Very little is known about the elusive Nigerian based street wear label HUBRIS whose creative director Charles Egbejule continues to show glimpses of esoteric pieces from oversized sweat shirts with uncanny 11,11 prints to T shirts with huge winged sun disk prints.
We interviewed Charles Egbejule to unearth more information on his label and direction.
What’s the story behind HUBRIS?
HUBRIS started when I was in my 3rd year in Bells University . At the time I just wanted to make dope T-shirts as I was in love with what Tisci had done with Givenchy back in 2011. The drive was fresh and I was ready to take on the world but like all dreams it couldn’t happen overnight and I still had a lot of learning to do. I started designing prints myself but I had no idea where or how to print. I can’t quite remember who printed my first shirt but it was a yellow print with the first HUBRIS logo I had come up with (it was pretty hot). I had a friend (Ifeanyi) who invested quite a lot in the brand back then but due to lack of proper research, things didn’t go so well as the first collection was made in England at an extremely high price that didn’t match the quality I sought. I later discovered a guy in Festac town who had a print shop setup in his apartment and I would go there to get tees done whenever I had received orders on Konga. I did my first campaign shoot in front of Bells multipurpose hall and I’m forever grateful to the friends that helped me (the late Tony Zitta r.i.p. 🙏🏾, Ochuko, Gbemi, Azeez and Combs).
HUBRIS really needed a lot of work as it needed soul and ethos which is now rooted in bringing together the ethereal and corporeal aspects of life. If HUBRIS were human it would be that misunderstood kid with big dreams, an old soul with a much higher understanding of the workings of the universe.
Hubris stems from dissatisfaction and an inner yearning to reach beyond the limitations that are apparent. I dislike the story of Icarus because it reeks of fear and conditioning. Those who ever really achieve their dreams are those who refuse to accept such limitations and shut their ears from the noise and manifest their creativity unapologetically.
The goal for HUBRIS is to setup a cult like brand that reminds you of the beauty behind your uniqueness and still offer you breathtaking pieces. HUBRIS is the platform for Generation X.
"HUBRIS is an attempt to offer the unsettled youth shelter from the current central hive minded conditioning that plagues us”
Featuring HUBRIS winged sun disk t-shirt among other pieces from the Endless summer 2017 collection
What have you learnt from the fashion industry so far ?
Well I’m pretty much still learning when it comes to the complex world of fashion. Reading books has helped quite a lot but nothing beats raw experience as the Nigerian fashion terrain can be quite tacky. My first advice for anyone trying to grab a bite of this complex pie is to stay original. In this age, staying original can be quite difficult especially for starters as there’s a massive overdose of information via social media so it’s important to transmute such information with discretion, this will help keep your fan base more attentive.
Also learn to experiment; only through experimentation can you really break new grounds. If you’re starting really small just as I did, then avoid feeding from your brand cos you’ll only cripple it. Rollover every possible income as efficiently as you can.
Go out !! Meet new people; there’s no better growth than organic physical relationships.
Have faith and trust the process.
Be consistent.
Give back.
Love yourself.
Egbejule's recent journey to the sacred city of Oshogbo has inspired an editorial with model Damilola Oni who featured on Maki Oh’s fall 2016 campaign. Styled by Egbejule himself, the editorial delivers a feeling of immanence and bleak chic vibe. “I love styling and photography, if I wasn’t a designer , I’d definitely be one of both - it’s another way I love to express myself and communicate my ideas to the world” he told us.
All the pieces are HUBRIS featuring pleat detailed fitted skirts, master crafted crescent shaped earrings and hand painted denim jackets paired with HUBRIS crested shirt dresses and sweats.
The HUBRIS hand painted denim biker jacket with HUBRIS talisman and sigils from the Endless summer 2018 collection.
When is the "Endless summer" collection out?
Endless Summer has already begun, since the sundisk piece but it’s an ongoing collection and I don’t really know when it’ll end. I’ve got over a hundred designs and I need to put out as many of them as possible, while still keeping things fresh.
Where is HUBRIS and "Endless summer" available for purchase?
You can get Endless summer via our social media just hit our DMs . We are also working on delivering more intimate experiences to our fans and customers via our website (still under construction), stockists and pop ups. We’ve also introduced “one of a kind” pieces such as hand painted fashion and up cycled wears, which an also be acquired via our social media.
Great work🙌🙌🙌