LFW - SS26 - Unity In Design Global Network: A Celebration Of Heritage And Culture
- Zarah Hashim and Simon Nora-Dreyfus
- Nov 12, 2025
- 11 min read
Updated: Nov 13, 2025
Fashion has a history of using design to explore what one may not be able to solely communicate through language. It holds a special platform for allowing culture to be distinguished and revered, especially when on a runway at London Fashion Week. Unity in Design Global Network (UDGN) has taken fashion’s ethos of expressing oneself and presented a space for minority designers to be given the opportunity to share their heritage and culture. Their mission to close the opportunity gap by providing that opportunity is exactly what happened with their Spring/Summer 2026 London Fashion Week show in Ladbroke Hall. We were able to travel from Nigeria to Ghana, to beyond, whilst being a part of the celebration rooted in Blackness and African heritage.
Miuccia Prada said, “What you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today, as fashion is an instant language,” and this was certainly encapsulated during their show. Named Entrepreneur of the Year 2025, founder of UDGN and TWIN, Tare Isaac explores how fashion has become a language of its own through the culture and heritage of designers on display. Their lived experiences were interwoven together and presented down the runway to platform diversity coexisting with the industries that do not necessarily always platform them.
An array of patterns, colours, textiles and silhouettes walked down the runway of UDGN’s first-ever fashion show, showcasing the sixteen designers who have worked with the network, some of whom were making their first-ever collection.
All images by Maja Smiejkowska courtesy of Black PR
The show began with Motunrayo, designed by Motunrayo Yetunde Ajayi, with her collection called ‘Of Water And Spirit.’ This collection is rooted in the Osun Festival of Nigeria’s Yoruba tradition. The garments express mythological stories with inspiration being drawn from the sacred river of Oshun, the goddess of fertility, beauty, and deep emotion. Motunrayo pays homage to Orisha through the colour yellow, often associated with the goddess herself. The designs focused on silhouettes which radiated feminine elegance and divine energy with different fabrics, textiles and patterns, the spiritual evocation became apparent. Motunrayo has woven ancestral history into cloth and shared that with us all to see.
Next to showcase was AYAH by Ayah Ebimobowie Daukoru, a designer who wants to redefine masculine silhouettes through narratives drawn from the Niger Delta’s landscapes and communities. STRAND had the pleasure of speaking with Ayah himself, and he described ‘The Fisherman’s Echo collection as, “telling the stories of the communities who worked in the area [Niger Delta] (as the major income is fishing). I wanted to show how they dressed and how they made their clothing out of what they had on hand.” The collection uses earthy tones of brown and beige to “connect with the earth” and uses actual fishing net material to build designs which pay respect to the fishing community. Ayah also told me about how his collection’s use of “cowrie shells represents the currency of our early fathers, I wanted these to be seen for people to know that this is a part of our cultural history.” The designs of AYAH embody both an ancestral and modern take on masculinity through wide-legged trousers, cropped suit jackets, fishnet vests and a draped kimono, demonstrating through style that this is what Black masculinity can look like: “rooted, reflective and free.”
Sulleman Omobolane Rukayat is the designer and founder of BOLA, an up-and-coming fashion brand whose collection is titled ‘Inheritance.’ This collection draws from the Ojude Oba Festival of Ijebu, Nigeria. This festival hosts parades which celebrate the Awujale (king), regberegbe age groups and family names. Speaking with Sulleman about her collection, she expressed how “during this festival, people come from many different countries to celebrate, and what you see them wearing is Aso-Oke, which is what you see me wearing.” This hand-woven cloth is part of the Yoruba tradition, and we see it within BOLA designs, yet there is modern elegance to the legacy of this style as Sulleman designs silhouettes which imagine a confident and assertive consumer. BOLA has therefore reinterpreted Yoruba heritage to be effortless luxury with a timeless modernity.
Zubere by Nancy Nwaozuzu is a womenswear brand which is rooted in Igbo culture. Her collection ‘Ụlọ Nwaanyị’ is a celebration of the Igbo bride. She translates the strength and softness of this celebration through her designs. The beads, tassels, and patterned fabric embolden the message of emotional and physical transition and celebration, paying homage to traditions which exist within the Igbo culture. Each look tells the story of how a bride is received on her wedding day, revered and celebrated with joy as she walks down the runway/aisle. This collection honours the bride and her journey and allows her to become the most confident version of herself as she partakes in her new chapter. Zubere’s ethos is to empower and make women feel their highest selves, something we see in this collection.
The Yoruba traditions continue to be reimagined by designer Oyewunmi Kolapo Olumide with his brand, Midetush, and collection titled ‘Afefe Ati Ila’ (Air and Stripes). Olumide creates silhouettes which move with ease, allowing the structure and craftsmanship to shine with every stride. The female and male designs demonstrate that this brand is for everyone; it is a contemporary reimagining of Aso-Oke. The colour choices demonstrate seasonal transition, allowing these clothes to be worn all year round, adding another layer of effortless luxury to the Midetush brand. The striped fabric paired with the singular coloured material added a great contrast, allowing the pieces to stand out and demonstrate their statesmanship; the designs exude boldness, luxury and everyday chic, cementing this brand as cosmopolitan. The designs concentrate on style, and that's what makes this brand able to be seen worn everywhere, whether that is in London or Lagos.
