The brands to know about from UDGN’s London Fashion Week debut

A runway, shrouded in red, lit by two lone spotlights, lay waiting for its model purpose. But the show message was already clear: We are here, and we are important. Unity in Design Global Network (UDGN) — a collective founded by British-Nigerian designer Tare Isaac to support minority and underrepresented creatives — had its London Fashion Week debut last Saturday, with their Cultural Threads showcase at Ladbroke Hall on Saturday 20 September. Sixteen emerging designers, hand-selected by Isaac, displayed their collections to an audience of influencers, industry professionals and glitterati.

Isaac, who started fashion brand Twin by Tare a decade ago and is now a member of the BFC, opened the show with a speech, earnestly sharing her inspiration for creating the network. “The fashion industry is, as a Black designer, as an immigrant, challenging. There is a gap limiting access to opportunities and knowledge for minority designers.” And this event paves the way for “us”, Isaac always speaks in the plural, to “take up space”.

Montunrayo (Montunrayo Yetunde Ajayi) kick-started the colour-drenched show with five bright-yellow looks mixing tasselled fringes, suits and golden beads. The designers behind The Ideal Craftsmen (Oltutoba Odetomi) and Ayah (Ayah Daukoru) each presented a selection of thoughtful, more muted items that combined floating silhouettes with sharp lines. Isaac rounded off the runway herself with a new collection of seascape dresses that brought colour back to the forefront.

It was a heartwarming, lively and dramatic debut into London Fashion Week for the collective. Models occasionally strayed from their position, audience members offered to take photos of other guests, keen to document their front-row experience. Through its laid-back approach and enthusiastic audience, the UDGN show started to feel like the place to be. There was a clumsy anticipation in the air, underpinned by a fervent desire for change. Backstage, squished between designers, Isaac tells me a piece of her dad’s advice that summarises it all: “To go forward, you need a community because you’ll never reach as far on your own.” 

MONTUNRAYO

Intended to mirror the various ceremonial elements of the Osun Festival, the Of Water and Spirit designs from Montunrayo Yetunde Ajayi mix fluidity with structure to represent the spirit in motion.

AYAH

Fishnet vests, draped kimonos and shell detailing punctuated Ayah Ebimobowei Daukoru’s inventively fluid Fisherman’s Echo collection. The combination of tailored suits and floaty lines adds a contemporary finish to these fisherman-inspired designs.

ZUBERE

Designer Nancy Zubere plays with structure and form through her accented use of coral beads in ULO NWANNY! Fringed co-ords and cutouts bring a touch of modernity to the traditional celebration of the Igbo bride.

MIDETUSH

The Gimaguas-esque striped glitter shorts ooze a cosmopolitan beach-goer vibe sought after by London fashion-lovers. Oyeweunmi Kolapo Olumide’s Afefeatila collection is truly à-la-moment.

BOLA

Preppy baby girl-like dresses meet elegant heritage in Sulleman Omobolane Rukayat’s Inheritance collection, inspired by the Ojude Oba Festival of Ijebu. Lifted shoulders and frayed edges add a boldness to the otherwise classic shapes.

KAYPEE FOOTWEARS

Designer Omoyolye Kolapo Ibiyinka presented a selection of boots, sandals and brogues intended to reflect the red tones of Yorubaland. Paired with black harnesses and large tote bags, the Ápáta collection bounces between urban modernity and traditional storytelling.

JERMAINEBLEU

Disco’s back! Or so you might think after seeing Jason Jermaine Asiedu’s designs that paired coloured tights with reimagined suits. Based on family photo albums of the ’70s and ’80s, the denim-look glitter fabric and playful silhouettes of the Twamefoto collection hold a real runway presence.

ROBES AND BLINGS BY AKOKOMALI

Decadent glamour is the best way to describe Olaitan Maria Olatoke’s TIWA N N TIWA collection. Through swathes of bright tulle and voile capes, the designer reclaims the white cloth Yoruba pre-wedding tradition, once used as a purity test, to bring pride and empowerment to the modern woman.

LEKANAARE

Regal, linen, pinstripes. Lekan Taofek Folarin celebrates cultural pride with clothes that loosely drape off the body with his Lekanaare collection. The soft colour palette suggests a timeless elegance essential to the modern man.

PEM

Designer Mary Princess Obeya pays homage to the Idoma people of Benue State with a collection (Inheritance) that combines wearability with heritage. The gingham-stripe mix adds a gentle modern flair to this reimagination of cultural dress.

OOMO AJADI

The floating all-white designs of Kareem Yusuf Gbolahan ushered in a quiet awe across the audience. Through multi-layered veils and facial coverings constructed out of shells, this lofty collection, White Oracle, solidified the brand as a champion of fashion through performance.

OBIREEN

The layers of red satin and beads exuded regal dignity into the crowd. Created as an homage to Queen Idia of Benin, designer Salami Oluwaseun Victoria’s Okpan’iyoba collection radiates sophistication and grace.

THE IDEAL CRAFTSMAN

Structurally and culturally inventive, designer Olutoba Mercy Odetomi blends streetwear, traditional British fabrics and Yoruba spirituality in his The Five collection. Subtly flared tweed trousers, a casual waxed shirt-jacket and a suit-sword combo cement him as a designer to watch.

ITELE

Designer Seyi Agbool presented a selection of timeless loafers, each adorned with a heritage-print motif that tells the story of Nigerian Independence in his Freedom collection.

ANKU

Theatrical silhouettes and golden teardrop shapes define Kelvin Vincent’s Woven Stories collection. The delicate embroidery and crochet patterns echo aspects of both Ewe and Akan heritage.

TWIN BY TARE ISAAC

Bold, bright and floaty lines punctuated The Water Bearer collection, inspired by the Ijaw people’s sacred relationship with water. The sheer fishnet dress added a fresh textural dynamic to an otherwise satin-focused set of designs that wafted beautifully down the runway.