Izuchukwu Onyedibiemma Udokwu is one of the five recipients of the inaugural Open Country Mag Curatorial Fellowship, sponsored by Africa No Filter. His proposal was a 3D fashion and storytelling series called It’s Bloom Time, which would explore individual struggles and identity. The initiative supported It’s Bloom Time with $1,000 and mentorship by Lumen Prize winning artist Minne Atairu, A Nasty Boy founder Innanoshe Akuson, and Open Country Mag editor Otosirieze.
Udokwu is a Nigerian storyteller and fashion designer living in Lagos. He is the founder of Zuny Label. Vanity Teen named him a designer to watch. His writing has appeared in Afreada, Kalahari Review, and Lolwe. He was shortlisted for the 2020 K & L Prize and published in an anthology of Africanfuturism, Black Skin No Mask.
What is It’s Bloom Time?
It’s Bloom Time is a 3D fashion collection about the struggles I faced when I started my brand; it tells a story of growth, of a new beginning, like the blooming of flowers in their season.
The flowers I chose are symbolic: allium, for a fresh start to a more prosperous place; potentilla, representing a reign of power and strength and honor; gladiolus, for struggle, strength, and victory; goldenrod, signifying a pioneering spirit because we are leading in preserving our environment using 3D designs; echinacea, for health; and Blue star, for hope in adversity. These show not only beauty but also the need to protect our environment from excessive wastes.
When did you first have the idea for It’s Bloom Time, and how did it develop?
I had the first idea in April 2023, when it was time for the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (AMVCA), and the development started when I created two outfits for two public figures for the event, and someone there resonated with the story. I think that getting to a point of bloom is a universal language.
Things need to be healthy to bloom. So it was imperative that I thought about a sustainable way to make this collection without contributing to the unhealthy practices in the fashion industry. We chose 3D designs, instead of physical pieces that would end up in the trash or in the storeroom.
Which parts of It’s Bloom Time were the easiest to create?
The easiest stage of this collection would be the sketching. But even that wasn’t too easy because, even though I had conceptualized it, which took a lot of time, sketching it was a whole different ball game. But, compared to the rest, it was the easiest part.
Which aspects were the most challenging?
That would be researching flowers that could deeply express the story, and then creating the 3D designs. The latter required a lot of back and forth to get exactly what I wanted. And then there was the merging of all the aspects of this collection — the poetry and the music and the 3D rendition.
What gap does It’s Bloom Time fill in curation and culture?
It’s Bloom Time fills a gap between conceptualization and creation. A lot of waste happens during the creative process, especially when fashion brand owners create collections. It’s Bloom Time shows that you don’t have to create physical pieces that would probably end up in the storeroom or the wastebin, that you can show people how creative you can be with your designs and bring them to life for your clients without contributing to the wastes we are suffering from in our environment.
It is a welcome and fresh new beginning for designers, one that bridges gaps of collaboration. I combined poetry and fashion and music to create this. Imagine the endless possibilities.
What is the future of It’s Bloom Time after the Fellowship?
After the Fellowship, the It’s Bloom Time collection will be produced specifically for clients who have placed orders for it. And whoever buys a piece also owns a digital copy of it. The value of the physical piece may dwindle due to constant usage, but the digital copy will only increase in value. In other words, a person who buys is also investing.
What are the most important skills that you picked up during the Fellowship?
I learned how important it is to have communication skills, that is, the ability to convey my story in the clearest way to my audience. The Fellowship gave me room to fully be myself and to trust in my ability to think outside the box and create things I thought impossible. It made me research more on the kind of visual representation that fits in with a story. It also taught me how to manage available resources, which in turn pulled different creative sides of me that I did not know existed.
The Fellowship gave me access to people that I might be working with again in the future. It also showed me that being in a space full of creative people can challenge a person into blowing up the conserved, most brilliant part of themselves, and skillfully propels them to embrace unconventional ideas. ♦
Contact Izuchukwu Udokwu via email: Izuudokwu@gmail.com; Instagram: @izuudokwu; or Twitter: @izuudokwu.
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Other Projects from the Open Country Mag Curatorial Fellowship, Sponsored by Africa No Filter
— Presenting Among Us, Scans of Ancient Nok Art for an AR-scape
— Presenting Luba, an Exhibition on Malawian Flora
— Presenting One Foot in the Closet, a Podcast for Queer and Beyond-the-Binary Africans
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