In the rich tapestry of Yoruba culture, words have weight. They’re not just labels, but vessels of meaning, Tolu Coker’s work is a testament to the power of euphonic expression. Through her shows, she intertwines the beauty and significance of these names, allowing her creations to not only speak, but resonate with purpose, inviting her audience to experience more than just fashion. It’s a journey through heritage, identity and empowerment.
Tolu Coker’s Autumn/Winter 2025 collection, “ORI – Upon Reflection,” is named after the Yoruba concept of òrí—a symbol of spiritual intuition, destiny, and the inner essence of self. More than merely the literal “head,” òrí represents the guiding force that shapes purpose and existence. The collection transcends traditional fashion, engaging in a timeless dialogue between past, present, and future. Rooted in the rich heritage of Yoruba spirituality and its diasporic migration, “ORI – Upon Reflection” reimagines dress as ritual, memory, and an intimate extension of self.
“Clothes are not simply garments – they are archives of memory, carriers of culture, and markers of identity. To
wear is to honor the past, embrace the present, and shape the future,” Coker explains.
And true to her reputation her show captured the diversity and the charm that gives testament of the seas, lands and times transversed in a perfect blend of individuality.
For Autumn/Winter 2025, Tolu Coker moves beyond the conventional runway, embracing an immersive studio presentation at London Fashion Week, an intentional shift toward transparency, collaboration and a more reflective creative process. With the expertise of set designer Maureen Kargbo and producer Michelle Smith, Coker transforms her atelier into a communal space, where those in attendance can witness the ritual of making firsthand.
Rooted in the structure of uniformity, the collection explores how dress codes evolve across generations and geographies while preserving their ancestral codes. Flowing white garments pay homage to the Aladura churches spanning Lagos to London, the ceremonial dress of Candomblé, Lucumí and Santería in Brazil and Cuba and the ritual attire of Black spiritual traditions in Louisiana and Haiti. This sacred influence converges with classic European tailoring, creating a dialogue between ceremony and the everyday, the spiritual and the structured. Fabric choices deepen this interplay. Deadstock wools and gabardines offer layers of meaning, while tartans, poplins and crisp collars reference British sartorial traditions, grounding the collection in the designer’s London heritage.
At the heart of the space, a live atelier reveals the hypnotic rhythm of creation, bridging the seen and the unseen, the intangible and the material. A live band, stationed at the heart of the set, mirrors this act of making composing the collection’s soundtrack in real time, under the direction of Grammy-winning producer Gaetan Judd. Continuing Coker’s deep connection to music as a vessel for memory, the space becomes a living archive. A look-book shoot unfolds in parallel, capturing the transition from process to permanence, while suspended above, archival imagery from Coker’s late father serves as both reference and invocation.
Coker’s work is more than fashion. It is a spirit, a resonance, a living archive of memory and meaning. Through her curations, beauty, authenticity and ancestry intertwine, speaking across time and place, transcending the material to become something deeply felt, deeply known.
