Designer Akudo Iheakanwa Is Empowering Lagos’s Artisans, One Handmade Accessory at a Time 

In 2017, Akudo Iheakanwa made a change. She relocated from her hometown of Sydney to Lagos, Nigeria, where she took a part-time job in public health and community development, which she’d been focused on while still living in Australia. As for her full-time job, that was rebranding the accessories label she had launched with her best friend, Shetu, back in 2013. While Shetu has since departed from the brand, the direct-to-consumer label they founded, Shekudo—a combination of their two names—lives on. In fact, the brand is thriving in its new West African home, with all production and manufacturing based solely in Lagos.

Iheakanwa’s collections are handcrafted by local artisans using traditional fabrics, like aso-oke cloth created by the Yoruba people of West Africa and upcycled leather from community markets. The vibrant striped sandals and heels, as well as the clutches, totes, and sculptural, geometric jewelry—especially the pieces in Iheakanwa’s latest collection titled “Coming Home”—are “inspired by the shapes I see every day,” the designer says. “They are fused with traditional symbols and motifs, particularly nsibidi, which is a system of symbols indigenous to southeastern Nigeria.”

Although Iheakanwa grew up in Australia, her father is Nigerian and she has always felt a close tie to Africa. When she first moved to Lagos, Iheakanwa spent a significant amount of time traveling around and meeting local craftspeople to learn the ins and outs of their process. It was a personal journey for her, one that she says took her “to some really far corners of Nigeria and other corners that I probably should not have entered into. I’ve had a fantastic rollercoaster of a time.” She adds, “I was really impressed with the skills and talent that I saw and knew that there was definitely something to build upon and help shine a light on this overlooked sector.... It was very important for me to not only contribute to job creation in these areas, but also to show a different side to Nigeria both locally and internationally by focusing on our capabilities, rather than our shortfalls.”