EMWE — meaning one in Runyankole a Western Ugandan Bantu language — is a series of protective outerwear that signifies the power of one. An individually repeated action that possesses capacity to steer change. A change in the way one thinks, makes and lives. Only one version of the design in this series is made to reinforce this way of being.
Isabella Isabeau makes each jacket locally from a single piece of waterproof cotton using a bespoke folding technique that features inbuilt hood pouches, hidden pockets and zero waste with no cut off fabric. No colour or pattern is the same so there’s only one of each made, further stretching the power of EMWE.
This approach intentionally slows down the making process in consideration of ethical and environmental concerns.
photographed by Kwasi Darko 2019