In Dialogue: House Of Aama

In Dialogue:
House of Aama’s Akua Shabaka and Rebecca Henry

Mother-daughter duo Akua Shabaka and Rebecca Henry are self-described folklorists whose collections reveal rich narratives rooted in Black history. We ask them what stories they’re telling now.

PUBLISHED: FEBRUARY 8 2022

While it’s true that using fashion as a means of storytelling is nothing new, House of Aama’s Akua Shabaka and her mother, Rebecca Henry’s approach—which marries ancestral wisdom with rigorous historical research—is unlike any other.

Both women identify as modern-day folklorists, carrying out their shared natural impulse to excavate and shed light on nuanced histories of the Black and African-American diaspora at large. From these stories, they spin vivid worlds: dreamy confluences of fiction and nonfiction, rich tales of migration and displacement, and fortitude and community born anew. Their collections are multifarious; at once rarefied and wearable, retro and of the moment. Their considerately crafted pieces don’t adhere to a single aesthetic and could easily be mistaken for one-off vintage finds. (In fact, as a student, Akua reworked vintage pieces and sold them on Etsy.)

By 2015, House of Aama was officially born, turning out unisex collections that filled a void for sartorial depictions of Black histories—and for those looking to use fashion as a way of connecting to these histories. In 2021, House of Aama was named a finalist for the prestigious CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, establishing it as a crucial force driving American fashion forward and bringing international acclaim. This February, the L.A.-based brand will show for the second time as one of New York Fashion Week’s most anticipated highlights.

In their collections, you’ll find the Southern Creole spirituality that Rebecca grew up ensconced in, handpainted prints populated with African deities alongside Ghanaian Adinkra symbols, and—in the Resort ‘22 collection titled “Salt Water”—maritime motifs awash in the (oft untold) legacy of the Black beach havens who emerged in the early 1900s. Delivering often excruciatingly raw truths, each collection is ultimately a story about Black history, creativity, and survival—an acknowledgement of “the dark side of humanity and the beautiful capacity of the human spirit to morph, adapt, and survive in new form as new beings.”

Here, meet the designers in their own words.

MODA: Each collection offers a history lesson. For instance, SS’22 “Salt Water” explores the Black seafaring legacy. What are you currently exploring?

HOA: We are always mining our culture to unearth new stories to tell. We’re currently drawn to the key characters in our Bloodroot Heritage Collection—the Bluesman, Southern lady, and Roots worker—from a darker, non-Southern Gentile perspective. In addition, we are beginning to look at the human archetypes shown in folk narratives and history as we create the roots for our SS’23 collection.

MODA: What kinds of conversations are you hoping the SS’22 collection will inspire?

HOA: We are hoping the Salt Water Collection inspires dialogue around the relationship between Black folk and water, and how this served as a spiritual anchor for Black folk—especially those who were transported across the Atlantic Ocean during the transatlantic slave trade. We hope to evoke feelings of remembrance that spark an interest in our consumers to conduct their own research and dig deeper into these themes and subject matters.

MODA: Travel seems like an important aspect of your research and process. Where to next?

HOA: We would like to travel to the UK and France to unearth the connections there to Louisiana, Senegal, and Haiti, which are rooted in a triangular trade during the transatlantic slave trade.

“We are always mining our culture to unearth new stories to tell.”

MODA: You are storytellers who speak through the medium of fashion. What are some of your all-time favorite stories?

HOA: Author, folklorist, and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston’s “Mules and Men” and “Their Eyes Were Watching God.”

MODA: In the past, you’ve collaborated with Senegalese artists and worked with Gianni Lee on SS’22’s illustrated prints. Which artists are inspiring you right now?

HOA: We plan to continue our creative collaboration with visual artist Gianni Lee for upcoming collections—his use of vibrant colors and futuristic landscapes works well with the stories we aim to tell with textiles. We are continuously inspired by fine artist Lezley Saar. Her use of vintage portraiture, collage, and textiles inspired by the gothic era is exquisite.

MODA: Who are your style heroes?

HOA: Alexander McQueen, storyteller par excellence. Elsa Schiaparelli, creative visionary merging modern and vintage design. Virgil Abloh, creative visionary of high/low and placing street fashion (where many trends begin) on par with haute couture. And Vivienne Westwood, a daring, badass pioneer.

“I learned early on that I could use fashion as a way to connect with others.” —Akua Shabaka

MODA: What is most exciting about American fashion?

HOA: America is a hodgepodge of varying people, interests, and perspectives. It is exciting to see designers bring all of these divergent viewpoints to their designs and creative processes as part of the unique American fabric.