Banke Kuku | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1986 or 1987 (age 38–39) [1] |
| Education | Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design; Chelsea College of Arts |
| Occupations | Fashion designer, textile designer |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Known for | Banke Kuku fashion and textile brand |
| Spouse | Olusola Lawson (m. 2017) |
Banke Kuku is a Nigerian fashion and textile designer. It is also the brand name of Kuku's fashion and textile line.
Kuku was born in Nigeria in the 1980s. [2] [3] Her mother was an attorney and taught Kuku to knit when she was five. [4] [5] Her family moved to London when she was eight. [2] [4] Kuku attended boarding schools in Kent. [4]
Kuku attended Central St. Martins College of Art and Design and Chelsea College of Arts, where she studied art, fashion, and textiles. [2] [4] At Chelsea, she specialized in printed and woven textiles. One of her mentors was Duro Olowu. [6] She did a business course with The Prince's Trust. [6]
Kuku's textile designs focus on printed fabrics. [7] [1] She produces her designs in the Ikoyi neighborhood of Lagos. [2] [8]
Kuku worked as a freelance textile designer in the UK. [2] [9] She created interior design textiles. [2] [10] In 2011 she established her eponymous label, then Banke Kuku Textiles, and established a studio in London. [11] [12] [6] Around 2016 she moved back to Nigeria because she was marrying a Nigerian man. [6] Clients expressed interest in garments made with her interior design prints, and in early 2019 she created a collection of loungewear, pajamas, and kaftans. [2] [6] In November 2019 she opened a storefront in Lagos. [10] [13] [9] In March of 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic shut down her storefront operations, and she launched an online sales space. [9] [6]
Kuku moved into daywear and evening wear after the COVID-19 restrictions lifted. [2] She debuted her designs at the 2021 Lagos Fashion Week. [2] The brand eventually expanded to include menswear, childrenswear and resort wear. [10] [14]
She collaborated with Gabrielle Union on a 2022 6-piece capsule collection. [2] [15] In 2023 she was a guest judge on The Great British Sewing Bee for designs that included batakari, adire fabric, and boubou. [16] In September of 2023 she was the cover feature for ThisDay Style. [17]
Tiwa Savage, Michelle Obama, Kelis, and Catt Sadler have worn her designs. [4] [5]