Brian Dakin-Davies is the creative behind the B. Dakin brand of textiles and upholstered furniture featured in today's sale event, created using bright Ankara textiles inspired by his African heritage. Find out more...

Tell us a little about your background, and how you came to start B Dakin?
I am a New York native, raised by my Mum. As a kid I was always curious about how things were built and was known to pull furniture and electrical appliances apart to see how they worked and how they were made. I studied Industrial Design at college along with taking classes at The Fashion Institute. Creating and building things have always been a part of who I am. B Dakin was a dream I'd always had and is a way for me to combine my design background with African heritage. A few visits to West Africa over the past few years really started to get the ball rolling though. Through B. Dakin we're modernising heritage, we're a positive representation of Africa and are telling the story of what's happening there now in terms of innovation, design and entrepreneurship.



What is the origin of the Ankara prints you work with?
Ankara prints are embraced by African women and are a strong part of African identity and culture. Most people, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa, have an article of clothing or an accessory in Ankara prints. Some wax prints are named after personalities, presidents, cities, buildings, saying or occasions. West African wax has 100% print penetration with means its hard to tell the front from the back.

I grew up seeing my mum in these fabrics and she would show me old African postcards from the late 1800's and photo's of both men and women wearing these prints. They've been a part of my life since I was born and represent an important part of me.



What do you love about this style of fabric?
It's alive! It's visual language steeped in history, fashion and traditional ceremonies. These fabrics are a direct translation of how beautiful Africa is. I love its socio-political context as well; politicians used these prints to campaign during elections by printing their faces next to familiar design motifs. Also some prints with more colours are considered luxurious.

These prints also opened a lot of doors with international trade and empowered a lot of African women. Now I am drawing inspiration from them and sharing it with the world. They are always relevant. I love that about them.

Do you create your own prints, or source from existing designs?
When I started B. Dakin I was using fabric sourced from West Africa but now I am printing my own. Being able to print my own means that I'm able to apply the prints to products that require a particular kind of cotton to be durable and serve it's purpose, like a tea towel for example.



What do you think your design training brings to the mix?
My design training allows me to create beautiful, unique well made products at an affordable price. It enables me to take what's completely foreign and create something familiar. This mix starts dialogue. Design can articulate complex issues that generally remain one sided or romanticized.

You are already working with upholstered furniture, kitchen fabrics, cushions, lamps and bags. What next for B Dakin?!
I am taking B Dakin into the public space. We are doing art installations that are both visual and intellectually stimulating. I'm doing some womenswear and menswear for the summer and we've got a new range of accessories coming out later in the year. I'll also be releasing a small run of Ankara print diaries and notepad and a few other surprises next year.

Quickfire questions:

At the moment I'm inspired by: Performance Art - Marina Abramovic and Chatewole Ghana
My design icon(s) is: I love the way Le Sappers dress.
I dream of travelling to: Zimbabwe
I can't live without: Colour (lots of it)
My guilty pleasure is: Loud music (sometimes you gotta crank it)