The Gaia print was designed in collaboration with Adebusola of Grapes Pattern Bank. It was inspired by the definition of the word ‘Kai’, meaning Ocean or Oceanic in Japanese and Hawaiian. It was a combination of the movement of the ocean, and the textures of the earth that were used to create the contours of the print. The fabric and silhouette of the dress were inspired by our love for the female form, thus we created a sheer dress to celebrate every curve and crevice on the body.

Gaia has been named the ‘dress of the year’ by Okay Africa and has featured in several other publications including Vogue Netherlands, Evening Standard and even the cover of Elle UK. Gaia changed the game for us. Bold, fun, distinctive and colourful prints have now become a part of KAI’s DNA.

The Irun print was also designed in collaboration with Adebusola of Grapes Pattern Bank. Irun means ‘hair’ in Yoruba. The print features an afro comb and is a nod to the highly politicised nature of Black women’s hair.
It evokes both positive and negative memories of hairdressing experiences. For some, it is reminiscent of the quality time spent while getting our hair done by loved ones. For others, it is reminiscent of pain and a constant struggle with hairdressers and caregivers not understanding our natural hair well enough.
Whatever end of the spectrum one falls under, whether you have natural or relaxed hair, or whether getting your hair done represents pride or pain, Irun serves as a symbol of appreciation and celebration of the Black hair experience.

Following the success of Irun, we dove deeper into the exploration of ‘Irun’ (hair in Yoruba) using an exaggerated braid to depict the emphasis we place on hair as women, specifically highlighting the highly politicised yet always celebrated concept of hair as a Black woman.

The Irun Didi collection took sentiments of the Irun print and used it to create the elevated and fully realised collection that is the Irun Didi Collection.