From ancient chants to Amapiano beats, Bubu Ogisi’s inspirations defy categorisation. YourLuxury Africa chats to the Lagos-based founder of IAMISIGO about her nomadic nature, the sacredness of craft, and why fashion is a living archive of humanity.
YLA: You describe yourself as a nomad. How does that sense of movement and shape you personally and creatively?
Bubu: Movement is my way of existing. Being a nomad allows me to constantly question, unlearn, and absorb. Fluidity shapes my identity and my work. Each garment becomes a vessel carrying fragments of culture, history, and spirit from every place I’ve touched.
YLA: You’ve lived in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, London, and Paris, how have these cities influenced you?
Bubu: Each city has given me a different rhythm, a visual language, and a spiritual layer. Accra and Lagos taught me texture and resilience, Nairobi gave me nature and colour, and London and Paris exposed me to global narratives. Together, they shaped a world where African identity is central, yet boundless.
YLA: Where do you feel most at home?
Bubu: To me, home is a state of consciousness, not necessarily a place. I carry it in me – in memories, rituals, and the stories woven into fabrics. Wherever I go, I recreate home through sound, scent, and the threads of culture that transcend borders.
YLA: Travel is central to your life and work. What similarities have you observed between cultures?
Bubu: Beneath every tradition is a universal need to document identity – through dress, fabric, or ornamentation. I see parallels between weaving techniques in West Africa and Europe, or ceremonial dressing in other parts of Africa and Europe. Those echoes remind me that fashion is a living archive of humanity.
YLA: IAMISIGO’s collaboration with South African milliner, Crystal Birch, brings two strong creative visions together. What inspired this partnership?
Bubu: Crystal’s work embodies the same reverence for craftsmanship and cultural storytelling that drives IAMISIGO. This collaboration felt natural: two African voices pushing boundaries, merging headwear and clothing into sculptural narratives that honour tradition while creating something entirely new.
YLA: What did winning Zalando’s 2025 visionary award mean for you?
Bubu: It affirmed the importance of telling African stories on a global stage. It’s not just recognition, but a responsibility to continue to push these narratives forward.
YLA: Music feeds your creativity. What are you currently listening to?
Bubu: My playlist is a collage of soundscapes: Fela Kuti, Sun Ra, Amapiano rhythms, ancient chants, and experimental music. Music is like fabric. It’s layered, textured, and deeply tied to memory. It shapes the mood of every collection.
YLA: Where do you shop for items that inspire your work?
Bubu: From markets in Lagos to those in Nairobi – I am constantly inspired by traditional markets across West and East Africa. These spaces are archives of colour, craft, and ancestral knowledge. I’m drawn to artisans who preserve ancient techniques, whether in weaving, dyeing, or sculpture.
YLA: What do you do to switch off?
Bubu: New ideas often appear in quiet moments. So I like retreating into silence, with incense and meditation. I also like going on walks.
YLA: What’s next?
Bubu: I want to explore food and the culture around it to discover how it relates to how we behave and organise as humans. I’m also interested in new- age technologies like circuitry and bio-electrical systems. I’m thinking of these for future collections.
Bubu’s Top Lagos & Accra Spots
- Lunch – The Terrace Lagos, akaTT, “the cosiest rooftop in Lagos” – intimate and familiar.
- Drinks – Slow, a tropical brasserie in Lagos, and Frontback, an art gallery that doubles as a restaurant and bar in Accra. Here, creativity and culture meet over conversation and music.
- Dinner – Polo Club Suya in Lagos, and Santoku, a Japanese restaurant in Accra for the contrast of tradition and fine dining, both infused with local flavours and community.
