Nigerian Design Collective VIVENDII Is Back With a New Collection

The Lagos and London-based design collective VIVENDII has launched a new online store alongside the most recent drop of its apparel collection, heavily inspired by the digital world of the 1990s.

The collective, formed of Jimmy Ayeni, Ola Badiru, and Anthony Oye, began as a group of bloggers in 2011, but soon moved to styling, where they were spotted by the late Vogue Italia editor-in-chief Franca Sozzani, who encouraged them to form a brand. Their heavily-branded FW19 collection was their last, before the group took a hiatus to focus on music.

But in September, the group were recipients of the Metallic Fund, an initiative set up by Grace LaDoja and Alex Sossah to offer financial support and mentorships to Black creatives. The group won a £20,000 (approx. $27,000 USD) grant from the fund, allowing them to launch their new store.

The e-store itself is loosely based on the format of the classic Windows desktop game Solitaire, which was factory-fitted onto most computers during the 90s, and by the classic arcade fighter Tekken. Movable decks of cards on the site link to stockist pages, a shoppable section, and a page devoted to the collective’s music channel, VIVENDII SOUND. The collection itself is largely consistent with the brand’s prior offerings, focusing on logo-emblazoned tees and hoodies, alongside a new line of printed bags.

Among the other collections released this week, check out the second offering from Matthew M. Williams at Givenchy.