Influenced by matriarchal figures, spirituality orbiting her Yoruba roots, and a yearning to commemorate slices of familial history, newcomer to LFW, Tolu Coker, delivers her SS24 collection.
Titled “IRAPADA”, Coker facilitates a nuanced dialogue between family matriarchs in England and Nigeria within her pieces, delivering an amalgamation of a ‘Sunday’s Best’ aesthetic and classic Yoruba pieces, celestial white gowns were reimagined as shirt dresses with corsetry and exaggerated collars. Despite a predominately neutral colour palette peppered within the odes to traditional Yoruba wear, Coker introduced pops of lemon-yellow, celestial-blue and carmine, which uplift the collection.
The designer also taps into womanhood and sensuality for summer. Halter-neck tops sat alongside midi skirts with gathering and cut-out detailing adorned in a signature jacquard print, nodding to the uniform worn by Aladura church attendees.
Speaking on the collection, Coker states: “‘The collection nods to different forms of empowerment and how women have translated that spirituality into their dress. My grandma is a great reference point and features heavily throughout the collection. She was a Muslim woman who married a Christian man, which is considered both in the religion and in culture, haram. That was a huge statement within my family.“
“The collection is titled ‘IRAPADA’ meaning redemption in Yoruba, because I was thinking about what it means in a literal sense – but also how this can apply to clothing and restoration. Upcycled lace has a new lease of life, and denim fabrications are woven with pre-and post-consumer waste.“
Take a closer look at Tolu Coker’s SS24 collection above.
