STORY OF KAI
Kai Collective is a London-based contemporary brand intentionally crafted to make women feel their most confident, founded by Fisayo Longe in 2016. As an OG fashion and travel blogger since 2012, during her trips, Fisayo would personally source fabrics and design stunning unique outfits, catching the attention of her community who inquired about purchasing them.
This organic interaction revealed a void in the market — attainable but luxurious statement pieces that do not compromise quality.
We use fashion as a conduit for self-expression and self- actualisation by sparking meaningful conversations and enabling women from all walks of life to feel seen and heard.
We value our community deeply, and through clothing, we communicate with, and remind you never to accept any societal limitations that might be placed on you.
STORY OF GAIA
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.
STORY OF IRUN
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.
STORY OF IRUN DIDI
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.