For Jacques Agbobly, fashion has always felt less like a career than a calling. They remember the rhythm of scissors on fabric, the repetitive sound of stitching from their grandmother’s home in Lomé, Togo. It was these subtle moments that shaped their earliest understanding of fashion as something more than clothing.

“It was always about boldness, resourcefulness, and a commitment to self-presentation as a form of authorship,” Agbobly says. “Design, craft, and storytelling are woven into every part of my life, whether I’m experimenting with new techniques, digging through vintage markets for inspiration, or sharing ideas with my community. Fashion is my passion, but it’s also my lens for understanding culture, migration, and identity.”

The Beauty of Hairbraiding as Inspiration

The designer’s early exposure to clothing would eventually lead Agbobly to emerge as one of American fashion’s distinctive voices. But it was the journey from humble roots in Lomé, Togo to Chicago in 2007 that sparked a passion for design. In the United States, Agbobly watched as their mother braided hair in their apartment to support the family. 

“Her hands moved with a quiet, almost mechanical rhythm, and in that motion I watched her bring creativity into her own hands,” Agbobly says. “That intimacy with fiber and form stayed with me. I realized that design could be a way to articulate my perspective as a Black, queer immigrant navigating their way through the world.”

Upon enrolling at Parsons School of Design, Agbobly began to expand their skills and, notably, to fall in love with knitwear. 

“It felt closest to how I was raised: tactile, improvisational, rooted in care,” Agbobly explains. “It brought me back to the image of my mother braiding, and allowed me to channel both my connection to material and the memory of her hands at work.”

Agbobly’s design process is methodical, and rooted in storytelling. Every project begins with research, often turning to family photographs and archives. 

“These images ground me in personal and collective histories, reminding me of the cultural lineages I am in conversation with,” they say.

Resilience in Unfamiliar Lands

Bienvenue à Bord, a collection honoring their late brother, helped cement Agbobly’s position in the American fashion landscape as a serious and unique voice. He infused the garments with details like hand embroidery and structured silhouettes to evoke both fragility and strength. These creations not only honored his brother but spoke to Black resilience in unfamiliar lands. 

Their collection Togo Vivi Na reflects a more introspective and playful journey. Referencing everything from cornrows to Fanyogo ice cream, they embedded tangible memories into prints, beadwork, and embroidery.

Agbobly hopes to continue to build an American fashion house that centers the multiplicity of Black identity while carrying forward the craftsmanship and memory of Lomé, noting that their immigrant experience has shaped each part of who they are as an individual and designer. 

“Moving from Togo to Chicago at a young age meant that I was constantly navigating two worlds, holding onto my roots while learning how to adapt to a new culture,” Agbobly says. “That duality has become the foundation of my work, which exists in conversation between African traditions and Western techniques. I see the world through multiple lenses, and that allows me to tell stories in my collections that resonate with people across cultures.”