At AGBOBLY, color is not an accessory. It is memory, identity and permission to take up space. The independent Brooklyn studio founded by Jacques Agbobly brings Togolese heritage, Black and queer narratives and West African craft into clothing built with joyful precision.

Agbobly began the label during the pandemic in 2020, initially focusing on made-to-order knitwear. The studio has since expanded into ready-to-wear while keeping handcraft and storytelling at the center. Natural fibers, hand-operated knitting machines, beadwork, embroidery and sculptural denim give the collections a physical sense of care.

A Family Name, Reclaimed

The move from Black Boy Knits to the family name AGBOBLY marked a larger commitment to legacy. Childhood memories from Togo, the labor of the women who raised the designer and the experience of migration become design material—not literal costume, but a living foundation.

That practice earned Jacques Agbobly the 2026 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Fashion & Design, recognizing work that centers Afropolitan identity and diasporic memory.

Our Take

We love how AGBOBLY makes optimism feel substantial. The vivid colors draw us in, but the craft and history keep us looking. We are especially moved by a label that treats identity as a source of invention rather than a category to satisfy. This is fashion with roots, reach and a clear reason to exist.

Explore AGBOBLY

Featured image: Jacques Agbobly. Image courtesy of the Vilcek Foundation. Temporary editorial image pending official press materials.

Written by Chetuno for Bubbling Box.

Written by Chetuno