BEHIND THE STITCH: ALANI
June 21, 2024
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On May 30, 2025, Nigerian fashion house Hertunba unveiled its much-anticipated 20-piece capsule titled “JOY”, a luminous collection that honors the emotional labor, strength, and sacred rituals of women who refuse to surrender to life’s heaviness. More than just a seasonal drop, JOY is an intimate, soul-stirring narrative stitched into every seam–a celebration of women who transform daily pressures into moments of personal luxury, grounding rituals, and cultural affirmation.
At the heart of this collection lies a deep reverence for traditional Nigerian textiles, with Asọ-Òke, Akwete, and Itiv taking center stage. These fabrics, rich in ancestral memory and indigenous craft, serve as the canvas through which Hertunba expresses its central philosophy: that fashion is an emotional practice, a language of remembrance, and a daily act of self-sovereignty. Rather than use these materials as passive aesthetic flourishes, Hertunba activates them, imbuing them with narrative and joy.
Each garment in JOY reflects a woman’s journey through life’s turbulence, not in spite of adversity, but because of it. The collection’s color palette is both intentional and symbolic: tangerine orange for vibrancy, leafy green for grounding, fuchsia for bold femininity, and midnight blue for introspection and strength. The result is a visual symphony that mirrors the inner worlds of women who do not wait for joy to arrive, but instead, cultivate it deliberately, often in private moments, with unwavering grace.
Creative Director Florentina Agu, who has long positioned Hertunba as a brand for the spiritually attuned and culturally rooted woman, distilled the essence of JOY in a quote that echoes far beyond the runway: “JOY emerges from the understanding that our greatest strength lies not in avoiding life’s storms, but in learning to dance through them. This collection celebrates women who create their luxury from the simplest rituals and understand that JOY is not something we wait to receive, but something we actively cultivate as our daily act of rebellion against despair.”
That sentiment is reflected not only in fabric and form, but in the intentional silhouette design–flowing sleeves that evoke ancestral ceremonies, wrap structures that mimic protective gestures, and layers that mirror the complexities women carry with elegance. Hertunba’s JOY is deeply introspective, urging its wearers to not merely dress, but to adorn themselves in memory, purpose, and emotional truth.
Yet, this collection is not an isolated offering. It exists within the broader universe of Hertunba’s creative ecosystem–a brand widely revered for its feminist vision, cultural precision, and spiritual design ethos. Under Florentina Agu’s direction, Hertunba has emerged as a slow-fashion sanctuary, where garments are tools of empowerment and cultural archiving. The label does not chase trends; it calls women home to themselves, their heritage, and their untold stories.
What makes JOY particularly poignant is the timing of its release. In a world increasingly overwhelmed by burnout, uncertainty, and digital noise, JOY reclaims the radical practice of emotional intentionality. It reminds women that joy is not a luxury reserved for perfect conditions–it is a form of protest, and a gateway to inner liberation.
With JOY, Hertunba once again proves that its garments are not merely garments–they are rituals in motion. And this time, the ritual is joy itself.