Moving from the West Coast to the Gold Coast, we find ourselves in Ghana with designer Jason Jermaine Asiedu and his brand JERMAINE BLEU. His collection, ‘Twa Me Foto’ literally translates to “take my photo” in Ghanaian Twi. This boldness is absolutely reflected in the designs of this collection. Primary colours red, blue and yellow, contrasted with the shimmer within the fabric, commanding you to look, envision and remember. Jason was inspired by family photos from the seventies and eighties in Ghana, which led him to create this mastery of craftsmanship. All pieces are rich with history and pay homage to the tailoring from the decades in which they were inspired. There is a certain respect demanded through these pieces, which makes bringing your culture and heritage to the stage important. It communicates histories and stories which one may not have heard and reinforces the idea that fashion is indeed a language of its own.
The bridal theme continues as we explore another of what Yoruba, Nigeria has to offer through designer Olaitan Maria Olatoke and her brand Robes and Blings by Akokomali. This collection is called ‘IWA N TIWA’, which translates to “Ours is Ours” and explores the purity culture of the Yoruba tradition. RBA reclaims the white cloth, which once symbolised fear for Yoruba brides, as it was used as a test for a woman's purity. Now, this cloth symbolises empowerment, resilience and ownership of the self. In our interview with Olaitan, she expressed how “every piece in the collection is a reclamation of strength as every woman is owning her story and we celebrate that.” These designs carry elegance and just by looking at them.. Olatake’s genius is in taking a tradition of judgment and turning it into a beautiful collection celebrating womanhood; she expresses that “any woman, whether that’s in maternity shoots or on her birthday, who wants to celebrate herself - this collection is for them.” This is truly why fashion is necessary - it allows narratives to be told with a mutual understanding through art, embodying resistance. The design's showpiece is a red, crystalised corset and sheer robe, built for extravagance and truly allows the bride to think of her celebration, rather than an impending fear of shame. UDGN’s mission allows designers to tell their stories. On the runway, they are able to explore the good and the bad and reinvent their heritage to fit the narratives they wish to express.
The collection’s title is Homage to the King, but, more than a tribute, it seems that designer Lekan Taofeek Folarin gave birth to a whole new lineage of princes. The imposing shapes and accessories inspired by the Yorubas’ nobility – contrasting with a palette of deep navy, cream, ochre and sand – convey an impression of quiet power. These perfectly tailored pieces don’t talk, they scream elegance! The pieces carry the heritage of the historical Ojude Oba Festival – a major annual parade, held in Ijebu-Ode, Nigéria, originally to show respect to the Yoruba kingship. During this traditional celebration, locals exhibit flamboyant fashion, never wearing the same attire from year to year and competing with one another. In Lekan Aakare’s SS26, the Yoruba crown motifs on a collar or the classic linen stripes juxtaposed with a new, refreshing style convey the impression that it could be worn by trendy royal heirs from modern times. Notice the incredible hat with blue pearls, the trousers, the patchwork shirt or the grand agbada-style overcoat – a robe worn by men in West Africa as a symbol of status, here revisited with a wide collar. Each of them would stand out in a male wardrobe as a central statement piece. Worn from head to toe or integrated with a casual urban outfit, any of these items will impose respect and admiration.
I have to admit, I rarely feel that the models are happy and truly empowered by their clothes when walking in a fashion show. In PEM SS26, however, they were beaming contagiously. Their confident strides – almost a dance – to the empowering ‘Tomorrow’ by the Nigerian singer Yemi Alade, evoked the Idoma women of Benue State (Nigeria) and the spirit of their vibrant dance festival. Nourished by this tradition in her home community, in which dancers, dressed in striking red and black stripes, perform the Ogirinya – defined by powerful toe-jumps and swift twists, the designer brought the spirit of the Idoma people on the runway. To achieve this, Mary Princess Obeya imagined designs, between structure and fluidity, allowing women to dance and to thrive. A ‘Gele’ tied on the head – just like a crown – turns them into dancing queens. In PEM’s ‘The Spirit Wears Red’, the sleeves are short or absent, and the lightweight cotton fabric drapes fluidly around the body. On a standout look, the cropped top and straight skirt allow the fabric’s natural stiffness to hold its shape while still permitting freedom of movement. From the omnipresence of red to the hypnotising patterns, to the fringes hanging from two dresses and moving in rhythm with the model, the spectacle was all about celebrating movement.
When the first model wearing ANKU by Kelvin Vincent walked out, the room held its breath, captivated by the silhouettes' theatrical dimension. The collection, titled 'Woven Stories', is deeply rooted in the lyrical spirit of traditional Ewe and Akan garments from southeastern Ghana. Vincent cleverly juxtaposes golden teardrop-shaped embroideries against shimmering metallic black fabric, like ancestral drops of colour scattered across an evening mantle. Other dresses are adorned with braided metallic cords, which, from a distance, evoke the image of a surreal, sculptural armour, subtly illuminated with violet and rose reflections. It felt as though this first appearance on the London stage was the spark of a coming creative explosion. As the designer himself said, after waiting patiently in the dark, he is now “ready to take the world by storm.”
