The Essence of Ancestral Heritage With Vrede 919
Rooted from insufficient creative visibility in menswear, Vrede 919 creates a recollection of fashion archives paying homage to African culture, textiles, and more through a combination of vibrant hues, distinctive trims, and more to create a community that caters to creativity, innovation and culture.
With the intent of uniting Africans, Verde 919 goes on to break barriers of alienation that the minority group may face through a re-imagination of storytelling and uplifting African counterparts.
In 2019, Vrede 919 began with the purpose of highlighting the beauty behind the evolution of man amid toxic masculinity and societal pressures that are placed on them.
For centuries the presence of Western culture has dictated a lot of the cliches that we normalize, but Vrede 919 is here to spark initiatives to educate younger generations and sustainably transpire job creation.
Such a powerful movement works to elevate the youth in Nigeria, through their 919 Scholars Program which focuses on furthering God-given talents. Committed to leading a network of a unified community, it’s no surprise that the founder Faith wants to see others like herself win.
The Nigerian Queen of Abundance
A native to the homeland of Nigeria, Faith has always felt passionate about bringing deeper levels of diversity. From studying fashion in Abuja and London, the female designer explored her creativity and craftsmanship in Japan, Amsterdam, Paris, Milan, and Los Angeles.
“As an aspiring global citizen, I choose to immerse myself in different cultures, gaining different realizations to participate in the healing of what is broken,” Faith said.
Advocacy Transpires Collective Agency
As Faith continues to evolve as a designer, she is always keeping in mind her purpose of using her creative talent as a way to better the lives of others that look just like her. In a world where many things are male-dominated, Faith’s consistency and hustle from coming from a third-world country prove that she is up for any challenge!
It wasn’t enough for her to come to America and acquire knowledge to better herself, but using her skills to amplify African voices served a larger purpose bigger than her. To Faith, fashion is something that transcends unheard voices to bring to light issues that are tied to her home back in Nigeria.
Currently, the designer resides in Los Angeles and continues to use her knowledge to build an everlasting legacy of security, education, and community to tackle poverty and increase socioeconomic opportunities for African people worldwide.