interview by iyin abiodun
February 11, 2019
Henry Uduku creates clothes that remind you of a good memory or a feeling of friendship under his stylised eponymous brand Henri Uduku.
up next
interview series: detailing the creative journey of young nigerian minds.
Henry Uduku set out in 2016 to be independent. He began his career in fashion and hasn’t looked back since. As an Independent Designer and Creative Director making strides in the Nigerian fashion industry, we were interested in meeting up and speaking on his brand and journey so far.
Presented with fabric pieces of his recently released Let Me Live collection at his workspace in Surulere, I was immediately drawn to the Nintendo Gameboy motifs on one of the pieces. I had my own Gameboy story and I wanted to hear his story. His ideas are continually spontaneous but well thought out as I learnt. The Let Me Live Collection was an expression of something different from his previous collection (Resort) as it was inspired by some of the best memories of his childhood and his Father who had recently battled cancer. The collection also draws creative strength from the 90s era. The results are pieces boasting bold elements made using tye and dye (adire) and batik techniques. Elements and style that make you reminisce on your childhood or past memories.
gameboy and cassette prints from the Let Me Live Collection by
Henri Uduku
amped: Can you describe Henri Uduku, what it means to you and how you want the brand to be perceived?
Henry: Crafted with friends in mind is the motto for the brand. Everyone is different but then you find similarities in people and build relationships off that. I usually name a piece after one of my friends or acquaintances, and he/she has some distinct trait or principle that is represented in that piece.
I want the brand to offer my customers a link to their memories, a nostalgic feeling of friendship.
'FOLA' by
Henri Uduku
amped: How do you communicate and express yourself through your designs?
Henry: Well it depends; I take polls on social media, share ideas with my friends/family, gather opinions and reactions and use as a guide in creating.
For example; growing up, I had stolen a gameboy from the store and my folks found out and I got a nice ass whooping [laughs]. The gameboy was such a social symbol for people of my generation, and our gameboy print was an homage to that era. Some of my friends know this story and we just laughed about it when the sample fabrics were delivered.
'WOLE' by
Henri Uduku
inspired by NTSC colour bars
amped: Are there challenges you are facing that is indicative of the industry as a whole?
Henry: Penetrating the fashion industry generally can be difficult, and for ready-to-wear, it can be harder as the business of ready-to-wear relies on an existing retail model to reach customers.
I’ve come to understand that Nigerians for the most part are used to the made-to-measure process, we are used to tailors measuring us and making the clothes from fabric we give them or they pick out for us, which is a great model but is a major challenge for brands looking to grow.
How good your work is, is only one of the many ways to break into the Lagos market as it can be quite cliquey. But to be fair, if you build your network well, it does get easier.
amped: What is your team like? Is it difficult to communicate your ideas to them?
Henry: My team is currently a 3 man team of myself, a tailor and an assistant. I usually just experience something put it on paper and use mood boards to walk them through it. We create patterns and samples for reference and we have our own size guide. If I like how the samples look, and I’m certain that we can replicate them the entire season easily, we move.
I have been working with my current tailor for about 7 months, he’s a bit younger than I am and we spend a lot of time together, so communication isn’t always a problem.
amped: You did only womenswear for sometime. You now currently offer both men and women clothing, does womenswear receive more attention than menswear?
Henry: When I first started designing, I did womenswear. For some personal reasons and experiences, my direction shifted to menswear. Thankfully, women responded strongly to my first men’s collection and that’s how I started making clothes for men but with women in mind. I’ve also added some womenswear pieces to previous collections and we’d keep winging it like that.
gender neutral clothing by Henri Uduku
amped: What would you say to newer designers coming up?
Henry: Keep winging it. Be consistent. Keep churning out good stuff.
I recently made a special design for a friend that wasn’t part of any collection. It received a lot of attention from other people who loved it and wanted one of their own. So you never know, just keep at it.
You may not fully understand everything about your brand, but try to be consistent at what you do.
amped: What is on the horizon for Henri Uduku?
Henry: I’m looking to integrate more details into my designs in the future. Borrowing from other cultures, more textures, and details for women and men. I’m also now certain that I can work with prints and I’m going to keep making them.
