Known for his playful and disruptive approach, Orange Culture’s Adebayo Oke-Lawal took us on a journey inspired by his experiences leaving Lagos and moving to London. It’s a journey often punctuated with periods of loneliness, longing, and fear, but Oke-Lawal (who now splits his time between the two cities) chose to celebrate the aspects that make migration a little more bearable. “It’s about creating something that gives you a nostalgic feeling. A memory that you can hold onto and that makes you feel safe in a new world.”
Capturing the essence of nostalgia and translating it into a collection is not an easy task. Oke-Lawal experimented with shapes, silhouettes, and colors in order to mimic each part of the journey. At times he played around with soft and delicate fabrics; elsewher he created pieces that were colorful and edgy. The goal was to present a collection that was both artisanal and commercial, a difficult balance to get right.
Oke-Lawal wanted to create a collection that would speak to Nigerians and the diaspora, as well as one that piqued the interest of new fans. That meant incorporating traditional Nigerian prints into more playful looks such as a matching two-piece set, as well as incorporating very literal elements, like small prints of his brother and sister.
Having recently showcased his collection in London at the Victoria and Albert Museum, this time around Oke-Lawal took over a buzzy new members club––owned by the photographer, stylist, and filmmaker Daniel Obasi. Guests interacted with the pieces while old school hits played in the background, triggering our own personal journeys of nostalgia.