Outhouse recently collaborated with The Edit Dubai to present the KOKO Exhibit, marking a continuation of a journey shaped by craftsmanship, courage, and transformation. First unveiled on the runway in India, these creations were imagined not merely as jewellery, but as wearable pieces of art. Each form carried instinct, emotion, and the essence of becoming. At the exhibit venue, the collection took on a new presence, existing as artefacts that honoured the alchemy of handwork and the passage from one state of being to another.
Celebrating thirteen years of Outhouse, the KOKO Exhibit reflected a design philosophy rooted in evolution. The number thirteen held deep symbolic resonance within the House’s universe, associated with lunar cycles, feminine power, and spiritual renewal. Within the KOKO vocabulary, it became a marker of transmutation, where material, memory, and meaning dissolved into renewed form.
The KOKO Bug: A Symbol Of Transformation
Alchemy was not presented as an abstract idea but as a lived creative process. Jewellery became a medium of transformation, translating inner shifts into sculptural expression. Each piece carried intention, shaped by instinct and refined through craftsmanship. The exhibit invited viewers into this layered world, where form communicated quietly yet decisively.
At the backdrop of the exhibit stood the KOKO Bug, anchoring the space with unmistakable symbolism. While it framed the environment, it remained the undeniable centre of the KOKO collection itself. This enduring emblem embodied the spirit of transformation that defined the House’s creative language. Across the exhibit, the KOKO Bug appeared through its evolving forms, taking shape as a safety pin, a shell, a seahorse, and a snake. Each manifestation carried its own emotional and symbolic resonance, reflecting protection, fluidity, rebirth, and instinct. Together, these forms expressed a belief in identity as something continuously shaped and reshaped through lived experience.
The exhibit was a curated selection of key pieces fresh off the runway, allowing the collection to be experienced beyond movement and performance. The transition from runway to exhibit preserved the energy of creation while offering a more intimate encounter with the form, material, and finish of the pieces. Within this space, the KOKO Bug remained both a visual anchor and a conceptual centre, reinforcing its role as the defining sigil of the KOKO universe.
Meaning Behind The KOKO Materials And Motifs
Jewellery within the KOKO Exhibit existed as a metaphor. Motifs were treated as sigils, carrying emotional and spiritual weight. Sacred references sat alongside surreal interpretations, underscoring the complexity of modern womanhood. These artefacts were not designed merely to adorn, but to express inner states of power, vulnerability, and reinvention.
Materiality played a central role in articulating this philosophy. The House’s signature duo metallic identity ran throughout the exhibit, with 24k gold and silver-plated metal forming a luminous dialogue. This interplay created a visual rhythm that felt intentional and resolved. Surfaces caught light in motion, allowing each piece to reveal depth through reflection.
Swarovski crystals, glass stones, and iridescent resin appeared as distilled elements of transformation. Transparent glass stones seemed suspended in a moment of flux, capturing matter mid-transition. Light refracted across these surfaces with quiet intensity, evoking the threshold between states of being.
Natural elements brought an organic counterbalance to the collection. Pearls, moonstones, and shells grounded the exhibit in the rhythms of nature. Shaped by time and tide, these materials spoke to endurance and renewal. In the Waterfall Pearls Series, cascading forms echoed cyclical movement, reinforcing the idea of continuity and emotional flow.
The KOKO Handhelds
The KOKO Exhibit also extended into sculptural accessories through the KOKO Klutch Series. These eco-conscious handbags were conceived as objects of form and meaning. Structured yet fluid, each piece was crowned with the duo metallic KOKO Bug, traced with crystal accents. The designs reflected the same alchemical principles as the jewellery, where grounded silhouettes held an undercurrent of transformation.
Dubai served as a resonant setting for this chapter of the House’s journey. The city’s relationship with reinvention, artistry, and visionary expression aligned with the ethos of the exhibit. Creativity existed here as a living force, shaped by ambition and imagination. The KOKO Exhibit found its place within this landscape as an expression of transformation shaped through craft and intent.
A Reflection Of Metamorphoses
At its core, the exhibit stood as a reflection of Outhouse as a women-led fashion house, where creation was an act of emotional and artistic courage. Jewellery became a vessel for lived experience, shaped by intuition and elevated through handwork. Within this space, craftsmanship revealed itself through quiet precision and intentional detail. Every surface, contour, and fastening carried the presence of the hand behind it. Techniques remained visible and honest, allowing the process of creation to become part of the experience. Transformation emerged as something shaped through time, patience, and intuition.
Outhouse co-founders, Kaabia and Sasha Grewal, add, “This showcase is a reflection of every metamorphosis Outhouse has undergone creatively, emotionally, and spiritually. Thirteen years later, our design story feels more fearless and fluid than ever.”
The KOKO Exhibit did not seek to conclude a chapter. It existed as a living expression of continuity. Thirteen years were distilled into a language of form, material, and meaning that remained present and evolving.
In partnership with The Edit Dubai, Outhouse presented the KOKO Exhibit as an ode to transmutation. It celebrated jewellery shaped by emotion, objects crafted with intention, and identity understood as an ever-unfolding process. The relationship between the jewellery and the space felt deliberate and composed. Pieces were placed to invite pause and reflection, encouraging the audience to engage slowly and instinctively. Movement through the exhibit unfolded naturally, guiding attention from one form to another with ease. Jewellery existed as an unfolding narrative, experienced through presence and proximity.
In its entirety, the KOKO Exhibit articulated Outhouse’s creative identity with clarity and depth. Rooted in craftsmanship and guided by intuition, it presented jewellery as a living expression of becoming.
Rendered in gold, silver, light, and instinct, the exhibit affirmed transformation as an enduring presence. One that exists to be felt, carried forward, and lived.