The Reintroduction Of The Colour Black With Fashion Label Lamula Nassuna
Lamula Nassuna is a fashion label that promotes a sense of confidence, strength and celebration for womenkind. Founded in 2014 by Ugandan born, London-based designer Lamula Anderson, it was through fashion that Lamula started creating a wardrobe for women to ignite a sense of independence.
Describing Lamula Nassuna as a collaborative project built from teams of local experts and garment manufacturers in the UK and Uganda, outfits appear infused with cross-cultural inspiration and unitifed through personal love and care. Series of all black designs include tailored two-piece skirt suits and geometric dresses resembling afro hair, braids and fringes; the artistry of which is a unique blend of elegance, purpose and sentimentality. Lamula Nassuna’s production of these innovative designs acts as a reflection on culture, art and tradition, moving between time periods (contemporary and classical), purpose (comfort vs formality) and identity, all sewed together with the same thread - “To reinvent women’s wear”. We asked Lamula to talk us through her brand’s identity and the characters that can be formed through design.
Tell us a little about your brand and how it came to be.
The brand started in 2014. Before this I studied a BA in Fashion Design; being naturally quite shy I was reluctant to begin a business alone and hid behind friend’s labels, assisting here and there until, out of frustration, I took the plunge.
The label begun with being very commercial, easy to wear, and crowd pleasing. Again, I became quite bored and eager to take a new approach, I wanted to make my work current, relevant and personal. It was at this point that I was also going through a strange relationship with my hair - when I refer to ‘my hair’ I mean my natural hair I was born with - and I decided to use afro hair as a main aesthetic in my collections. The Collection ‘Enviri’ tells the story and relationship with afro hair, not just my own story but also other women with afro hair. These ideas have fed into a recent exhibition of work that was shown at the Kunstgewerbemuseum in Berlin titled The Perfect Sterotype.
Explain your fabrication process.
Currently I play with the texture of hair, the silhouette and its form. I work a lot with crepes, jersey and I also intertwin tailoring within my pieces hence the use of and suiting fabric such as wool.
What/ who inspires your craft?
Who - the women around me; my mother, my female cousins, aunts and friends.
What - my life experiences, real life issues, topical issues.
If your collection could talk, what would it say?
It would say: “Beauty is a perception, black is a bright colour ”
If your brand was a period in art, where would it fall?
Romanticism during the 18th century, because it is organic, vulnerable and full of emotions but true.
““Beauty is a perception, black is a bright colour ””
What is the background of a typical Lamula Nassuna consumer. Who are they and what do they do?
She has a history like all of us, beginning with being a little unsure and vulnerable. Her life experiences gave her confidence. She is educated and well cultured. What does she do? Any thing she puts her mind to.
What natural hairstyle best defines the brand?
Kinky afro, bantu knots, braids
What’s next for Lamula Nassuna?
To continue to intrigue and educate and inform the audience / customers through installations via museum exhibitions. To create pieces that are provoking and made with good quality, having an ethical approach to the environment. To challenge the misconceptions we place on ourselves and our communities, to inspire and prepare the next generation. To set a good example.
Follow Lamula Nassuna on Instagram here.
