Celebrated designer and cultural storyteller Armando Cabral, founder of his namesake luxury lifestyle brand, and USM present NKYINKYIM A CASA – the second chapter of their ongoing collaborative design exploration NKYINKYIM.

Initially launched in February 2025, the collection has since expanded with a series of new USM Haller designs rooted in Portuguese craftsmanship and material traditions, reflecting Cabral's upbringing in Portugal and his vision of the home as a place of gathering, ritual, and storytelling.

The eight pieces that form NKYINKYIM A CASA include a wide range of functionalities: the Bassarel love chair invites interaction and intimacy, while the Lily daybed serves as an impressive centrepiece for any living room. Together with the Banu credenza, Uno bookcase, Manjak and Manjak Mini chairs, Arkad sidetable and Nkyinkyim bookshelf, they form an immersive domestic environment that evolves with its inhabitants, blurring the boundaries between furniture, architecture, and cultural expression. Underscoring the collaborative spirit at the heart of the project, Cabral turned to Portuguese heritage mill Fabricaal, dressing the Bassarel love chair, the Lily daybed, and the Manjak chairs in vibrant woolen textiles that draw on the richly colored palette and centuries-old weaving traditions of the Alentejo region, bringing warmth, tactility, and a distinctly Portuguese sensibility to the collection.

Named after the Adinkra symbol representing transformation, growth, and the non-linear paths of progress, the NKYINKYIM project explores how design can carry culture across geographies and generations. Born in Guinea-Bissau, raised in Portugal, educated in London, and now based in New York, Cabral's own journey has been shaped by movement, layering, and cultural exchange – experiences that inform both the collection and the philosophy behind it.

NKYINKYIM A CASA was first unveiled at MAAT Central's Sala dos Geradores in Lisbon, marking a symbolic homecoming that returned Cabral's evolving creative language to the city and country that shaped his early life. Their arrival in New York marks the next chapter in that journey, bringing together the places, memories, and cultural references that continue to inform his perspective.

Centered on the home as a site of gathering, ritual, and storytelling, Cabral's approach reflects his belief that home is not a fixed place but a living system shaped by people, memory, and design. Anchored by a legacy of timelessness and precision, USM brings this vision to life through its modular systems and a philosophy rooted in longevity, sustainability, and adaptability, providing the structural language for NKYINKYIM.

Rather than a finished statement, NKYINKYIM is conceived as a living proposition – an invitation to reflect on how we inhabit space, how design supports community, and how culture continues to evolve across borders and generations.

ARMANDO CABRAL is the first-to-market African-inspired luxury lifestyle brand created by model and entrepreneur Armando Cabral. The brand embodies a unique fusion of Cabral’s African heritage with European craftsmanship, creating collections of exceptional quality at an accessible luxury price point. Launched in 2008, the brand has evolved to include cultural initiatives and projects that transcend traditional collections focused on the home as a concept. Rooted in community and craftsmanship, ARMANDO CABRAL seeks to create spaces where creativity, tradition, and design intersect.

www.armando-cabral.com 

@armando_cabral