Inherited Garments: Ife Ibraheem

Photographed by Jane Lewis

Item: Luar Ana bag.

Jane Lewis: Can you start by describing this item? 

Ife Ibraheem: So today we're going to be talking about my Luar Ana bag. It's this green crocodile print bag that has these black shadows around each scale, which I think is awesome. I love the way that it kind of bleeds into the green as well. It does it so beautifully. It's their signature bag with the signature Luar handle.

J: You can wear it a bunch of different ways?

I: Yes. I wore this crossbody and it was so great because [the strap is adjustable and] it flips upside down, where the handle that's usually facing up is now facing down. Everyone always tells me, “ma'am, your bag is upside down.” Girl I know, it’s Luar. I can face it up, take my stuff out, and then flip it back down. I feel like it helps in terms of pickpocketing. There's a bunch of different ways you can do it. You can loop the strap through the handle and then wear it as a shoulder bag, which I think is sweet. It confuses the pickpocketer.

J: How did this bag make its way into your life, Into your hands? 

I: This bag is very important to me. It signifies my entry into fashion and a relationship with a brand that I believe in so strongly and I think does a really good job of storytelling through Raul’s [Lopez] experience as a gay, Latino man. 

This bag was gifted to me after I did a PR internship with them. It was a gift that said, “Hey, we see you, we recognize you, and we want you to feel a part of the brand in some way. Know that your time is respected and valued here.” 

It taught me how I want to show up for my interns now—remind them that their time is valued.  Every season since my internship, I'll come on maybe a few weeks before or day of the show to help out. It feels like I'm coming back to my family. That doesn't happen a lot in the fashion world. It can be very cutthroat and very exclusive, but Luar is [the definition of] inclusivity to me. We’re family and friends, and you just happen to be doing fashion alongside it. It reminded me of the relationships that go into fashion and the care that can be there.

I have a lot of pieces like that. Aside from the bag, my jewelry that I got from my mom was an entry point to fashion, the first one. My mom and my grandmother and all my aunts wear big, African jewelry. It has a lot to do with respect and our Yoruban culture. Our cultural beads and jewelry also hold a lot of significance for me.

J: What's the history of this object, can you trace it back?

I: This bag has seen me through it all. She started in a box, and then she came out and was presented to me. She's always displayed in some way in my room. Even if I don't touch it for a long time, she's a reminder that I can do it.  It's a motivator. There's been different versions of myself and my styles. I use the bag in different ways as I've grown into myself and into my occupation, into my friendships and my relationships, and she kind of takes on different forms [too]. 

This is my nice, nice, nice bag. I don't usually take it out with me. But recently I took her dancing. It reminds me of the functionality of clothes. A lot of people, sneakerheads like my sister, have tons of sneakers that stay in boxes for display only. I take care of the objects, but I use the objects. Figure out how they fit into my daily life.

[The Luar bag] was my real birth into fashion, where I was like, this is real for me. I'm not just on the sidelines observing anymore. The Ana bag was the big break for Luar, [too] in a way. So I kind of broke into the industry with it.

J: Do you have a specific memory with this bag that you want to share?

I: I have so many. One of my best friends, Grace, and I started this fashion job together. She was trying out [working in] fashion and then we both got this [Luar] bag together. It pulls me back to my relationship with Grace. When we went dancing at the Knockdown Center it was moving with me. I could flip it up, get my lip liner really quickly, get gum. I’ve got lollipops in here too.

J: It's in flawless condition. I assumed it was brand new. 

I: I’ve had this for three years now. 

J: Do you like green? 

I: I love green. Purple and green are my favorite colors. Purple doesn’t really relate to this [bag] but it has very sentimental value to me because one of my friends when I was younger passed away, and her favorite color was purple. She was such a kind and generous person. She and I did these [dance] showcases, and we dedicated one to her. [The color] reminds me of the importance of community and remembering the people who are next to you. You never know who needs that kindness that day. Purple reminds me to do that. Reminds me to love.