The Politics of Precision: ITELE’s Bold Step Into Narrative Footwear”

Dimeji Alara

The FREEDOM Collection from ITELE signals a new level of ambition for designer Seyi Agboola, who seems increasingly committed to building a design language rooted in history, identity, and modern luxury. In an industry crowded with surface-level storytelling, this collection attempts something far more complex, turning Nigeria’s journey from colonial dependence to national autonomy into a wearable narrative told through the classic silhouette of the penny loafer.

All three designs, THE BILL, THE HIVE, and BUTTONS — follow the same foundation: a full-grain leather upper, leather lining, and a Gumlite sole, which blends rubber and EVA for a surprisingly lightweight feel despite its durability. The cement construction allows for repair or resoling, giving the loafers longevity beyond their initial wear. These choices make the collection firmly grounded in craftsmanship, even before the symbolic detailing begins.

Where the collection earns its impact is in the embroidered motifs. Embroidery can easily turn heavy or decorative, but ITELE mostly avoids that trap. In each piece, the technique acts as a form of storytelling rather than embellishment. The fashion message remains sharp, even when the political message is layered.

THE BILL is the most confrontational design and the one that immediately raises the stakes. Seyi uses embroidered pound and dollar notes to reference the period when foreign economic control shaped Nigeria’s systems. This could have slipped into gimmick, but the layout feels controlled. The motifs sit on the leather with intention, not noise. Still, the density of the embroidery pushes the design close to visual heaviness. From certain angles, it threatens to overpower the clean lines of the penny loafer silhouette. A slightly lighter touch would give the idea more room to breathe. But as a political fashion statement, THE BILL delivers clarity and courage.

THE HIVE stands at the opposite emotional register. The bee embroidery is delicate, rhythmic, and clearly mapped to the structure of the shoe. It shows a more mature side of Agboola’s design thinking, where symbolism and architecture work together instead of competing. The bees move fluidly along the full-grain leather surface, allowing the symbolism, unity, community, collective strength to come through without force. This is also the design where the quality of the materials becomes most noticeable: the smooth leather takes the embroidery beautifully, and the lightweight Gumlite sole gives the shoe ease in movement. THE HIVE is the most balanced composition in the collection and the clearest sign of ITELE’s growing technical discipline.

BUTTONS, with its zinc-alloy button detailing, shifts the narrative toward abundance and independence. It is the most minimal of the three designs and the most commercially accessible. The motif is clean and confident, though perhaps too safe compared to the conceptual strength of the other two. Its simplicity works in its favor from a market perspective, but it lacks the emotional impact carried by THE BILL or the technical harmony found in THE HIVE. A slightly more daring arrangement would have lifted it further.

Taken together, the FREEDOM Collection succeeds because it balances ambition with craft. The symbolism is clear, but the shoes remain wearable. The use of full-grain leather, leather lining, and a Gumlite outsole keeps the collection modern, durable, and comfortable, while the cement construction ensures long term value. This foundation helps ground the conceptual storytelling in real world utility, an essential part of contemporary luxury design.

Agboola is still refining his voice, but the direction is promising. FREEDOM is not perfect, but it is purposeful, well built, and rich in meaning. It marks ITELE as one of the few rising brands using footwear not just as product, but as cultural commentary. And that alone makes the collection worth paying attention to.