We do not create wearables; we preserve lineages. ALOGAPS is an art house engineering a visual language through archival nail artifacts. ROOTS (Vol. 1) is live.
At ALOGAPS, nothing is casual.
Every detail in this collection documents our history.
ROOTS is a physical archive from materials sourced from the sea to the hand-painted silhouettes of The Sentinel.
Explore the full 16-page digital archive below.
https://t.co/hzAVLTeebE
ROOTS // STUDY 02: ERINMWIN
The texture of ether. A study of the origin point.
the space between the physical mask and the ancestral spirit.
The archive is now complete.
01/01 Globally.
๐ [Link in bio to acquire]
ROOTS // STUDY 01: EGO ๐๏ธ
The currency of the spirit. Reclaiming the cowry as a documentation of value and spiritual wealth.
Wealth is a language we spoke before commerce.
01/01 Globally.
๐ [Link in bio to acquire]
ROOTS // STUDY 04:ONA
The architecture of the loom. Reimagining the geometric precision of Yoruba textiles as a modern map for the hand.
Lineage in every thread.
01/01 Globally.
๐ [Link in bio to acquire]
ROOTS // STUDY 03: IVIE ๐๏ธ
A documentation of biological sovereignty. Tracing the lineage of the Okuku through authentic coral and the spiritual mandate of the Okhuaihe.
Not an accessory; an inheritance.
01/01 Globally. ๐Link in bio to acquire
Our heritage is not a costume; it is the fabric of our present. The modern woman is simply the latest thread in a lineage that refuses to fray.
The Archive is complete.
Entry via the Registry:
๐: https://t.co/uquhuWgJve
Study 04: ONA // SOVEREIGN TEXTILE.
In Yoruba culture, Aso Oke (Etu) is โTop Cloth.โ Unlike Western luxury, its value increases with age. It is a biological archive that becomes more prestigious as it is passed down through generations.
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We focus on the Etu weave ;traditionally reserved for the quiet weight of wisdom. By integrating the rhythmic patterns of the Ofi (loom), we transpose a "passed-down" inheritance onto the modern hand.
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We are exploring "The Burden of Red." The deep vermillion is the color of life-force and the color of sacrifice. In this study, royalty is not a luxury, but a weight to be carried.
The Registry is currently open for early entry:
๐: https://t.co/uquhuWgJve
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Study 03: IVIE // SACRED CALCIUM.
In the Benin visual vocabulary, coral is not jewelry; it is a mandate. We focus on the "Ivie-Ebo"beads of the spirit world.
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We have transposed the royal silhouette onto the human hand. By crowning the nail with the Okhuaihe (beaded crown) form, we suggest that every gesture made by the modern woman is backed by the authority of the ancient.
Sovereignty is in our marrow.
The Ivie-Ebo are organic artifacts harvested from the deep sea, representing our connection to Olokun, the deity of the waters and source of all wealth.
To wear IVIE is to wear the oceanโs depth and the ancestorsโ breath.
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The full ROOTS Archive Reveal drops Tuesday, April 28.
The Registry is currently open for those looking to acquire a piece of this history.
๐: https://t.co/uquhuWgJve
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In 1897, the dialogue between the Benin artisan and the bronze was physically interrupted. Thousands of artifacts were looted, effectively "imprisoning" our ancestors in foreign glass cases.
ERINMWIN (Study 02) is the resumption of that conversation.
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These aren't just nails. They are contemporary artifacts. A way to carry our library of symbols, our "Lineage Data" on our fingertips.
The spirit never left; it was just waiting for a new medium.
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Bronze is the eternal metal; it does not decay. In the ROOTS philosophy, we aren't just "replicating" a mask; we are reclaiming the right to design with this energy.
We are taking the bronze out of the museum and putting it back onto the hands of the lineage.
ROOTS: Study 01 _EGO.
In pre-colonial West Africa, wealth wasn't paper; it was organic. The cowry shell (Cypraea moneta) was a global currency that flowed through our markets, carrying the weight of trade and spirit.
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For the ALOGAPS Archive, I wanted to explore "The Currency." EGO isn't just a name; itโs the Igbo word for money, but also a reflection of the self.
By encasing the cowry in gold and sculptural textures, Iโm asking: How do we carry our value today?