Weekday's Studio Made has collaborated with the emerging designer Feben on a colour-strewn new collection
Weekday Studio Made have joined forces with the London-based, Sweden-raised rising star designer Feben for an exciting new collection, launching today.
Feben, an Ethiopian designer who has created costumes for Beyoncé’s Black is King, along with dressing the likes of British actress Michaela Coel and singer Erykah Badu, opted to focus on the idea of memories and moments, snatched from a childhood spent in Sweden. The collection, made up of eleven different handcrafted pieces, uses overstock from Weekday’s previous collections and refashions the items into reassembled fabric.
“We blended fabric manipulations with Weekday overstock to create shapes and silhouettes that are aligned with our brand,” explains the designer.
A graduate of London’s famed art and fashion school Central Saint Martins, Feben has used her unconventional upbringing, having been born in North Korea before leaving for Sweden, as a source of inspiration in her work and her designs. She utilises different textures and techniques as a form of communicating her experience of both experiencing the world as a black woman, along with feelings of displacement.
"I grew up with my mother in various parts of Sweden. As a black kid surrounded by blonde hair and blue eyes you immediately feel like an outsider. The reason why I left is because there are less opportunities for people of colour in Sweden.
“I left the same summer I finished high school. Although I’m grateful to have grown up there, I don’t consider myself Swedish,” explains Feben.
Through her designs she explores both the personal and the political, sourcing inspiration from anywhere and everywhere. “From a conversation, an object or person. I find characters and their stories interesting and that naturally becomes a reflection in my work. Anything that ignites a curiosity to dig deeper.”
Feben’s 11-piece collection for Studio Made is available from 18 August here