriously in terms of creating our own world, where the performance will be sort of taking people outside of this realm and into a different realm,” she says of the Copenhagen debut. “Everything is going to be one big, massive ritual installation, from the ground to the smell to the atmosphere, to every single detail. We are continuing what we essentially do in Africa, but on a bigger budget.”
Putting on a runway show is a costly endeavour. Many young and emerging designers have spoken at length about the huge financial cost of putting on a runway show, where the return on investment is not guaranteed. Runway shows are deemed a necessary part of the fashion ecosystem, and initiatives like Zalando’s Visionary Award help bring new talent into the mix by providing financial support.
“We’re one of the leading European platforms. We know we’re big, and in order to be big, you need to be good as well because you have the power to change [the industry],” says Spannar. “[Zalando] really want to be that kind of enabler, not only for young and emerging fashion talents, but for fashion in general.” The award, which initially focused on sustainability, has since broadened to include innovation, inclusive design and diversity of thought. Zalando made this pivot as it felt “there are other designers and talents that want to inject something into the fashion industry”.
This forces designers to make the most of their showcases, creating an experience to remember. “We see it as a performance, as a ritual installation, that we have to project every year to introduce people to the new ideas we’re exploring. It’s important to always show people what we’re working on,” says Ogisi, adding that Iamisigo holds one runway show a year. As a ‘wearable art’ brand, Iamisigo also partners with museums and galleries across the world, in a bid to reach new audiences. So far, the brand has been exhibited in two museums this year.
Wholesale expansion
Brands, particularly those that have a slower, more sustainable approach to production, struggle to fit into the traditional wholesale model. It typically requires designers to produce in larger quantities and fulfil orders in a short time frame. While securing wholesale partners can help emerging brands reach new consumers and distribute products in new markets, brands like Iamisigo are rethinking the wholesale model. “We are anti-capitalist, so in essence, we have to try and balance this anti-capitalist [positioning] with our existing,” says Ogisi.
That means striking a balance with creating fashion — or wearable art pieces — that do not adhere to or perpetuate extreme levels of consumption. However, Ogisi states that in order to scale, she does have to lean on traditional channels, such as retail. Current stockists include etailer Industrie Africa, Ghana’s The Lotto, Aby Concept in Côte d’Ivoire, AKJP in South Africa, Kenya’s Artisanal Gallery, and Nigeria’s Temple Muse.
Now, Osigi has sights set on more retailers in new markets. She doesn’t yet sell beyond Africa, so in order to fit into the international wholesale model, Iamisigo is leaning on accessories, homeware and its shoe collaborations. Prices range from $260 for handcrafted leather mules to $1,790 for sculptural mini handbags, such as a recycled glass bag made in Nairobi. “We’ve been exclusively just trying to move in a really slow, independent manner. Accessories are an important aspect in entering this retail market [and] engaging with this capitalist mindset,” she says, adding that as a “studio practice” — Iamisigo world includes the fashion brand, a research pillar, as well as art pieces commissioned by museums — it needs more than just galleries and museums to exist and sustain the business over time.
Iamisigo’s audience is expanding to Asia, the Middle East and Europe. According to Ogisi, she’s gained customers in Japan and has had pieces exhibited at the Sharjah Architecture Triennial, an architecture and cultural hub in the UAE, and will present the last 10 of her collections at the Barbican in London in September.
Zalando recognises the wholesale model needs a rethink before brands like Iamisigo can partner with large global retailers. “We know that there’s a huge step to also onboard and sell these kinds of very, very bespoke garments on our platform. But without that first step [relationship-building] it’s not going to be possible in the future,” says Spannar, adding that the retailer is using its platform to boost Iamisigo’s reach, connecting Ogisi with industry leaders and spreading the brand’s message to its audience.
Copenhagen Fashion Week is the first step in Iamisgo’s bid to disrupt the international fashion system. Except to see Iamisigo in new cities. “The first 10 years, we were understanding ourselves, doubting ourselves, figuring out if we look like mad people or not,” Ogisi says. “We are crazy, so the world has to deal with that… and we make the world deal with that by interrupting spaces, interjecting ourselves within new spaces… and move [the brand] from place to place.”
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