British-Nigerian designer Tolu Coker’s debut collection at London Fashion Week was an impressive exploration of her familial and spiritual roots. “I was playing with the idea of Yoruba spirituality as being something that is dark and maligned. Darkness doesn’t have to mean evil,” Coker says backstage after her SS24 show. That darkness presented itself in literal terms at times, such as the opening look: a reverse hi-low skirt and matching jacket in charcoal. Styled by Nataal contributing editor Barbara Ayozie Fu Safira in a large, black wide-brimmed hat and a black lace veil, it was a dramatic introduction of the collection.

The rest of the line-up was a mixture of long, lean silhouettes, such as an all-white cotton dress with an A-line skirt and a synched corseted waist; and clever use of separates, both in menswear and womenswear. Take men’s leather Bermuda shorts and an oversized short-sleeves shirt with a print of a family photo (taken by her late father’s archive) sprayed across it, or a black mini dress paired with red knee-high boots and plain white shirt underneath. This ensured that the collection was wearable, flattering and commercial. That element of the designer’s talent cannot be underestimated: whilst London is traditionally seen as a fashion city that is supportive of young brands, it is often difficult for emerging designers to survive long-term, and so a consideration for your consumer in a new brand’s ethos is no bad thing.

Coker launched her eponymous label in 2018 following her graduation from Central Saint Martins. Her work extends beyond clothing, having worked in other media such as illustrations, documentaries and fashion films. She has garnered numerous awards for her work. Merging artisan craftsmanship with innovative technology, her mainly-unisex designs have a key focus on deconstruction and sustainability.

But fundamentally Coker is a designer premised on infusing and expressing her personal narrative. “The collection is called Irapada, which means Redemption in Yoruba. It’s about this idea of wanting to return to oneself,” she explains. It celebrates the matriarchs in her family through an exploration of different takes on ‘Sunday Best’ and how dress can empower the wearer through an interplay of freedom and modesty. “My grandma is a great reference point and features heavily throughout the collection. She was a Muslim woman who married a Christian man, which is considered both in the religion and in culture, haram. That was a huge statement within my family,” she adds. “‘I was also interested in celestial gowns and how these billowing dresses conceal the figure. Everyone I knew who wore celestial gowns had so much style and character.”

Redemption in a clothing sense also meant restoration. Upcycled lace and denim fabrications that are woven with pre-and post-consumer waste, entrench sustainable fabric as an integral aspect of the collection. That return to oneself is not, however, in a selfish or self-centred way. “My mom recorded the soundtrack based on music that has been passed down in my family for generations. Everything I do is collaborative.”

The trick she’s mastered is to mine the rich history of her heritage to create something contemporary. “In our culture we have a wealth and a currency that is different to that in the western world. I wanted to show how, through music, sound and clothes, the diaspora has kept things from our grandparents and their grandparents, and made it our own.”

When invited out to one of the many LFW parties after her show, Coker responds: “I have to eat. Yesterday when I was so busy getting ready for the show I said I’ll eat tomorrow, so I have to eat today…”. Welcome to the Big Leagues, Tolu Coker.