Tolu Coker FW24 at London Fashion Week

Tolu Coker FW24 / Fall Winter 2024 at London Fashion Week entitled BROKEN ENGLISH

Reflecting on the heaving vibrancy of the streets of West Africa led to Tolu Coker’s investigation of ‘Hawkers’ for Tolu Coker FW24 ready-to-wear collection ‘Broken English’.

The catalyst for Coker’s research this season was fuelled by a two-week trip to Ghana, where the designer became enamoured by the silhouettes of the garbs of Accra’s infamous hawkers – roadside vendors who sell everything from merchandise to food – all while carrying huge loads atop their heads, and in pockets, sidestepping non-stop traffic. A former trade Coker’s mother was a part of before migrating to London from Nigeria, the designer pays homage to the uniform of street vendors.

Examining the use of the Nigerian ‘Pidgin’ language between hawkers – a dialect commonly spoken in West Africa – is a source of focus for Coker, too. By centring the narrative around hawkers – a group who face perilous working conditions and uncertain livelihood – Coker’s collection is a powerful meditation on mass consumption.

‘A lot of the time you’re viewing hawkers through a window of a vehicle. There’s a lot of chaos outside, but with each hawker I came across, there was something special there.’

Coker’s separates for Tolu Coker Fall Winter 2024 comprise sharp tailoring and tactile craftsmanship combining both the clothing of vendors’ everyday wear tied in with the brand’s signature codes.

Circular shapes, stripes and floral prints take precedence this season, and the ochre hue of the sandy roads permeates Tolu Coker Fall Winter 2024 collection, with red accents embodying the spirited nature of the roadside trade. Taking into consideration the warmer climes in West Africa, and a pointed focus on ‘Sunday Best,’ there are distinctive 1960s and 1970s influences with refined and voluminous finishes.

‘My parents would keep a lot of clothes that had aged with the idea that they’d give them to relatives in Nigeria. In Africa, these garments are valuable, although they may seem dated perhaps in London, you see these garments on hawkers. My parents’ sense of preservation is instilled in me. There is clothing from previous collections in Tolu Coker FW24, which crosses over with the culture of hawking and recycling.’

Elsewhere, leather holds more of a presence in Tolu Coker Fall Winter 2024 collection. Aged and eco-leather supplied by East London wholesalers GH Leathers has been reworked and integrated into the main line. Denim is given a new lease of life via waistcoats with double lapels and waist-cinching details. Sustainable, durable wax-treated Prince of Wales checks are visible in the form of longline dresses and feminine waistcoats due to a collaboration with Scottish-based brand Halley Stevensons.

‘Sustainability isn’t one dimensional. I love to look at the garments that sit in the category of “waste” and breathe life into them. That’s a theme that runs through the entire collection.’

The free-flowing nature of the pleated ankle-length skirts and A-line dresses are reminiscent of the breathable nature of conservative kaftans. Furthermore, balloon-hem trousers akin to ankle-fitting Sokoto trousers worn by Yoruba men work in tandem with shorter miniskirts boasting clever zips, and thigh-skimming pinafores layered over shirts. Continuing to nod to the extensive life of the hawkers’ whimsy wardrobe, lofty hats and banana leaf bags developed by Ghanaian artisans feature. A partnership with UGG for FW24 sees footwear come in three deconstructed styles of heeled boots – in Bordeaux, suede tan, and burgundy and chocolate shades – rendered in shearling.

ABOUT TOLU COKER

Tolu Coker is a West London-born, British-Nigerian designer and multi-disciplinary artist who is a British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN award recipient. Prior to her stints in the design studios of J.W. Anderson, Maison Margiela and Celine, Coker was a Central Saint Martins and graduated from the renowned University of the Arts in 2017 with First Class Honours.