FEBEN
Born in North Korea and raised by her Ethiopian mother in Sweden, Feben Vemmenbi uses her personal experience and a community-focused approach to reclaim the Black identity through surrealistic design. Through her eponymous label, the Central Saint Martins graduate evokes curiosity and celebrates strong women.
Each of Feben’s garments recounts a piece of her story. Influenced by her upbringing in refugee camps, her eye-catching pieces reflect her sentiment of misplacement, discomfort, and not belonging. By doing so while confronting the stereotypes that define the perception of black women in society, the exclusion of Black femme bodies in fashion, Feben’s message resonates with a wide audience who has shared her experiences or sentiment.
Her debut collection, “She Is Woman”, made a confident statement on the beauty of imperfection by working around the concept of Wabi Sabi, exploring the correlation between the female form and ageing with leather corsets, structured pieces and mesh flares.
Feben’s latest collection, titled “It’s not right, but it’s ok” after Whitney Houston’s 1999 hit, celebrates black womanhood and confronts its exclusion from society’s ideals. The clash of prints and the unexpected fabric combinations like mesh and wool make a statement about embracing the atypical. She makes a more poignant commentary with “the Dorian Corey look”, a quirky pinstripe suit that takes a humorous approach to a business staple. With this tribute to the Harlem ballroom icon, Feben wants to show that anyone can be an executive, even though not all bodies are represented in that manner.
Since last year, the young designer has collaborated with Beyoncé and has been selected as a recipient of the Metallic Fund grant. Her ability to charge her surrealistic clothes with strong political messages paralleled with her real-life actions taken to support social justice movements are inspiring change in the fashion industry and contribute to building a stronger community.
Image credits
Image 1 : Photography by Joyce NG, Creative Direction and Styling by Feben, Hair by Virginie de Pinto Moreira, Hair by Ammy Drammeh, Nails by Sylvie MacMillan, Set Design by Dora Miller, Casting by Samuel Ellis
Image 2 : The Croc Look from ‘It’s not right, but its ok’ MA collection, Photography by Liz Johnson Arthur, Styling by Ib Kamara, Hair by Virginie Pinto Moreira, Makeup by Ammy Drammeh, Casting by Chloe Rosolek
Image 3 : The Eartha Look from ‘It’s alright but it’s ok’ MA collection, Photography by Liz Johnson Arthur, Styling by Ib Kamara, Hair by Virginie Pinto Moreira, Makeup by Ammy Drammeh, Casting by Chloe Rosolek
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