The Story Behind the Apron
Founded in 2024, Add an Apron began as a way through. Following a period of crumbling walls and rebuilding from the rubble in 2017, artist Adéọlá moved from canvas to fabric - painting on hessian, inviting women to wear the painted cloth as aprons, and photographing the transformation. Experiencing the ways in which adornment allowed people to feel differently in their ‘selves’ - became the seed of something larger.
Today, Add an Apron is a slow fashion brand based in Cardiff, Wales. Every piece is hand-painted on organic cotton by Adéọlá, collaborating with designer Genaya Parris and local makers and manufacturers. The brand sits at the intersection of wearable art, slow fashion, and accessible luxury - for people who want to wear something that tells a story.
About Adéọlá
Rooted in Carnival, masquerade and ritual, I am interested in the ways in which diaspora people perform fragments – how we express identity and belonging through memory, re-imagination, transformation, re-presentation.
My practice involves drawing, painting and performance. My life and experiences as a mother, daughter and migrant have informed aspects of my work and continues to contribute to the ways in which my practice takes shape.
This brand is informed by a pivot in my painting practice. The emphasis has been two-fold. Firstly, returning to my love for intuitive mark-making and pattern - and the healing that brings. Secondly, providing opportunities for adornment of others - and the powerful transformation that facilitates.
I imagine that everyone can own a fashion apron. In many ways, this art carried me through a challenging time. If Add an Apron can bring a smile - and uplift more than just an outfit - then this journey will have been worth every brushstroke. In the meantime, I do what I know best. I paint…
Adéọlá
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