Branded by Branding reimagines fashion imagery as a site of confrontation, unpacking the layered exchange between international luxury giants and contemporary African identity. In the series, Nigerian subjects are emblazoned with the emblems of labels embedded in everyday streetwear — from Nike to Adidas and The North Face — transforming familiar logos into permanent-looking marks.
The project interrogates a global system where Western brands frequently borrow from African urban culture to refresh their image and penetrate emerging markets. It raises a pressing tension: is influence flowing outward from the continent, or inward toward corporate power? Are African tastemakers authors of global style, or are they positioned as living billboards within it?
In each frame, the subjects command presence while carrying visible inscriptions — symbols that blur the line between ornament and branding. The gesture is deliberate. Clothing becomes a statement; the logo becomes a stamp. Through this visual language, the work invites a deeper reflection on identity, consumption, and the subtle cost of aligning oneself with global recognition in a fashion economy that trades in culture as currency.
