NEW YORK, United States - A summer of social distancing and interrupted supply chains have challenged business owners to navigate an operational labyrinth — think stock-outs of best sellers with no clear timeline for replenishment and delayed new collections due to cancelled orders or factory closures. For direct-to-consumer brands, the daunting landscape can make closing up shop for good feel like the most viable option; yet for those still persisting, the figurative back against the wall can lead to even better creation.

Despite departing his Harlem abode and taking time with extended family in Houston, Texas, Post-Imperial founder Niyi Okuboyejo has returned to New York with a new capsule to close out the summer. Named IJEBU, the series of shirts and tees seamlessly blend in with the label’s core assortment of easy shirting, trousers, and jackets. Introducing camp collar shirts, an oversized silhouette long awaited since the brand’s debut, the capsule celebrates the core tenets of Post-Imperial — highlighting Yoruba craftsmanship, centuries-old heritage, and African technical ingenuity.

We spoke to Okuboyejo back in April and the initial effects of the global pandemic had led the typically cerebral founder to reflect even more deeply on what was planned and what would be, asking critical questions such as “will the stores to stock in even be around?” This launch marks the first time Post-Imperial managed the manufacturing process from end-to-end on the African continent with locally-sourced funtua cotton hand-dyed in Nigeria and final construction completed in Kenya. The team had already begun the process of shifting production prior to the pandemic and thought their supply chains were more stable on the continent than in other regions once shutdowns began, but then rapid closures in Kenya and Nigeria forced a major reset. Outside of a few finishes, such as buttons, Okuboyejo worked directly with artisanal workshops and factory suppliers in each country respectively to produce and launch the capsule before the end of summer. Each piece is truly one-of-a-kind due to the adire dyeing technique, one of the key building blocks for the brand. He shared, “part of our new process [is to try] as much as possible to work with materials that are immediately available to us.”

IJEBU, in its boxy shape and versatile color ways, certainly lends itself to becoming a future classic in one’s wardrobe. Not withstanding the test of becoming a timeless staple, its very existence offers a true snapshot of these times, the physical manifestation of resourcefulness and resilience in the midst of trial.

Lead photo courtesy of Post-Imperial.