Art & Fashion: Claiming My Space in This World

Bio

My name is Ebubechi Abonyi, and I am the designer and creator behind Made by Ebu. I started creating clothes about four years ago, and since then, I’ve fallen in love with the art of designing, sewing, and bringing my ideas to life. What began as a creative outlet has grown into a passion for creating unique pieces that allow me and others to express ourselves through clothing.

I’m drawn to sleek silhouettes, thoughtful details, and designs that have a little bit of edge. I love creating everyday clothing that feels elevated and interesting while still being wearable. Through Made by Ebu, I design for women who want to feel confident, inspired, and empowered by what they wear.

Brand Statement

Made by Ebu is my exploration of fashion, femininity, and self-expression. I create one-of-a-kind pieces that bring an elevated edge to everyday dressing, combining sleek silhouettes with unexpected details and a playful sense of individuality. I want my clothing to feel both effortless and intentional—pieces that make you feel like the best version of yourself when you put them on.

At the heart of Made by Ebu is my belief that getting dressed should be an experience. I create clothing that inspires confidence, celebrates femininity, and encourages women to take up space and express themselves boldly.

Dhivya Balasubramanian is a Seattle-based fashion designer. She was born and raised in South India, where visits to a tailor were commonplace and filled with excitement and anticipation — the thrill of a garment made exactly for you. At 30, she reinvented her career, returning to fashion school in San Francisco to train in French pattern-making and draping. A coveted internship at Marchesa in New York City followed.

Her atelier has been in Queen Anne, Seattle since 2020. Her debut collection, Draped in History — Six Meters in Silhouettes, launched in spring 2026 and has been featured by FOX 13, Seattle Magazine, Seattle Refined, NW Asian Weekly, and 425 Magazine 

Dhivya Bala Design Studio is a made-to-order, made-to-measure atelier in Queen Anne, Seattle. Every garment is custom — designed in conversation with the client, cut to their exact measurements, finished by hand. No two pieces are ever alike.

The design language is a blend of east and west: Indian textiles, particularly pre-loved saris, transformed into contemporary silhouettes.

Sustainability is woven into every stage of the process — not as a marketing point, but as a founding value. Pre-loved saris are given a second life as gowns and cocktail dresses. Every scrap left over from the creation process is saved and repurposed — into packaging, patchwork bags, cushion covers, or even a bustier.

But the heart of the studio is the experience of having something made just for you. Clients don't just commission a garment — they're part of creating it.

"My creations are my interpretations of the dual, conflicting, east-meets-west world that I inhabit.”

I paint movement, but what I’m really interested in is energy; the kind we carry, leave behind, and recognize in one another. My work explores feminine energy through movement, strength, softness, and the freedom to take up space. I create pieces that are meant to be experienced, not simply viewed. I want the work to shift with you and reveal something different each time you return to it. I believe the right piece of art finds its person. It becomes part of a home, a memory, and eventually, a story. The work I’ll be presenting is part of my Movement Art collection, and select pieces will be available through the art auction that evening.

Comprising nine pieces ranging from geometric to freeform, the fabric structure signifies the transformative process individuals undergo when breaking free from their assigned constraints. The fabric utilized in this piece represents the skin of a person or a society, which begins to rupture under the pressure of contained voices that are outgrowing their established structures.The inspiration for this project was the acclaimed collection of poetry titled Rebellion by Forough Farrokhzad, an Iranian contemporary poet who used the power of words to protest against the restrictive laws imposed on women and their societal roles under the dictatorship of Iran’s government.

Architecture and Sustainable Environment. Her early years hiking and backpacking in the northern mountains of Iran cultivated a deep connection to nature, which continues to inform both the material and conceptual layers of her work.

Her practice explores the tension between the body and imposed structures—political, spatial, and cultural. Rooted in textile sculpture and performance, she creates forms that move, open, and transform. These works often operate as wearable environments or spatial extensions of the body, inviting interaction and blurring the boundary between object and presence. Through movement, video, and narrative, her work reflects on how identity resists containment and continuously reshapes itself.

Drawing from poetry, memory, and place, Nakisa examines themes of displacement, resistance, and the search for belonging. Her work seeks to create moments of intimacy and awareness, where audiences are invited not only to observe, but to inhabit and feel.

She is currently an Exhibits Designer at Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI), where she engages with spatial storytelling and public narratives alongside her artistic practice.