Kader Diaby and Olooh Concept: Building a Creative Language Rooted in Heritage

Kader Diaby is a visual artist, whose work spans between photography, fashion, and design. Based in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, Kader’s creative practice is centered around storytelling, using various mediums to express ideas tied to identity, tradition, and craft.

His brand, Olooh Concept, reflects that multidisciplinary approach. Since launching in 2019, Diaby has used Olooh as a platform to experiment with clothing design, object-making, and visual imagery - all grounded in West African, Ivorian, techniques and aesthetics.“I always need to feel things - to touch materials, to shape something with my hands,” he says. “For me, that’s how I understand the world.”

Photography by Coco Olakunle

Kader opens our conversation by clarifying a simple but important detail: the name of his country should be referred to in French - Côte d’Ivoire, not ‘Ivory Coast’. “It’s a name,” he says with a serious smile. “We don’t have to translate it.” This insistence is a symbol of a broader point Diaby makes throughout our discussion: African culture and identity don’t need to be altered or diluted for a Western eye to be understood. His work speaks directly to that idea - drawing from local knowledge and craftsmanship rather than conforming to outside expectations.

Photography by Coco Olakunle

One of Diaby’s key references is Nigerian architect Mariam Kamara, who is known for using traditional African construction techniques in her buildings. Her work influenced Diaby’s thinking about how heritage can be carried forward in contemporary ways. “I try to recreate a space—an environment—inspired by that idea,” he explains. “We might not wear traditional clothes every day, but we still use traditional dyeing or weaving techniques.” Diaby also speaks about his family’s history in craft. His grandmother was a forgeron, a member of a metalworking caste. That background informs his use of materials like bronze, and his desire to make tangible, physical things. “My logo is shaped like an ‘O’ - from Olooh - which means our in my language,” he adds. “It represents our heritage, our life, our story.”

Diaby began his creative journey in photography, but eventually found it limiting. “With photography, things felt too abstract,” he says. “I needed to be able to see people wearing my vision in real life.” That need for physical expression led him to fashion, which he describes as more immediate and interactive. “When someone wears something, it tells a story. You can imagine their world.”