Banke Kuku
Banke Kuku, who was born in Lagos in the 1980s, emigrated to the UK when she was eight years old. Banke earned a bachelor's degree in textiles at the age of 19 after graduating from Chelsea College of Art and Design and Central St. Martins College.
After working with a number of top international fashion firms and the renowned interior design firm, Designers Guild, and helping with the fabric design for the Royal Collection that was shown at Buckingham Palace in 2010, Banke started the textiles division of her business in 2011. Her vivid designs are a direct result of the cultural mix between the country of her birth and the place where she spent her formative years. The outcome is a statement print with an enthralling impact.
Banke Kuku Textiles has worked with businesses throughout the years to produce stunning and distinctive products. Their collective designs are produced in accordance with project briefs and their clients' exacting tastes.
Their joint ventures include, among other things: fashion prints for seasonal collections; prints and product design for fashion and lifestyle accessories, and interior textiles and furniture for private and commercial (hotels, restaurants, bars, office spaces) clients.
Through partnerships with fashion businesses, including Lot78, Jewel by Lisa, Virgos Lounge, and Duro Olowu, the resulting creations have graced the catwalk at New York Fashion Week and been worn by celebrities like Michelle Obama and Lupita Nyong'o.
The interiors division of Banke's company was introduced in 2013, and it was motivated by her commitment to and inventiveness in merging West African and Western traditions to create a sense of a modern Africa with a design aesthetic that is a spectacular kaleidoscope of color and energy. Then, opulent fabrics for interiors, soft furnishings, and clothing are created using each pattern as a stencil. Every product complies with global quality requirements.
She received orders from significant clients, including Selfridges, Aynhoe Park Hotel Oxford, Le Bon Marche Paris, Bazar et Grande Manger Tokyo, and ABC Carpet and Homes New York, to mention a few, very immediately after receiving positive feedback about her interior designs.
In 2014, Banke Kuku Textiles was chosen among thousands of candidates to take home the prize in Triumph's competition for female creatives called "Women in Making." Fashion industry heavyweights Roksanda Ilincic and Sophia Webster were on the judging panel.
2019 saw the opening of Banke Kuku's first womenswear and accessory collection in her Lagos store. The opening of her online store in 2020 and the addition of children's clothing in 2021 came after this. In addition, it collaborates with regional, national, and international stockists and speciality stores to disseminate its creations worldwide.