Style As Identity
Style As Identity
Meet the brands using style to preserve culture, serve community, honor identity – and evolve our understanding of the style-status-quo. Hosted by Lola Catero and Frankie Ikwuazom.Social links:
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ANCESTRY | Reflections with Lola and Frankie
Who are we? Some of us look to our past as well as our present to answer that question. We spoke to four brands (UnoEth, Nazzal Studios, House of Aama, and Dendezeiro) who are adding to the public archives with creations rooted in history, heritage, identity, and most of all, power. If fashion is a…
26:50
ANCESTRY | Dendezeiro: Bahia-born brand shows brega is beautiful
Brazilian born-and-blessed brand Dendezeiro represents the lesser acknowledged narratives of Bahia. Through the lens of Hisan Silva and Pedro Batalha exploring their family roots, they use fashion to redefine the narrative of sertão the dry backlands of Brazil. Where some say local fashion is co…
38:37
ANCESTRY | House of Aama: Ancestral memory as a public experience
Akua Shabaka, along with her mother, Rebecca Henry, established House of Aama in 2015. Akua and her mother are world builders and weavers of visual stories. They create stunning, often ethereal collections like Salt Water, that introduced a fictional Black resort called Camp Aama, and like Sun Reco…
34:33
ANCESTRY | Nazzal Studio: “What Should Have Been Home” reflects on the future
Although Sylwia Nazzal dreamt of one day launching her own brand, her first goal after graduating from Parsons Paris in 2023 was to gain in-house experience. However, no one would hire the Palestinian Jordanian, Arab designer, citing her as talented but too political. When they said no, she said…
31:34
ANCESTRY | UnoEth: Father-daughter duo build business in community
If you’ve ever had a truckload of product catch fire just before it reaches its destination…then you can relate to UnoEth. If you haven’t experienced this feeling, tune into this episode to hear how Xiomara Rosa-Tedla and her dad Dagne Tedla made it through, with help from the strength of their par…
34:01
PATENTS | Reflections with Lola and Frankie
Innovative products can change our lives. We spoke to four brands (Evelyn & Bobbie, Crave, For Them and CuteCircuit) whose patented products grant us permission to choose ourselves - and not settle for products that don’t. But applying for a patent takes time and money - precious resources for emer…
20:29
PATENTS | CuteCircuit: 2X ‘Best Inventions of The Year’ by Time Magazine
CuteCircuit was the first fashion company to create smart textile-based garments that create an emotional experience for their wearer. Like their Hug Shirt™ that can send people a hug, or The SoundShirt™ that allows deaf and hearing audiences to experience music and sports more intimately through t…
36:32
PATENTS | For Them: The first-ever Jockless Strap
Queer people have been using DIY techniques to present more fully as themselves since the first baby gay was born. Recently brands have started to build products safely, stylishly serving this need. For Them is *the most* innovative name in the game, offering two binding options with their Binder A…
30:02
PATENTS: Crave | The first Pleasure Jewelry without the ick
In 2008 Ti Chang went searching for an enjoyable pleasure product. All she saw were lazily made, anatomical parts. As an industrial designer, she set out to create the products she wanted. What happens when you create something no one asked for? For Ti, this was a vibrator on a chain. Find out how …
32:03
PATENTS: Evelyn & Bobbie | The first underwire replacement bra in 88 years
In the US, only 12% of patents are granted to women. Evelyn & Bobbie founder, Bree McKeen, has six of them. With their biomimicking bras, Evelyn & Bobbie offers the world the first true underwire replacement. In exploring this theme of patents we’re focused on fashion innovations that give us permi…
32:17