Soji Solarin's SS21 collection, ‘Journey Just Come’, has been inspired by his personal journey of life across three continents, as well as those of his family and friends from his home country, Nigeria. The title is a take on the Nigerian pidgin slang ‘Johnny Just Come’ which describes all people who suddenly and naively find themselves in Lagos, or in his understanding, any new place. The playful idiom embodies a light-hearted attitude towards displacement, disorientation and the widespread misunderstandings surrounding immigration.

Following his previous collection ‘Negro Cowboy’, which looked at the little considered Black rodeo tradition, this new offering riffs on his nostalgic ideas of Nigerian style through a contemporary streetwear lens. Key pieces include flared trousers, double zipped vests in corduroy and suede shirts plus blazers, sweaters and hoodies that exude an effortless elegance. Meanwhile the subdued colour palette is steeped in meaning.

“Green to me represents hope. White reflects innocence. Blue is the colour of the sky and the sea, which represents travel. Brown is always with us, because it's the colour of our skin. It represents our presence. Then the neutral colours pay homage to the national flag of Nigeria,” Solarin explains.

The designer wants to show more than just courage with this collection. He intends to remind us of the anxious hope, awkward extravagance and intense pressure to stay focused that all immigrants feel when they arrive in a new land. This is what he recalls feeling 14 years ago when he first arrived in the US. For example, the loose fit jeans and shirts are a memory of Solarin’s parents when they set foot on the plane leaving Nigeria behind.

He benefited enormously from his parents who were both courageous and strong-willed, but his greatest inspiration came from his grandfather. “He was the most brilliant man I ever met and always found a way to connect with people no matter how different they were from him,” Solarin says. “He always spoke his truth and when it came to style, he was all about comfort but still very experimental.”

Growing up, he was conscious of not always wanting to wear the latest fashion, which led him to think and act creatively on his own. “Ever since I learned about bartering methods in elementary school, the idea of making something with my hands has always made sense to me. I remember thinking, wow, what a simple way for life to operate,” he says. He went on to study at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco and launched his label in Los Angeles soon after he graduated in 2016. Now based in Berlin, he won the Global Talents award in 2019 and last year showed in Moscow.

Then Covid-19 struck, the shockwaves of which are now felt in his current capsule. “At the beginning of the pandemic, one of America's first moves was to indefinitely ban visas and immigration from Nigeria, which bothered me because I couldn't see any correlation with the pandemic nor a cause for it. Nigerians are one of the most successful minority groups in the US.” This led him to hunt down family photographs if his parents receiving their American citizenships and other sentimental shots from loved ones that went on to inspiration his designs.

Working actively in this fashion is his way of being optimistic and creating positive change. He wants to grow and develop while promoting black identity. Ultimately though, Solarin wants his pieces to become cherished heirlooms that are woven into their wearer’s lives. “My newfound goal would be a legacy that inspires other legacies and for my work to be part of people’s stories. Having folks pass on my garments to their kids and grandkids would be a great accomplishment.”

Photography Matias Alfonzo
Styling Lawrie Abei
Production assistance Clara Colette Miramon
Art direction Mathea Millman
Words Chantal Sackey

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Published on 06/07/2021