NKWO X Commonwealth Fashion Exchange

NKWO Meets Malawian Artisanry in a Dance of Tradition and Sustainability showcasing a unique fashion creation at Buckingham Palace.

NKWO's Cultural Fusion: A Majestic Display at Buckingham Palace

NKWO exchanged with artisan Joel Suya from Malawi to create a bespoke The Commonwealth Fashion Exchange - an initiative for established and emerging fashion talent from across the Commonwealth’s 53 countries to showcase the power and potential of artisan fashion skills to deliver new networks, trade links and highlight sustainability.enewed purpose and narrative.

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The project brought the Commonwealth together to showcase a wealth of design and artisan fashion talent across its 53 countries.

NKWO X Commonwealth Fashion Exchange
NKWO X Commonwealth Fashion Exchange

The piece was inspired by a secretive religion indigenous to Malawi, called Nyau. This look was created with organic British wool and embellished with Swarovski upcycled crystals.

NKWO X Commonwealth Fashion Exchange
NKWO X Commonwealth Fashion Exchange

The look was designed by Nkwo and named ‘Spirit of the Dance’. It is made from asooke, a hand-loomed cloth woven by a group of women based in Kogi state in central Nigeria, according to a traditional craft of the Yoruba people.

The look was displayed at Buckingham Palace and the Australian High Commission, London. Both exhibitions were curated by VOGUE's Editor-at-Large, Hamish Bowles. The project was launched by Commonwealth Secretary General the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland and Livia Firth, founder of sustainability consultancy Eco-Age and supported by Swarovski, The Woolmark Company and MATCHESFASHION.COM.

NKWO X Commonwealth Fashion Exchange