Akudo Amy Iheakanwa was born in Sydney, Australia to a Nigerian father and Australian mother and relocated to Lagos Nigeria in 2017 with the aim of investigating the craftsmanship and design culture in Nigeria and the wider continent.
After extensive research into the footwear production scene and other traditional design techniques, Akudo became drawn to the footwear sector and felt the need to shed more light on this growing industry.
With a major focus on sustainability and community development, Akudo works to integrate some of the age-old techniques and under utilised local resources into Shekudo's contemporary aesthetic, such as weaving, embroidery, silver and wood work.
Under the creative direction of Akudo Iheakanwa, Shekudo hopes to shed more light on the local artisan and craftsmanship scene in Nigeria whilst integrating some of the age-old techniques and overlooked local resources into its own contemporary aesthetic.
Shekudo's local team has gone from a team of 4 to 20 artisans and master craftsmen in just over a year while scaling up operations have seen Shekudo expand production into Spain and South Africa.
Since re-launching in 2017, Shekudo has experienced growing popularity not only on the African continent but particularly in USA, Australia and UK. Shekudo has seen press coverage in major publications such as VOGUE, Marie Claire, Grazia, Cosmopolitan, Financial Times and more.