EWUSIE OUTDOORING: The Re-see, The Ceremony, The Exchange
In-line with Ghanaian tradition, Joshua Ewusie presents his first in-person presentation — an Outdooring ceremony celebrating the launch of namesake label, EWUSIE.
This London Fashion Week saw the initiation of EWUSIE, by recent Central Saint Martins MA Womenswear graduate Joshua Ewusie, in a close-knit Outdooring event attended by family and friends.
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©EWUSIE
A recipient of the BFC x Chanel MA Scholarship, Joshua Ewusie embeds cultural duality and timeless style within his design practice. His standout AW24 MA collection, entitled You Don’t Fear the Cold, is a narrative across generations. The phrase would often be uttered by his grandmother to his sister, when the latter would go clubbing in revealing clothing during the winter season. ‘Cold’ also references hostility against immigrants and immigration culture here in the UK.
Following this success, Ewusie has birthed his eponymous label with the devoted support of community — one he pays special tribute to during the exclusive launch.
“OUTDOORING came together because I really wanted to say thank you so far to my community,” explains Ewusie. “The idea of OUTDOORING in Ghanaian culture is that you present your child to people who have been there from the beginning. You show your intentions with your child, and you have community there to witness that and support you. I wanted to take that concept and bring it to a fashion landscape.”
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The event, held at The King’s Foundation, Trinity Buoy Wharf in East London, is curated with contributions from his BA and MA studies, along with new works that will be shown in EWUSIE’s next collection. Visual reference points, such as lookbooks tracing influences and processes are displayed next to press coverage by the likes of Vogue and Elle. There’s a warm hum as people enter the space, greeting each other — some for the first time, but most with kind eyes acknowledging familiar faces. A second space holds a collection of moments documented in film across two months, giving behind the scenes access to Ewusie’s MA collection, from initial sketches to runway.
OUTDOORING journeys EWUSIE’s identity, its formation and its ideal muse — the sophisticated woman who will inevitably flock to its polished fashions.
“I think my MA helped to show the type of aesthetic in a woman I want to design for,” Ewusie adds. “The EWUSIE brand identity is about confidence and swagger. It's always about balancing this idea and how she wears the clothes and how she goes about in them in daily life, essentially.”
Around the room are complete looks, along with textile samples. From leather manipulation, laser cutting and etching, to tributes to West African Kaba. An iconic beaded dress found in a charity shop, reworked by Ewusie and embroiderer Angelica Ellis (and later worn by actor Emma Corrin), holds maybe the most attention in the space.
Going forward, Ewusie wants a focal point of the brand to be its leather products, in addition to exploring Ghanaian/West African culture. Through staple accessory pieces and quality craftsmanship, the designer hopes to continue elevating his practice, whilst also making luxury accessible for his community.
“What are my intentions?” Ewusie reiterates. “I want it to be much more about being just a fashion brand. I have so many friends from different cultures in London, whether they be from India, China or Nigeria, and can relate to being very traditional with their parents. But at the same time growing up in London and navigating the two. And for me, that brings its own culture.”
A time to breathe and authentically connect with others amongst the frenzy that often comes with Fashion Week, Ewusie demonstrates how key it is to focus on longevity and refinement. Continuing to blend tradition with modernity whilst centering community, it’s no argument that EWUSIE is one of the most exciting brands to emerge out of the London fashion scene to date.
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