AfriHomeChic: Eva Sonaike, MyriaMMAXO & Royal Hut bring a touch of Africa to your home
Posted on Sunday, February 28th, 2010 at 9:45 PMBy BellaNaija.com
The influence of African culture on the global scene keeps rising.
From Ndebele tribe print Louboutins to Beyonce & Alicia Keys rocking ankara outfits (by Boxing Kitten) in their new video.
Now the inspiration is moving from clothing and accessories to other exciting mediums. In Nigeria, companies such as Interior Option’s Ethniki have been doing this for a while, now the international scene is catching on.
Designer Eva Sonaike has just released “The Ikoyi Collection“. A vibrant collection of cushions made with ankara and batik fabrics.
Specialising in traditional African and African-inspired textiles combined with the finest velvets and leathers Eva Sonaike’s collection of cushions, bags and notebooks can now be found in London’s most prestigious stores including Liberty and Selfridges, as well as in a selection of exclusive boutiques and websites.
Eva Sonaike
Eva, who was born and raised in Germany and is of Nigerian origin, has taken the best elements of those two cultures to inspire her designs. She trained in Journalism at the London College of Printing before working as a TV producer/director for the youth and travel programme “urbanation”, reporting on trends from London, Paris and New York. Her interest in African fashion and design was triggered through the elegant and beautiful attire, mixing traditional African clothing with continental European styles and homes that combined antique and retro furniture with traditional African textiles, she came across during her upbringing in the South of Germany and Lagos.
Another young designer inventively using African fabric and influences in her interior design pieces of France based, Myriam Maxo. The label MyriaMMaxo uses ankara to create tables, chairs and even lamps!
MyriaMMaxo
Finally, this brand has been garnering major buzz on the international scene. Royal Hut is the first luxury brand in the world focused on the creation of products utilizing African cloths and luxury Home Furnishings. Mary Vinson founded Royal Hut in 2001. Mary’s inspiration to create the brand was instantly triggered upon witnessing the concert of the legendary Nigerian Musician King Sunny Ade.
Royal Hut
After viewing the bright and stylish costumes worn by the musicians and dancers, Mary developed a deep passion for Africa and its culture. A determined explorer, she immersed herself in the local cultures of the places she travelled to, telling the story of Africa in her own inimitable style. It was her fusion of true luxury with genuine artisan materials that gave birth to an innovative direction in lifestyle products. The story of all Royal Hut products deliberately begins with cloths. The origins of the cloth represent the creativity of a network of artisans from around West Africa. The brand is sold at various premium stores including Harrods.
We love it! So what do you think?
To find out more about the brands, visit Eva Sonaike | MyriaMMAXO | Royal Hut
Additional Photo Credit: Telegraph | AfroChic
Tags: ankara, BN Living, Eva Sonaike, MyriaMMAXO, Royal Hut
March 5th, 2010 at 6:04 AM
beautiful, i think this lady will be facing tough competition from designers with similar content. It doesn’t look too complicated on the creative end, so she’s gotta keep pushing the envelope to stay in business- personal opinion