“It’s okay to be a local champion.” That simple phrase is the powerful message behind THIS IS US’s SS25 collection. Osione Itegboje, co-founder and art director of the Nigerian fashion house, explains how this idea grew from a place of authenticity. “We’ve always believed in using local materials and homegrown craftsmanship to create sustainable fashion. But this time, we wanted to honour the people we’ve met on this journey. These aren’t sports stars or global icons. They’re the people who quietly make a difference in their communities every day.”

For many, “local champion” was once a phrase used to mock those who weren’t the best at everything. But here, THIS IS US flips that narrative on its head. “It’s okay to be good at just one thing, even if it impacts only one person’s life. That alone deserves to be celebrated,” Osione shares. As such, the campaign, like much of what THIS IS US does, leans into the familiar and reframes it through a lens of pride and precision. Shot with a diverse cast from the brand’s sphere, these are people who show up, day after day, no fanfare required.

‘Local Champion’ builds on the brand’s Uniform Wear line but this time, the hero piece is the danshiki – a cultural classic reimagined with the crispness of a sports jersey and the soul of something deeply ancestral. It is dyed in indigo, cut in soft, boxy silhouettes and embroidered by hand in a checkerboard pattern that nods to nostalgia and athleticism in equal measure. “The danshiki came from a lot of research and experimentation,” he adds. “Oroma [Itegboje – co-founder and creative director] started designing from the neck. She wanted to break out of what we typically do and explore something more playful but still rooted in Nigerian design.”

What followed was an archival deep dive that traced the danshiki’s influence beyond West Africa, to its role as a cultural marker during the U.S. Civil Rights era. “That’s when the idea of the garment as a champion started to take shape,” Osione reflects. “It was something that stood for power, identity, resistance. And it made us think: garments themselves can be local champions.”

The collection includes a range of summer-ready pieces: indigo-dyed kaftans, aso-oke trousers, double-breasted suits and playful badges with one cheekily reading “In my village dem dey hail me”. There’s also a crop version of the danshiki, and several prints that draw from childhood motifs including Fanta bottles and folding fans.

To cast the campaign, the team did a call-out to their Instagram community. “It was deliberate and serendipitous,” Osione laughs. “We wanted to find people who represent our different champion archetypes, like the holiday champion: that person who always knows the best spots to eat or hang out. Or the life champion: your barber or go-to auntie. These are people whose stories matter, even if no one’s ever put them on a billboard.”

Much of the THIS IS US appeal lies in how effortlessly it bridges past and present. Since establishing the brand in 2016, the duo has worked hard to nurture Nigerian-grown Funtua cotton, dyed in the historic Kofar Mata pits in Kano. “The artisans there are passionate and incredibly open. You don’t often find that mix of mastery and humility.” Natural dyes and ancient resist techniques (including cassava paste painting and shibori striping) continue to feature in their process, alongside newer innovations like badges and custom patches.

Still, working locally comes with its challenges. “There are limits,” he admits. “The cotton isn’t Egyptian-soft, and we don’t have the broadest range. But we use design to work around that.” And as the brand’s global presence grows, so does the demand for winterwear, a tension they’re actively solving through regenerative cotton farming initiatives in Katsina. As such, sustainability isn’t just a tagline. “We’re thinking about every step in the value chain from the farm to the final fit. And always asking, how can we leave the planet better than we met it?”

Of course, THIS IS US has never been just about clothes. “We wanted to change what ‘Made in Nigeria’ means,” he says. “To build something that’s synonymous with great design and great quality, like when you hear ‘Japanese’ or ‘Italian’ design. Nigerian design should carry that same weight.” That goal to reframe local as luxury guides everything. Even their approach to collaboration is slow, intentional and value-driven. Joint collections with their peers such as Pith, Waf., DyeLab and Iamisigo have taken years to materialise. When asked what’s next, Osione doesn’t rush to answer. “There’s always something brewing,” he says with a laugh. “More collabs. More danshiki iterations. And hopefully, more people seeing themselves as local champions.”

This message will likely far outlast the season. In a world obsessed with being the best, the first, the most, ‘Local Champion’ is a gentle but firm reminder that being true to yourself, and doing your small part with excellence is also worth three cheers.