Banke Kuku

Banke Kuku
Born1986 or 1987 (age 38–39)[1]
EducationCentral Saint Martins College of Art and Design; Chelsea College of Arts
OccupationsFashion designer, textile designer
Years active2011–present
Known forBanke Kuku fashion and textile brand
SpouseOlusola Lawson (m. 2017)

Banke Kuku is a Nigerian fashion and textile designer. It is also the brand name of Kuku's fashion and textile line.

Early life and education

Kuku was born in Nigeria in the 1980s.[2][3] Her mother was an attorney and taught Kuku to knit when she was five.[4][5] Her family moved to London when she was eight.[2][4] Kuku attended boarding schools in Kent.[4]

Kuku attended Central St. Martins College of Art and Design and Chelsea College of Arts, where she studied art, fashion, and textiles.[2][4] At Chelsea, she specialized in printed and woven textiles. One of her mentors was Duro Olowu.[6] She did a business course with The Prince's Trust.[6]

Career

Kuku's textile designs focus on printed fabrics.[7][1] She produces her designs in the Ikoyi neighborhood of Lagos.[2][8]

Kuku worked as a freelance textile designer in the UK.[2][9] She created interior design textiles.[2][10] In 2011 she established her eponymous label, then Banke Kuku Textiles, and established a studio in London.[11][12][6] Around 2016 she moved back to Nigeria because she was marrying a Nigerian man.[6] Clients expressed interest in garments made with her interior design prints, and in early 2019 she created a collection of loungewear, pajamas, and kaftans.[2][6] In November 2019 she opened a storefront in Lagos.[10][13][9] In March of 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic shut down her storefront operations, and she launched an online sales space.[9][6]

Kuku moved into daywear and evening wear after the COVID-19 restrictions lifted.[2] She debuted her designs at the 2021 Lagos Fashion Week.[2] The brand eventually expanded to include menswear, childrenswear and resort wear.[10][14]

She collaborated with Gabrielle Union on a 2022 6-piece capsule collection.[2][15] In 2023 she was a guest judge on The Great British Sewing Bee for designs that included batakari, adire fabric, and boubou.[16] In September of 2023 she was the cover feature for ThisDay Style.[17]

Tiwa Savage, Michelle Obama, Kelis, and Catt Sadler have worn her designs.[4][5]

Personal life

In 2017 Kuku married Olusola Lawson in Marrakesh.[18]

References

  1. ^ a b "Banke Kuku of Banke Kuku Textiles". femaleallrounder. 2014-07-02. Retrieved 2026-01-05.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j C.J, Nelson (2024-05-21). "The Rise and Rise of Banke Kuku | OkayAfrica". Okay Africa. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  3. ^ "About". Banke Kuku. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  4. ^ a b c d e Newbold, Alice (2020-06-21). "Lagos Designer Banke Kuku Is Telling Africa's Stories Through Vibrant Silks". British Vogue. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  5. ^ a b Austin, Julia (2015-03-23). "12 Things You Didn't Know About Nigerian Entrepreneur Banke Kuku". Moguldom. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Episode 2: About my fashion and lifestyle brand and plans after the pa". Banke Kuku. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  7. ^ "Designer Spotlight – Why Banke Kuku is the designer of the moment". ThisDay. 20 June 2022. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  8. ^ May, Naomi. "Designer Diaries: meet the Lagos designer reclaiming the narrative of African fashion". Stylist.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  9. ^ a b c "Banke Kuku: Founder & Creative Director, Banke Kuku – Fashion with Purpose: Sustainability & Innovation in Luxury Design". African Business Stories. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  10. ^ a b c Madiba, Gwen (11 November 2025). "Banke Kuku: The Thread Between Art and Identity". Rolling Stone Africa.
  11. ^ "Nigeria: Banke Kuku - I Started Knitting At Age Five". AllAfrica. 23 August 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-08-30. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  12. ^ Johnson, Steve (2025-05-29). "The Print Alchemist: Banke Kuku's Mastery Of Colour, Culture, And Couture". Empire Magazine Africa. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  13. ^ "Banke Kuku is Devastatingly Gorgeous on THISDAY Style's Latest Cover". BellaNaija. 2023-09-12. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  14. ^ Oladokun, Itoro (2025-03-22). "Nigerian ready-to-wear brands redefining fashion". The Guardian Nigeria. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  15. ^ Chwatt, Nikki (2022-10-25). "Gabrielle Union Debuts Capsule Collection with Banke Kuku for New York & Company". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  16. ^ Liddle, Rachel (2023-06-08). "Sewing Bee introduces special judge". Prima. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  17. ^ Rukevwe, Oroma Roxella (10 September 2023). "Banke Kuku. A Force for Fashion". ThisDay. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
  18. ^ Randle, J.K. (2017-05-14). "Arab spring smells like a rose: For Banke and Olusola". Businessday Nigeria. Retrieved 2025-12-29.
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