# NKWO

> NKWO is a slow and sustainable label based in Abuja, Nigeria, started in 2012. Behind the label: Nkwo Onwuka. Known for Dakala cloth, a fabric pieced from denim and cutting-table waste to look like strip-woven cloth.

- Canonical: https://thecastindex.com/designers/nkwo
- Country guide: https://thecastindex.com/houses/nigerian-designers
- Facts checked: 2026-10-22
- Author: Kaiser Khan (Founder & Editor)

## Quick facts

- Behind the label: Nkwo Onwuka
- Based: Abuja, Nigeria
- Since: 2012
- Focus: Slow and sustainable
- Makes: Womenswear and accessories, made with artisans in limited runs
- Official site: https://www.nkwo.design
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nkwo_official/

## Who is behind NKWO?

Nkwo Onwuka first launched her label, named after herself, in 2007, The Stylemate reported; the brand dates its relaunch to 2012, after which it put more weight on traditional craft and on cutting textile waste. Its signature is Dakala cloth, developed in the studio from strips of discarded denim and cutting-table offcuts sewn together in a way inspired by strip weaving; the V&A notes that it was nominated in the fashion category of Beazley Designs of the Year 2020. The museum holds a Dakala ensemble from WHO KNEW (Spring/Summer 2019), shown at Lagos Fashion Week in November 2018 and made in Abuja, with a gele cut from a checked Ghana-must-go bag. NKWO won the Bicester Collection Award for Emerging Designers at the CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards in Milan in September 2022, and showed at Lagos Fashion Week on 1 November 2025.

## Timeline

- 2012: Nkwo Onwuka relaunches her label. (source: https://www.nkwo.design/pages/about)
- November 2018: Shows WHO KNEW, for SS19, at Lagos Fashion Week. (source: https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1601029/)
- 25 September 2022: Wins the Bicester Collection Award for Emerging Designers at the CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards, at Teatro alla Scala in Milan. (source: https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/cnmi-presents-sustainable-fashion-awards/2022092865404)
- 1 November 2025: Shows at Lagos Fashion Week. (source: https://lagosfashionweek.ng/event-schedule/fashion-week-2025)

## Sources

- [NKWO — About (official site)](https://www.nkwo.design/pages/about) — checked 2026-10-22
- [V&A — NKWO ensemble, WHO KNEW, Spring/Summer 2019, T.115-2021](https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1601029/) — checked 2026-10-22
- [The Stylemate — NKWO, Abuja, Nigeria (27 September 2021)](https://www.thestylemate.com/nkwo-abuja-nigeria-preservation-of-traditional-crafts/?lang=en) — checked 2026-10-22
- [FashionUnited — CNMI presents Sustainable Fashion Awards (September 2022)](https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/cnmi-presents-sustainable-fashion-awards/2022092865404) — checked 2026-10-22
- [Ellen MacArthur Foundation — NKWO (15 December 2022)](https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/videos/nkwo) — checked 2026-10-22
- [Lagos Fashion Week — NKWO designer profile](https://lagosfashionweek.ng/designers/nkwo) — checked 2026-10-22
- [Lagos Fashion Week — 2025 event guide (29 October–2 November 2025)](https://lagosfashionweek.ng/event-schedule/fashion-week-2025) — checked 2026-10-22