London Fashion Week may be the youngest of the big 4 fashion weeks, but no other city delivers the big risks and bold styling quite like it. With big-name brands like Burberry missing from the London Fashion Week calendar this year, it was the young labels with multicultural founders that stepped up and made the moments of magic. Read on to explore our top 5 collections from Black designers this London Fashion Week.
Founded in 2015 by Fonday Dumbuya, Labrum London is a modern-day menswear brand. They tell the untold stories of West Africa with the aim of bridging the gap between Western and West African culture.
“African fashion and culture weren’t represented the right way in mainstream media, so I thought I’d set something up and tell the untold African story the right way – rich heritage, culture and music.”
Dumbuya made his return to London Fashion Week with an emotional presentation (styled and directed by Ibrahim Kamara) that reflected on both the joys and the struggle of the West African experience.
The collection blends classic British tailoring with an eclectic mix of Sierra Leonean fabrics. “All my fabrics are made by artisans in Freetown, Sierra Leone, then shipped to London where they are crafted into garments to be worn by models from all over the world.”
The influence of the designer’s West African heritage is evident on denim jackets and Aishatu dresses, which feature screen prints of Nomoli figures from Sierra Leone’s Mende and Kissi tribes. These figures are among the earliest works of art from Sierra Leone and are believed to represent protection and good fortune.
Dumbuya, who wanted the collection to tell the story of migration, draws further inspiration from Jacob Lawrence’s ‘The Migration Series’ and various museum archives to highlight the power of movement within the African diaspora.
Check out their work here.
Born in Tooting to a mother of Indian descent and a father of Nigerian descent, Priya Ahluwalia (winner of the 2020 LMVH Prize) has consistently paid homage to her mixed heritage since founding her eponymous label in 2018.
Her appearance at London Fashion week is her first-ever time to present a collection physically on the runway (having gone digital over the past two years in response to the pandemic). Marking another milestone — this was also the first time that Ahluwalia presented a full lineup of womenswear (which she did so alongside her mainstay menswear pieces).
The collection was named “From Nollywood to Bollywood” and her deep connection with both was weaved throughout. Draping techniques were inspired by saris; silk tops, tees and wide-leg jeans featured printed images of Bollywood and Nollywood film posters and her signature loose-fitting tracksuits came in green, orange and yellow hues — reminiscent of vintage Nollywood and Bollywood advertising posters. On the tailoring front, Ahluwalia draws inspiration from the “sassy female boss characters” in Nigerian films, whom she says are always rocking powerful pinstriped suits.
“Bollywood and Nollywood are two places where you see Black and brown representation that’s not through a European gaze. They’re very authentic in their points of view; I’ve watched both since I was a kid,” — Priya Ahluwalia
The spirit of Nollywood and Bollywood was reflected too by the models themselves, all of whom were either Black or South Asian.
“I think it’s really important that we invest in businesses and people of colour because we’re not championed enough or treated fairly… Or people treat us in a tokenistic way.”
Check out her work here.
Maximillian Davis — currently part of the Fashion East programme — founded his eponymous label in 2020 and has already gained fans in Rihanna, A$AP Rocky, Dua Lipa, Zendaya, Kim Kardashian and Bella Hadid — to name a few. His designs are guided by a devotion to precise tailoring and a celebration of Black sensuality and elegance.
With his FW22 collection, Davis explores a deeply personal narrative, drawing inspiration from his distinct childhood experiences as he tells the story of his upbringing in rural Shropshire.
For example, he considers his time growing up in an extremely religious household while attending a Catholic school. With wrap skirts and pleated leather dresses, Davis creates looks reminiscent of Catholic schoolgirl uniforms. Religious symbolism is further embodied with an evangelical white dress that bears sleeves wrapped in thorns.
Davis also recalls the memory of passing local biker gangs on the way to school, which is reflected in his decision to use leathers, suede and lambskin as the foundational fabrics of the collection.
Elsewhere, traditional British tailoring is updated and reinterpreted with genderless proportions. Davis merges his present-day studies of 19th century Caribbean equestrian-wear with memories of his Trinidadian father’s pinstriped suits to create unique pieces intended to be a contemporary celebration of Black excellence.
“I want to show Black people in a way they haven’t been seen before.”
The designer reflects on the role that faith and religion played for him and his family upon moving to the English countryside from Manchester “my family wanted to have something to follow, which is in line with the importance religion holds for so many Black families… Ever since slavery, Black communities have looked to God for strength, for a belief that this will all come to an end, for security and guidance.”
Check out his work here.
Born in Hackney, British-Guyanese designer, dancer and choreographer Saul Nash founded his eponymous label in 2018. His designs blend sportswear and luxury menswear, fusing technical fabrics and zippers with flowing silhouettes to create versatile pieces designed to liberate movement.
Nash began his AW22 presentation, titled ‘Ritual’, with a short film shot in a Guyanese barbershop in Kensal Rise. Supposedly, the spot was one of London’s first West Indies barbershops and the designer says he chose it for its community atmosphere (check out the film here).
The clothing itself is influenced by the folklore and spirituality of his Guyanese upbringing. “Growing up in London in an Afro-Caribbean household, spirituality was part of the language of my life and in a way, this collection reflects on some of these experiences”
For example, we see Yemaaya mermaid prints (considered to be an ocean Goddess in certain Afro-Caribbean communities) on knitted jacquard tops, technical zip-ups and track pants.
Nash also offered his first take on tailoring, though he remained true to his philosophy that clothes should be designed with the idea of movement in mind.
He spliced the two worlds together in the form of a suit with detachable sleeves — made from combat wool (for its antibacterial properties) — and jacquard’s integrated with mesh, which Nash states “will act as an insulation when worn under outerwear in the winter, and keep you cool when worn in the summer.”
Check out his work here.
Born in Jamaica, raised in the Cayman Islands and currently based in London, Alleyne made his first London Fashion Week debut last September with Fashion East.
Inspired by his Caribbean heritage, his work challenges ancient and modern meanings of masculinity.
Alleyne considers his distinctly Caribbean relationship with the sun as his premise for both the philosophical and technical aspects of his AW22 collection, named ‘Under Fata Morgana.’
“Where I grew up, our lives revolved around [the sun], so there’s a deep connection to it… Here, in London, our relationship with the sun is different… What does that mean for me as someone who now lives in London?”
The designer draped his fabrics as if they had been baked by the sun, and repurposed vintage garments and dead-stock fabrics to produce jeans, skirts, shirts and vests that looked like they’d been left out in the sun for too long.
“I’m obsessed with presenting something that feels like it has a life,” Alleyne said.
The designer shows off his technical skills through ingenious deconstruction, which is at the core of the collection. Seemingly random ties, slashes and drapes are held together by the smallest of safety pins, creating looks that confidently challenge conventional notions of masculinity.
Check out his work here.
