Over the years I have read about and met non-Africans who started African labels or labels based elsewhere with production in Africa. When I meet them, I always ask why Africa why the specific country. Majority of the back stories are, I went on a mission trip or holidays for a few weeks and fell in love with the prints blah blah. There have been a few where they grew up there when they were younger, but majority just seem to be about missions trips which result in trying to save Africa with the label.
However there is one brand with a different kind of back story. YEVU. Earlier this week I went to hang out at the pop-up store in Hoxton and met label owner Anna Robertson. I had communicated with her over emails, but meeting her was something else. She is from my side of the world – Australia. My city Sydney to be exact. She worked in Ghana as part of a think tank which helped with 2012 elections. The election which was in dispute for over a year in the courts. She knows Ghana. It’s not surface knowledge. I honestly haven’t had such an intense yet candid conversation about Ghana like that in a very LONG TIME. I think it’s because a lot of my Ghanaian-British friends don’t seem to see Ghana the way I see it. One friend once said to me ‘You Australian-Ghanaians seem too invested in Ghana’. Of course we are, we are far, we don’t get the real garden eggs, or the real yaw and plantain like they do. The list goes on. I felt very at home talking to Anna about Ghana. Felt like I was back in Australia swapping travel stories and jokes with my friends, shaking our head at certain scenarios, complaining and then saying at the end of it all saying by ‘Ghana is so FUN’.
Anna just simply fell in love with the fabrics and saw an opportunity. More like a massive hole in the Australian market. Everything at her first pop-up store sold out. I totally understand why! There is just something so universal about her pieces. Whether you are someone who likes heavy prints, or minimal prints, lots of colour, or reduced colour, you are bound to find something which appeals to you!
More images on our instagram @afroklectic. If you are in London, you can check out the pop-up store before it disappears. Get a feel for the clothes and the YEVU vibe. If not, it’s all online at yevuclothing.com