Nigerian Brand Kemi Telford’s Tate Collection Tells The Story Of Womanhood

Founded in 2017 by Yvonne Telford – Kemi is the name she was given by her Nigerian community when she was seven days old, as per tradition – the vibrant print brand known for its voluminous silhouettes, which take up space both physically and metaphorically, grew by word of mouth.

Yvonne, who speaks to her close customer base daily, forged her own path as designer and business owner after photos of her clothes on the blog she began while trying to reconnect with her sense of self after having children started prompting queries. Where was she buying all those fabulous colourful wax print pieces? people wanted to know. Like many women from Kano, where she grew up before moving to England in 1996, hers were one-off tailored pieces. Buoyed by her growing following, and with no formal training under her belt, she fashioned two hardworking swishy skirts with pockets to sell.

Her capsule collection of artist-appropriate clothing – all breezy, Japanese-style jackets, drawstring skirts and tote bags – took two years to make, because she kept pushing the storied institution for more. “No one does African prints in organic cotton, so I had to do a lot of research,” says the woman whose secret to success has been making mistakes and quizzing others for information. “If you really want something you have to ask for help and demand better quality.”

Patience underscores all things Kemi Telford. She eventually found her Tate textiles in India, and worked with a tailor to bring an emotive pattern representing the story of womanhood to life. Each box, zigzag and circle, representing the struggles, obstacles and prejudices females might face on their journeys, is inspired by the work of Sonia Delaunay, Sophie Taeuber-Arp and Anni Albers, who Yvonne believed her clients would have something in common with. The designer’s own story – one of a mother who gave up her career to support her family and found it, like many in the same position, frustrating – is also woven into the very seams of the garment

 “Without the community of women behind me, I wouldn’t have got to where I am,” asserts Yvonne, whose “real” approach to fashion resonated with like-minded individuals who want to express themselves – even if just for their kids to take pictures on the school run. “Modelling everything myself was an important mistake – I never planned it, but people love it because it tells the story of the brand,” she adds

Source: Vogue UK