Fashion Freedom

The Winter Fashion Issue '21

Written by: NIZIE LOKMAN, FCIM

Fashion Freedom

DISCOVER THE WORLD WITHIN ALLËDJO

People come and go. And we are here to celebrate the diversity of the world.

- KASSIM LASSISSI

What does freedom mean to you?

Different people will have different meanings for this powerful word. To an entrepreneur, it could mean financially free. To an avid traveler, it could mean freedom to discover and explore. Likewise, the Allëdjo brand speaks to the power and freedom of fabrics and travel, to the diversity of ethics and the preservation of cultures. It’s the deep interconnected feeling from your heart, mind, body, and soul that sets you free.

Essentially, Allëdjo is about wearing clothing as a pause in daily life. An escape from routine. An escape from difficulties towards serenity and a peaceful state. They are beautiful and are incredibly pleasant to wear. They caress the skin and move fluidly.

Allëdjo was founded in 2018 by the visionary entrepreneur Kassim Lassissi, originally from Benin, a small and beautiful west African country. He has been described as an international man of mystery, a dreamer, and a child of Africa. He braves the freedom to forge a unique path on his terms and combine his innate passion and then he shares it with the world through his exquisite apparel designs.

He added that “Allëdjo means traveler and visitor in Yoruba, a West African dialect from Nigeria and Benin. Therefore, the brand promotes a traveling spirit and, on a deeper level, means a visitor of this world since we all come and go. These two aspects are the main principles of Allëdjo.”

AFRICAN CRAFTSMANSHIP AT THE FOREFRONT

Before founding Allëdjo, Kassim explained, “ I have a passion for travel, for cultures, but no job related to it spoke to me. I analyzed the market and thought they were missing a brand that would showcase a variety of silk printed shirts. l couldn’t find a place in anything that existed, so I launched Allëdjo, the fusion of fashion and cultures. Wanting to add a more personal touch, I decided to bet on the human capital of the African continent.”

Kassim mentioned,

I simply wanted to give life to my passion.

And his meaningful mission is to give visibility to African craftsmanship while celebrating the cultures of the world.

Like all other businesses, the global pandemic had disrupted the Allëdjo value chain. The demand from consumers dipped down because people couldn’t go out freely to attend functions and events, resulting in a decline in sales.

FROM COVID CAPTIVE TO FREEDOM NARRATIVE

However, coincidentally the Black Lives Matter happened, which gave a breath of fresh air to Allëdjo. As a great supporter of this global movement, the brand wanted to see justice for their brothers and sisters of African heritage. Allëdjo didn’t waste any more time. They rose up to build their brand stronger by tapping into social media presence and garnered significant support from the media.

Interestingly, Allëdjo capitalized on the shift of consumer behavior from physical to online platforms during the pandemic lockdown and that gave them the idea to launch the FREELAST collection virtually. It was a meaningful success.

Last year, Allëdjo launched the collection We Shine Through Darkness. It is themed to evoke change in individuals and showcase the collective struggles we face toward success. It is also about breaking the chains of the dark times we go through.

THE LATEST COLLECTION

Allëdjo recently launched their firstever accessories capsule collection, PADA*. It is inspired by the Cyclades objects and souvenirs to take with you for cooler temperatures.

We designed silk scarves, in various formats, small, medium, and large, and to amplify our looks we released silver scarf rings, Kassim explained.

As the festive season is around the corner, it would be a great idea to visit Allëdjo and explore all their collections. You might find something that speaks freedom to you. Better still, share it with someone as a gift, as a representation of you. Perhaps, the winter sun scarf would be a great choice.

Do you know what is too sweet to be kept a secret? Allëdjo is expanding next year. You can expect a complete collection from top to bottom, including accessories too. Stay tuned for more excitement in 2022.

Read more at https://issuu.com/rareluxuryliving/docs/winter_fashion_issue_2021_full_pages/258