I.AM.ISIGO Embrace warrior style with Bubu Ogisi’s Mino collection

Do or die by donning Bubu Ogisi’s Mino collection

I.Am.Isigo

Don’t be alarmed if you are overcome with an indomitable sense of fearlessness while wearing I.Am.Isigo’s SS18 collection, Mino. Meaning “our mothers” in Fon, this season sees the Nigerian brand reference the Dahomey Amazons — a superior all-woman army dating back to the seventeenth century who protected what is now the Republic of Benin from invasion and slavery.

“With every collection I’m trying to explore different traditions across Africa, and with this one I was inspired by a road trip through Benin to research the country’s history of female empowerment,” designer Bubu Ogisi explains of how she discovered these deadly muses. They were not allowed to marry or have children, and swore their lives to the King Shark with their motto “Conquer or die!” “What appeals to me about the Mino is their androgynous nature and ruthless attitude," she says. "It’s a striking story that can help us all feel more confident in every aspect of our lives.”

Ogisi developed a special cotton cloth woven in Ouidah, Benin, in glistening shades of amber, ivory, tan and indigo. The results are styled into grand kaftans or figure-hugging corsets and skirts. These compliment asymmetric tops and dresses or slinky kimono suits in crushed velvet, and can be layered over neutral mesh pieces to create looks that are more dancefloor than battlefield.

Ogisi studied in Paris and first launched her label in Accra before relocating to Lagos, where she rebranded in 2013. Previous collections have looked at the Wodaabe pageants of Northern Nigeria (Taboo), the cowgirl in Calamity Jane (East of West) and her own experiences of pregnancy (Blood and Bones). She has also broadened out into interior installations, furniture and art. Her minimal, playful designs are effortless to wear, yet are also subtle statement pieces to be kept in your arsenal — wherever you may roam. Like its creator, who has shown and is stocked everywhere from Durban to Geneva via New York and Nairobi, I.Am.Isigo walks its own unabashed path.

Make-up SINITTA AKELLO. Model QUAL CHAN. Styling HELEN JENNINGS. With thanks to the BRITISH COUNCIL’S EAST AFRICA ARTS PROGRAMME and TRIBE HOTEL.