QUEEN REMEMBERED: THE JOURNAL

Hey Queen,

I don’t know if I’m the only one who has felt this way, but I’ve been thinking a lot about my identity as an African woman.

Somewhere along the way, I started to see all things foreign as better. I can’t tell you exactly when it happened, but it shaped how I saw beauty, success, and even myself.

Growing up in Lagos, Nigeria in the ’90s, I was the last of five children. My father, an army officer, travelled overseas often for work. My mum, a brilliant fashion designer with her own factory, also travelled from time to time. I remember how electric the house felt the day before they returned—our excitement was almost too much to bear.

When they finally came home, they’d arrive with suitcases packed full of clothes, perfumes, chocolates, and gifts from abroad. The boxes seemed shinier. The clothes felt softer. The wrapping more perfect. It didn’t take long before my young mind began to associate beauty and excellence with things from “over there.”

By the time I turned 16, I had only one dream: to study and live abroad. And I did. After my 18th birthday, I said goodbye to Lagos and flew to the UK. I studied. I fell in love. I lived the “almighty overseas life” I had imagined.

But my ancestors… they had other plans for me.

Years later, I returned to Nigeria—at first for my NYSC, but deep down, I knew it was bigger than that. By now I was married, and I remember unpacking my own suitcases full of perfectly folded clothes, skincare, and shoes. Standing in my closet, I paused.

It hit me: One day, I want to make African clothes so beautiful, so refined, that people will open their suitcases with the same excitement I once felt as a little girl.

Clothes that feel like luxury.
Clothes that fit like they were made for you.
Clothes that carry our stories—our strength, our beauty, our resilience.

This became my quest.

Then I stumbled on the history of the Great Wall of Benin.
Queen… I was speechless.

Did you know that centuries ago, our ancestors built a wall so advanced it stretched farther than the Great Wall of China? This masterpiece, constructed between 800 AD and 1460 AD, wasn’t just for protection. It symbolized order, beauty, and innovation.

But in 1897, British forces invaded Benin City, burned it down, and looted treasures that still sit in foreign museums today.

Why did this story move me so deeply? Because I’m from Edo State, Nigeria. And because, for years, I didn’t believe anything this forward-thinking and extraordinary could come from Africa—especially from as far back as 800 AD.

This realization shattered something in me.
Then it rebuilt me.

I began to see Africa differently.
I began to see myself differently.

Our continent is not backward. Our people are not weak.
We are bold, brilliant, and beautiful—then, now, always.

This collection is my love letter to African women. Inspired by the ancient walls of Benin and the breathtaking artwork etched into its surface, every piece in this collection carries a message of strength and elegance.

It’s daywear and workwear for the modern Queen—designed to remind you of who you are:
Beautiful. Resilient. Limitless.

When you wear these pieces, I hope you feel the power of your ancestors walking with you.
I hope you remember that luxury is not foreign—it’s in your bloodline.

You are the dream they built walls to protect.
You are the Queen they prayed for.
You are, and have always been, enough.

With all my love,
Elsie
Founder, Maison de Helen