Akiba Kiiesmira

 

Akiba’s family is skilled in many of the needle arts including dressmaking, embroidery, beading, traditional buckskin Native American clothing, knitting crocheting  and upholstery. Akiba’s  prayer during her youth was “to learn to sew well, and to love it.  Although Akiba was briefly enrolled in Design school, she is a self-taught artist.

Akiba became an active member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee in 1968.  SNCC activism and travel Cuba and Madrid raised her political consciousness and set her on a course of invisioning a new world and establishing her new clothing design paradigm that said “all size and culturally Black women can look and feel great in their clothes, and the world needs Black women to feel great”

The arts as a way of life was really entrenched with Akiba’s move to Washington D.C.  The National Conference of Artist’s  Black Gold Project which was initiated by Marvin Sin, established the 90’s as the Golden Age of Black Art.  The 1990’s was a decade long effort that guided the proliferation and growth  of the Black Arts Industry. In 1991 and 1992 Akiba organized and coordinated the first Wearable Art component to "The Artists Salute to Black History Month” a major Artist Show in Los Angeles that occurs annually during the month of  February.

In 2003, Akiba had the distinct honor of being the only American Designer chosen to show her collection in Niamey,Niger, Central Africa  for FIMA, the “Festival De La Mode African” founded by internationally known African Designer Alphadi.  FIMA  invites hundreds of international designers and models to showcase their works in a major couture fashion show given on the Sahara Desert in Niger every two years. 

 Akiba’s designs have twice been featured on the cover of Essence Magazine and her work has appeared often in the magazine’s fashion articles. In 1996, Essence Magazine featured Akiba as a “Woman of the Cloth” in an article that honored accomplished African American women designers. Akiba counts among her clientele Anna Maria Horsford, Dianne Reeves, Lawrence Fishburn, Marlena Smalls, Mary Stallings, Nnenna Freelon, LaTonya Richardson-Jackson, and Pauletta Washington.

Akiba now resides in Charlotte, NC with her husband and has two sons, and four grandchildren.  Akiba Kiiesmira is also certified Kundalini Yoga teacher since 2001.