With this menswear collection, Kareem Yusuf Gbolahan’s label Oomo Ajadi revisits the famous Eko masquerade in Lagos, Nigeria, offering a moving parade of white shadows. While paying tribute to the Eyo masqueraders, the designer's choice of cold white and off-white invites spectators to focus on the silhouettes. The Eko Spirit Walks felt like a reminder that African Heritage can be admired for its very core without being adapted to contemporary expectations. It brought a sense of abstraction to this ‘cultural thread’ with a showcase in which mannequins become spiritual creatures made to be interpreted. For instance, the shrouds subtly wrapped around models' vanishing faces, like René Magritte’s Lovers and their frustrated desires. Oomo Ajadi’s flawless collection allows us to dream, and that’s all we ask for.
Empowered, modern and proud of their ancestors, Obireen’s women carry the strength of Queen India of Benin, one of history’s most powerful matriarchs. This season, designer Salami Oluwaseun Victoria said she wanted to make ‘power visible’ and, to do so, she focused on a palette of red tones and lustrous liquid mikado fabrics. The ingenious creator plays with shapes and structures throughout her collection: the gowns feature layered structures and a defined waist adorned with coral beads. One of the collection’s showpieces exhibits an exquisite necklace shaped as a cherry tree branch, which, seen from afar, appears like floating pearls. Here, the hair extends the look with an impressive sculptural cornrow updo. The flattering silhouettes walking down the runway with confidence resembled exotic corals. When a woman wearing Obireen’s SS26 enters the room, you know she’s a leader with taste.
Needless to say, showcasing a footwear collection is challenging… especially in the second row. KAYPEE FOOTWEAR’s SS26 Ápáta Collection is rooted in the rugged textures of Southern Nigeria. Ápáta means stone, eternal, unshakable, sacred: building the storytelling of the collection around the idea that these pieces are timeless. Omoyoloye Kolapo Ibiyinka, designer since 2017, uses shoes as a medium to tell this story and aims to translate this narrative into leather. When asked about the extent to which UDGN contributed to his label, Omoyoloye Kolapo Ibiyinka told STRAND that the platform has helped him position himself globally.
“I’m from the Yoruba part of Nigeria, and when I was told about the UDGN theme ‘Cultural threads’, I wanted to do something that would take me back to my roots," explained the promising Olutoba Odetomi to STRAND. The Five collection is a reinterpretation of Yoruba spirituality, inspired by the five revered orishas, divine spirits that serve as intermediaries between humans and the supreme being. Through sculptural shapes, the collection translates their essence – wisdom, strength, creation, justice, and protection – into clothes. While the tailoring is ideal – as promised in the label’s name, the accessories are pure eye candies. Particularly, a poetic mask evoking silver tears, ingeniously balancing strength and fragility. We look forward to seeing where Olutoba Odetomu will take us next, because it is certain he has much more to tell.
Tare Isaac, the mastermind who orchestrated this spectacular night, reserved the final act for herself, presenting The Water Bearer, a tender rupture in the evening’s rhythm that brought the parade to an intimate, emotional close. Her Ijaw community in Nigeria and their relation to the water were at the core of her collection. Playing with the idea of undulations, electric blue on the red podium and shells integrated into a dress and makeup, all her reunited creations resembled a tale. The shapes reveal the bodies of the models as if Tare had captured the precise moment when they emerge from the sea, when only the final veil of water still clings to the skin, for an infinitely brief second. The designer's creativity bursts forth in a firework of embroideries, transparencies, sparkles and whimsical ornaments. This sensual collection, with its controlled tailoring, reveals the extent of Tare Isaac’s mastery of fashion techniques while maintaining a visual coherence that is immediately apparent.
UDGN not only showcased clothing designs but also held space for footwear designers to be appreciated. Brand Itele by Nigerian designer, Seyi David, showcases his collection titled ‘Grounded.’ We got the chance to speak with Seyi, and he informed us that this collection is about “the Nigerian Independence story. Every piece in this collection tells the story of the colonial era and how we came together and fought for freedom. Showing the collection in London, the heart of the colonial empire, feels like reclaiming our stories and history.”Fashion allows the once oppressed to reclaim their narratives and history - Brand Itele makes a powerful statement, allowing art to comment on politics and identity. Itele is intentional, as it takes inspiration from the “Gentlemen” style with creating leather loafers, very famously worn by “English Gentlemen.” These tidbits of history imprinted in the stories of these designers are a reflection of their passion and intentionality. The history of the loafer, as Seyi says, is that “people respect you more when you wear these shoes.” This collection grounds us in history, respectability politics and the story of Nigerian independence, allowing it to take centre stage on the runway.
Written by Zarah Hashim and Simon Nora-Dreyfus
Edited by Roxy-Moon Dahal Hodson, Editor-in-Chief and Arielle Sam-Alao, Co-Fashion Editor
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