Vivi Kabiri: How designer made waves at Ibadan Bridal Fashion Weekend with ‘Ignite’ collection

Fashion is mainly viewed as a popular or the latest style of clothing, hair or decoration, but for some, it runs deeper than that; it is an expression of culture, belief and tradition.

Nigerian fashion designer, Viola Kabiri of Vivi Kabiri fame has stated that fashion for him represents the expression of African artistry and the multicultural ethnicity of the African continent.

Speaking in an interview August 27 at the Ibadan Bridal Fashion Weekend Show where some of his works were exhibited, Kabiri, the Creative Director of Vivi Kabiri, described how his brand promotes the uniqueness of the African heritage in clothing and textiles in Nigeria and the world at large.

He said, “My brand is an expression of African artistry. It is a global brand that you can wear anywhere, but the heritage is from Africa,showcasing it to the world.

“We are coming up with multiple colours here, so we’re trying to bring out the multicultural ethnicity in Africa and that’s what we’re exhibiting here.”

On his latest collection, he said, “The Ignite Collection is special and we’re going sell out here because they are stunning pieces crafted with details.”

Furthermore, the designer cum certified project manager highlighted an array of activities lined up for the brand.

“We’ve had about three showcasing events since we started this. We did one in 2019, we did another in 2022, and we just finished the men’s fashion. This is the fourth one.

“The Men’s Fashion Week, which was held last month in Abuja went great. We also have a lot of activities lined up for the 2023 Christmas season.

“We’re coming up with new designs to sell out and we intend producing ready-to-wear outfits that we can ship out of the country because of the growing demand from people who have placed orders.

“That’s the future because if you look at what they are doing in the Nigerian music industry today, you’d see how they are putting Africa on a globally acceptable scale. So we’re trying to also carve that niche for the fashion industry. And if you look at what is trending now, especially African designs, they are beginning to be known worldwide so we are trying to make sure that with these collections, we are having a work that’s in line with the global speed and desires.”

Chronicling his journey into the fashion world, the Olabisi Onabanjo University graduate, who also holds a certificate in fashion design from the British Academy of Fashion Design revealedthat he started the company in 2015.

“I studied Physics Electronics in school. So having to combine physics with fashion was expected to be a bit of hectic, as people would say, but for me, it was a thing of passion.

“And we started from a place of having to look good in our crafts, and people started getting attracted and admiring what we wear. I ventured into designing afterwards, and after designing, I saw that my passion grew broader and I knew there was a big audience for me, I started creating for people and from there we started moving from one place to the other.

“We’re based in Lagos, even though we have moved around from Lagos to Port Harcourt, and Ibadan, just to saturate the whole of Nigeria and move into the wider market.”