Kuchu - Coffee

Part of the series of product under the label Kuchu, as Kuchu - Olive Oil, was created this Coffee product to fit in the saturated European market for a young organic African coffee brand. The brand name created was Kuchu, which in some places in Africa means “queer” and will be recognisable by LGTB community and supporters (see David Kato’s documentary “Call me Kuchu” by this LGBT activist considered a father of Uganda’s gay rights movement ). At the same time, Kuchu is one of the places in Ethiopia were coffee was discovered and it is popular for that, so coffee lovers could think the product was named because of this. The packaging was inspired by the drag balls in New York and the documentary Paris is Burning which explained the life and identity of the Afro-American LGTB community, as well as social phenomena like homophobia and racism. The design starting point was African culture, but since it was meant to be displayed in Europe it was also considered how African art was understood and how it influenced European life and culture (i.e. Picasso and Cubism, Art Deco which was the inspiration for the Vogue music video by Madonna, etc.). Madonna’s video Vogue displayed rectilinear movements, glamour, luxury and exuberance, being the one which projected the Drag Ball and dancing Voguing subcultures to the general audience. Startup