Fruché Spring/Summer 2027 / SS27 at Berlin Fashion Week entitled KLEG
This season, Fruché presents KLEG, a collection exploring body image, self-perception, body dysmorphia, and the beauty found in human difference. K-leg is a Nigerian Pidgin term for knock knees, but it is also commonly used to describe something that is dysfunctional or “not quite right.” The collection reclaims this everyday expression, transforming it into a celebration of individuality and the imperfect nature of being human.
“While developing KLEG, I found myself reflecting on a time when I was least conscious of my body. That memory took me back to my school years, when everyone wore uniforms and appearance felt secondary to belonging. Gingham, one of the most common fabrics used for school uniforms across Nigeria, whether in boarding schools or day schools, became a symbol of adolescence, innocence, and a time before self-consciousness. This familiar textile is reimagined through intricately woven Aso Oke and locally resist-dyed Adire, transforming a humble fabric into something deeply rooted in Nigerian craftsmanship while evoking the nostalgia of childhood.”
The silhouettes embrace distortion, asymmetry, and exaggerated proportions, reflecting the natural irregularities of the human body. They draw inspiration from the physical features we often become preoccupied with or are taught to hide: scars, tribal marks, bow legs, K-leg (knock knees), pimples, bumps, lumps, boils, moles, receding hairlines, prominent ears, broad noses, full lips, large heads, wide faces, and, above all, the endless pursuit of the “ideal” body shape. KLEG explores the richness of traditional Nigerian artistry through a contemporary lens, drawing from precolonial craftsmanship and the visual language of modern-day Nigeria.
The silhouettes embrace distortion, asymmetry, and exaggerated proportions, reflecting the natural irregularities of the human body. They draw inspiration from the physical features we often become preoccupied with or are taught to hide: scars, tribal marks, bow legs, K-leg (knock knees), pimples, bumps, lumps, boils, moles, receding hairlines, prominent ears, broad noses, full lips, large heads, wide faces, and, above all, the endless pursuit of the “ideal” body shape. KLEG explores the richness of traditional Nigerian artistry through a contemporary lens, drawing from precolonial craftsmanship and the visual language of modern-day Nigeria.
Rooted in heritage, Fruché SS27 / Spring/Summer 2027 collection references ancient techniques including wood carving, hand-woven Aso Oke, resist-dyed Adire, beadwork, and the wooden chimes traditionally worn by cultural dancers. These practices are reinterpreted as contemporary wearable art, honouring the body as both structure and canvas. KLEG becomes a dialogue between past and present, where ancestral craftsmanship meets contemporary African expression. It is a celebration of difference, form, movement, and cultural memory, seen through the modern African eye. Rather than disguising perceived imperfections, the collection invites us to recognise them as markers of identity, history, and beauty.
Fruché SS27 / Spring/Summer 2027 collaborated with Nigerian artist Fredrick Aghuno of Dricky Stickman, who hand-painted diverse bodies onto silk and Funtua cotton canvas woven in Katsina, Nigeria. We also worked with Nigerian artists and sculptors Emmanuel Opeyemi and Oluwalere Israel Adewale, who created a hand-carved wooden bodice and sculptural hats that blur the boundaries between fashion and art. Nigerian filmmaker and musician MAUNROH made the music for the showcase, inspired by different people’s journeys with body image. Fola Olopade of Ile Olopade crocheted pieces in the collection as well.
Emerging Nigerian brand Dukun created the fabric origami hats inspired by childhood and the paper crafts many of us grew up making—paper hats, boats, aeroplanes, and windmills—bringing a sense of nostalgia and playfulness to the collection. Sustainable Nigerian leather brands Afora Official, Kiing Daviid, and Renaissance by Janet designed the footwear, reinterpreting the classic Nigerian school shoe through a contemporary lens, completing the collection’s exploration of memory, identity, and youth.
Ultimately, KLEG is an invitation to see the body differently, not as something to be corrected, but as a living archive of memory, heritage, experience, and individuality. Every scar, asymmetry, mark, and perceived imperfection tells a story. In embracing these differences, Fruché proposes a new vision of beauty: one rooted not in perfection, but in authenticity, cultural identity, and the freedom to exist unapologetically.
About Fruché, Fruché is a contemporary fashion brand based in Lagos, Nigeria. Frank Aghuno, the Creative Director and Founder of Fruché, has been designing since the age of 11. He would cut up his mother’s ankara (wax print) wrappers and sew them into dresses by hand. Aghuno is self-taught. Most of his knowledge came from extensive research and mentorship from his mother, a former fashion designer. The brand aims to explore rich, historical, radical, futuristic, and modern progressive stories that challenge the notion that Nigerian/African women and men are expected to look and dress a certain way. Fruché is a mix of traditional Nigerian culture, heritage, artisanal techniques, and contemporary design. The brand embodies a unique sensibility that seamlessly combines an outspoken narrative with a bold sensuality that is luxuriously modern.
All images Fruché SS27 / Spring/Summer 2027 by the brand. CREDITS TO : Casting Direction MZN Models, Beauty Producer & Key Makeup Artist Reem Jarhum @reemjarhum, PR & Communications Agnès Kausoko