Like all great ideas, it started with a party — in the under-furnished Sydney apartment of Dinzi Amobi. “My husband Nic and I had just moved to Australia from London, and we were hosting a dinner party with friends for the first time,” recalls Dinzi, who is the founder and creative director of textile label ULO Australia.
“In an effort to disguise our unattractive second-hand table, I dressed it up with a set of placemats and napkins that I made using a wax print that I had brought with me from London. Our friends were so curious and excited by the fabric that we spent the night talking about Nigeria, my culture and background. That’s when I realised I had the ability to bring joy to others through African textile and creative design.”
The following week, Dinzi made her first order.
Far from the days of debuting her prints at the dining-room table, today Dinzi’s ULO showroom in Abbotsford Convent is a staple of Melbourne’s homeware and fashion scene. It is here, among the rhythmic beat of African music and rolls of energetic prints, that Dinzi and her small team design and produce each limited edition collection, which includes delicate table linens, cushions, upholstery and apparel. “We make the majority [of our collections in store] so that people are able to watch and see how we make them. All our fabrics are on display for people to come and feel the fabrics.”
African wax fabrics have long been a part of Dinzi’s colourful family tapestry. Growing up in Nigeria and later London, the textile designer's childhood was a kaleidoscopic fusion of colour and rich prints. “This fabric has always been a big part of my life; we lived near one of the biggest markets in Lagos, and our home was decked out in beautiful fabrics. My family all wore [and still do wear] African wax fabrics,” says Dinzi. “Being in Australia, and so far away from home and my culture, that is what really drove me to start the business.”
A lawyer by trade, Dinzi worked on her business after hours, spending her evenings researching and testing products on friends and family. After relocating to Melbourne, and having great success at Melbourne’s The Finders Keepers market, Dinzi left the corporate world to focus on ULO full time. “I had left my job, and six weeks later I found out I was pregnant,” recalls Dinzi, now a mother of twin daughters. “It was hectic, but I really believed in ULO and I said this is the time to give it a chance, so I went for it.”
When asked about her greatest success, Dinzi admits it is simply admiring the power of the print. “A lot of people discovered ULO last year because of our face masks,” says Dinzi. “I love that people could express themselves even through such a miserable time and the fact that so many discovered us from just a tiny piece of our textile is magical.” And even as time passes and the rest of the world seems further away than ever, Dinzi trusts in the familiarity of her fabrics to bring her back home.
uloaustralia.com. Follow: @uloaustralia.
