You never know when inspiration might hit. For Michelle Adepoju, lightning struck during a post-college trip in Western Africa. As a teen Adepoju, who was raised in the UK. in a Nigerian immigrant family, liked to craft new clothes from thrift store finds. During her African trek, Adepoju realized she could turn her hobby into a business. She merged contemporary designs with traditional African techniques like weaving to create her brand Kílẹ̀ńtàr in 2019. Kílẹ̀ńtàr sells luxury statement pieces from gowns to swimwear to jewelry. “When we think of luxury, it's usually Chanel or Hermès,” says Adepoju. We are putting African craftsmanship on the map for luxury fashion.” The brand has dressed celebrities including Tracee Ellis Ross, Naomi Osaka, and Victoria Monét. Adepoju debuted her designs at New York Fashion Week in 2024.
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00:00Do you have any expectations for the future of the industry as you're talking about there?
00:05Like a lot has changed. You guys have been pushing a lot of this change.
00:08What do you think is to come in the fashion industry in the next like one to three years?
00:13I think what would to become is more, maybe more collaboration,
00:21which is something I would love to do. Collaborations with more heritage brands
00:24where they are seeing the innovations that's happening across the continent
00:29and seeing how they can partner with this to tell that story as well on that level.
00:34What are some of your bestsellers today?
00:36In terms of the clues?
00:37Yes.
00:38We have the Joyo Top, which was the first item we ever released,
00:43which we still, we've made it into so many different styles.
00:46And our bestsellers are, we have this amazing yellow woven braided dress called the Ito Dress.
00:55I know it. I've seen it all over Instagram.
00:57Yes, that has been, that has been, that has been great.
01:01Has there been any project you've worked on, someone that you've, you know, given clothes to or dressed
01:06or anything else that you guys have really worked on in the past year that you feel like was a pivotal moment
01:11in getting more people's eyes to the brand?
01:15Yes. When we showcased our SS24 collection, we really highlighted that landscapes across Africa, actually.
01:24I shot it in five different states.
01:27And I think people were really moved and connected by this.
01:30And we really were able to show the movements of water and these different states,
01:35showed how our products have been made.
01:37And this really got a lot of traction online.
01:39And people were curious to know more about the brand.
01:42And we were able to continue to tell that story till today.
01:46Why do you think that generated so much interest?
01:49Was it just like the scene behind the scenes, the authenticity of it?
01:53What about that do you think attracted people?
01:54I think people really want to shop more meaningful these days.
01:59And that, so people want to really know what is like the truth behind the brand.
02:05So consumers are more conscious.
02:07And I think that this just was able to move and connect people and show that,
02:12oh, this is, this is a brand that isn't just about clothes, but it's about heritage,
02:17it's about showcasing landscapes, it's about being, being conscious about everything that they are doing.
02:24So I think this was, this was a good point for,
02:28this was a good point for us to make and show the world that we are more than just fashion.