Wear your heart!

Welcome to the blog of ESI, a safe place for us to connect around our brand.

However, I am beautiful. We all are, in our unique way.

I created the world of ESI out of a desire to showcase African genius through timeless pieces of exceptional quality that draw their quintessence from the land of origins. I wanted to tell stories about humanity for the world to hear and remember who we are. With the scarves line - like with any other accessories to come - I was on a quest for magic, authenticity, beauty…and practicality.

So, I used to describe myself as a gladiator in suit. - Those are not my words though. I borrowed from Olivia Pope -. Indeed a gladiator in suit, but one with a fuchsia flower in my pocket is what I should have added. And that last bit of sentence would have said much more about me than anything else. I wanted to create that visible little something that says much more about someone than any other piece of an outfit.

Granted I was born and raised under the equator with a natural intolerance to low temperature, but I quickly realized that I wasn’t alone. Most women I knew faced the same issue as offices generally set the mercury based on men’s natural bodies. That’s when I started tying scarves -- any long fabric as long as it covered my neck.

At the same time, it completely changed the way I looked, brightened my outfit, and gave me that extra edge that I always felt was missing in the boring dull suit we used to wear. I was a trader, and like many other working ladies around the world, we silenced ourselves through a -clear or supposed - rigid dress code and a definition of professionalism devoid of imagination.

My scarf around my neck, my shoulders, or my hair tells the world that I refuse to hide anymore behind the black and white "uniform"; that I am bold and unique. I want my scarves to say how phenomenally elegant I am. I want it to express how I value authenticity over conformism and diversity over uniformity. It speaks of my intelligence and wit which I like to use with audacity and benevolence.

My scarves whisper my dreams: that one day I will tour around the world, find a cure against cancer, read all the books that have ever been written, open blue-chip schools in underprivileged areas, raise dozens of children properly, and ride a boat to no destination.

Sounds too much to you? Well, take a seat, make yourself comfortable and watch. Watch me change the world…or better yet, join me, with your own quirky aspirations and dreams too big to be suppressed.

In 2022, commit to your greatest self.