INTRODUCING: STUDIO KABILITO
STUDIO KABILITO - a sustainable creative studio using fashion and visual storytelling to empower the Black LGBTQ+ community & our allies. It features the KABIZINE universe, a growing collection of digital zines, physical accessories, and animations telling the story of four unconventional activists and the communities they honor.STUDIO KABILITO is an act of resistance against the norm -- that BIPOC (especially Black), LGBTQ+, and Disabled folks must expect degradation, exploitation, and misrepresentation in pop culture. STUDIO KABILITO seeks to stur hope, so that we may picture, and feel compelled to fight for, a world we all belong in.
Stay tuned for KABIZINE's inaugural fashion line and animated short film in Spring 2027! Read KABIZINE Issues 0 & 1 on ko-fi, which feature discussions of music, pop culture, and feminism. 50% of KABIZINE profits are donated to local mutual aid campaigns.
MEET THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: MK
MK is a Ugandan-American, neurodivergent, they/he lesbian with a big heart and a head in the clouds.MK's dream has always been to tell stories that move people. Their artistic practice is their most fundamental mode of activism, helping others navigate a world that conditions us out of our empathy and critical thinking capabilities. They strive to represent real-life diversity and complexity in their work, and to empower marginalized communities in the process. Their weapons of choice against systematic oppression are graphic, UX/UI, and motion design; 2D and 3D animation; illustration; and software development.
THE STORY BEHIND THE STUDIO
Growing up, MK looked to Black stardom to develop their understanding of what it means to be Black, and what was capable for (and expected from) them as a Black, femme-presenting person. They were often shamed out of interests considered "innappropriate for a Black girl to engage in". Now a seasoned oreo, MK is on a journey to discover and fall in love with the vast nuances of Blackness, and come to embrace who they truly are: a person affectionately named Kabilito (“one who was born in the dark”).Building STUDIO KABILITO has been MK's capstone project, through which he is learning how to use these creative and technological skills in order to tell meaningful stories and uplift not only the communities he's a part of, but the ones he's an ally of, as well. Through this capstone, MK hopes to answer the question: What does activism look like in this climate of apathy and fear? What does art look like?
It's 203X. Four art-ivists formed the KABIZINE Editorial Board for very different reasons, but one thing they have in common is their love for music, fashion, and media. They bring their unique skills and backgrounds to the table to make KABIZINE what it is. As monsters emerge from the earth, and the apocolypse draws nearer, what they do with KABIZINE might be the difference between a bright future or no future at all.Updated character designs coming soon. Follow the STUDIO KABILITO Instagram for progress updates!
