Adebayo Oke-Lawal took on NYFW with a collection brimming with high camp flair
Orange Culture appeared at NYFW under the Studio One Eighty Nine umbrella at a separate show just hours after its host. Luring the crowd that danced and cheered at the Studio One Eighty Nine show to an industrial riverside venue, the event recreated the rhythmic energy of the earlier show with a paired down version of its performances.
The collection itself was a whimsical take on the architectural cuts, organza jackets and graphic t-shirts that the Nigerian designer Adebayo Oke-Lawal cut his teeth with, albeit with a little more camp flair.
This season took ideas of masculinity head-on with male models donning bright lips, Art Deco earrings and musketeer-style hats in shiny purples and blues flanked with crystals. The few female models bore short hairstyles without jewels.
The show offered a new view of Nigeria: one where experimental youths fold traditional garb and western leisurewear into one seamless wardrobe. Of all things, the soundtrack was the theme song to the Netflix series Stranger Things, though it was unclear if the song was a nod to the celestial vibe of the collection or an affirmation that Nigeria and its people are also part of pop culture. Whatever the message, Oke-Lawal has matured into a designer who not only understands his base but wants them to be seen in their entirety.
Read Nataal’s AW19 interview with Adebayo Oke-Lawal here