Empire is a Gothic Aristocrat and Lolita brand inspired by the regality of the macabre. My family is from southern Cameroon, though I was in the USA, I grew up there and when I think back on it now my love for fashion and clothing making started there, my older cousin was a tailor’s apprentice and would bring home these beautiful west African textiles and doll scale sample clothing from each and would have me help her alongside as she babysat me, it was then I believed I began to fall in love clothing making and fashion, so when I began making I started with cloth making for dolls.

I have always had a love gothic cinema and art and an affinity for macabre storytelling and loved seeing this translated into fashions especially in films like Bram stoker’s Dracula, gypsy 83, Addams family and bride of Frankenstein but it wasn’t until I was introduced to Gothic Lolita fashion that made my vision clear on what I wanted to design. Since then, I have been working hard by myself creating and making the items you see today.