SS24 - Silk serenity
Eki Silk unveils its sensational new collection: ‘Silk Serenity’, which is a fusion of dance, movement, fluidity, and the timeless elegance of African silhouettes. Eki Silk’s commitment to celebrating cultural diversity and creativity has never been more apparent than in this striking collection. Drawing inspiration from the captivating world of dance, “Silk Serenity” embodies the grace and fluidity of movement in every design. Each piece is a testament to the artistry and beauty found in both traditional and contemporary dance forms, reflecting the brand’s dedication to embracing diverse global cultures. Always paying homage to Africa’s rich heritage, Eki Silk tapped into monochrome colours with a splash or fuchsia and orange to create effortlessly, chic and contemporary pieces that capture dance and allows anyone to wear their own unique rhythm.
SS23 - Indigo
Under a deep midnight sky in Nigeria’s north, a cool sandy breeze drifts through the sparse landscape. An unsettling quietness, an emptiness and a sense of hollowness in what used to be a thriving hub. Here they once squatted next to pits filled with cloth rinsed in dark cloudy coloured indigo, now dwindling into scarce existence. Indigo cloth, an earthy colour deriving from leaves, flowers and stems of the Indigofera plants, was once the currency of trade of the Tuareg nomads of the Sahara representing wealth and abundance. The Eki brand honours the tradition and pays homage to the men and women who go through the arduous process of producing these breathtakingly beautiful midnight blue shades of indigo cloth. Eki’s SS23 print is illuminated with a rich indigo background colour and her silhouettes take you back in time to a travel inspired collection, where silk kaftans, flowy dresses and turbans flutter in the night breeze with mesmerizing scents of oud in the balmy tropical air. The pieces are perfect for an everyday, casual style capturing elegant movement and grace.
SS22 - Rebirth
After the Reset collection where we punctuated life to appreciate and reflect, the designer felt it was time to work with prints that embodied release, freedom and energy accompanied by the rawness of melodic beats. The butterfly print is about rebirth and symbolises transformation and hope. It is naturally drawn towards light and for the designer she wanted to evoke the feeling of joyful bliss in this next phase. The second print is inspired by music. Music has also been a powerful source for the designer and with this collection, she wanted to re-capture the rawness of the African drum and its melodic beats to create a sense of euphoria. Using a dazzling array of burnt orange and fuchsia, she designed silhouettes for the grown woman with a sensual and playful side to her. As is customary with each EKI Silk collection, the story of the print drives the meaning behind the collection. This is then married with sublime silhouettes to create a powerful fashion story.
SS21 - Reset
Taken aback by the devastating Australian wildfires, I was inspired to narrate a story that protects nature and encourages us to reset our lifestyles. We played with rich shades of emerald green, symbolising nature in its pristine form, and introducing layers of rusty brown lifeless leaves, highlighting the destructure, that is a threat to humanity if we refuse to reset. The introduction of this new green leaf print was coupled with a past story telling of our divine blue underwater sea world. The force of nature and its preservation is woven into a lot of our designs and it is precisely here, where most of our prints are birthed, always with an African interpretation. The RESET collection is a beautiful discourse that guides you to a place of tranquility allowing you to revert back to basics. It is a consciously minimalistic collection using remnants and up-cycled pieces, focusing more on comfort as a reflection of the current state of global affairs. With the RESET we are punctuating life to appreciate who we are and what we are surrounded by and tell this story with luxurious silks that naturally glide off the body.
SS20 - Nostalgic
This latest collection is named ‘Nostalgic’ as the designer looked to her roots for inspiration. During the creation stage for this collection, she found inspiration in objects that symbolized music and movement. Through exploring the rich history of Africa, she was quite taken with the calabash musical instrument and its importance in African culture. Referencing the sensual shape of the calabash and its melodic, mellow and earthy rhythms, she created prints that are bold and feminine. The designer has created a design narrative that invokes the feelings of joy, freedom and sensuality associated with the rhythmic sounds of the calabash. As a result, this collection allows the wearer to celebrate history in a modern, fresh and high fashion way.
With her tenth collection, Creative Director, Hazel found inspiration in her rich Edo Nigerian heritage. Edo being a state in Nigeria, the Creative Director used the traditional Edo sword, the Eben, as the design focal point of the stunning prints in the aptly named Eben SS19 collection. Designed with the modern woman in mind, the Eben collection features a combination of versatile separates and gorgeous kaftans that make it light and easy to travel with. Featuring her signature elegant silhouettes that project sophistical and subtle boldness, each piece in the Eben collection is homage to the beauty of the female figure. The luxurious silks of the collection are brought to life by her interpretation of the intricate designs of the Eben sword, which tell a beautiful story of the Edo culture. As is customary with each EKI collection, the story of the print drives the meaning behind the collection. This is then married with sublime silhouettes to create a powerful fashion story. The EKI SS19 Eben collection follows in this same tradition.
SS19 - Eben
With this collection, she takes it back to her love for nature. She is engulfed by the sheer depth of the ocean, captivating her every desire and sparking curiosity for the unknown. The surging and retreating sound of the waves with the salty smell of sea in the air, intrigues most. We are familiar with the surface of the ocean, yet what lies deep beneath allures and seduces her soul. She draws inspiration from the coral reefs to the trenches of the deep blue – The Undiscovered, The Calm, The Peace. No one can reach her in this serene sanctuary. It is a place of absolute tranquility. She is fascinated by sea creatures, especially the octopus and the jellyfish with their variable shades of colour and movement in the mystical ocean deep. At first, fragile but strength builds up just as the tide grows in power. The jellyfish is often referred to as Medusa, the icon of the female gaze, sexuality, and power. The octopus is fierce and flawless; it runs, hides and changes colour to avoid capture, yet when need be, it turns into a predator. With this collection, she explores the layers of female complexities, returning to nature to discover strength, vibrancy and a desire to be heard. She fights her fears and emancipates with a boldness and confidence that embraces the newer, freer ‘Her’ as the Eki Girl. This is a journey of every woman’s self-discovery.
SS18 - Journey through
the Deep
SS17 - Identity My Way
After a successful collaboration last season with the IDENTITY collection, we decided to narrate the story our way. Questions were asked such as: “What makes us who we are?” and “How do we show our individual personalities?” With this collection – IDENTITY My Way – the fingerprint story is about identities evolving through life and our experiences as well as responsibilities, which are forever-changing. With IDENTITY My Way, we decided to let our spontaneous, fun and playful personality shine through with the clash of prints. We created looks that are strong and bold, yet like a fingerprint, they are never identical. There is constant change and transformation that occurs in life, which is reflected in this collection through the fluidity of the garments and mix of prints. EKI’s printed silks and diaphanous textiles create unique and individual pieces allowing the wearer to exhibit their own identity through the bold prints and soft and fluid fabrics.