Iniye Tokyo James delivered a visually strong and materially substantial collection this afternoon. His work is always informed by his Nigerian identity, and this time there was another more personal layer woven into it that was the result of time recently spent with his Belgium-based father, Doye.
Going through a trove of photos of Doye in his pomp inspired James to revive elements of his old man’s personal style, reflected in the kicky swagger of his suiting shapes and the matching supersize scarves that cloaked several of the looks. These were especially impactful in a gold-hued look cut from a dense velour, almost ruglike fabric. That same fabric was used as the foundation for a new take on James’s emerging latticed-leather trademark pieces. The suiting was often underlaid with opaque chiffon shirting to add a straightforwardly effective sensual touch.
The knitwear and much of the other craftwork was made in Lagos to a high standard. Particularly attractive was a dress in a multicolored woven fabric into which diagonal loops of colorful yarn were inserted to create fringing around the body. The designer evolved his wood beadwork pieces, cutting trousers in leather and a leopard print that were all bead south of the knee. Other womenswear standouts included a pleated skirt printed with a solarized color flash of red and yellow. A dress, skirt, and shirt shaped from grids of metal-hued, pearlescent-beaded floral cutouts were arrestingly layered over more chiffon. James’s leather accessories featured his usual punky abundance of metal hardware.
The designer reported before this afternoon’s show that the shape of his business is changing. “We’re seeing a lot of new sales from across the continent: Kenya, Morocco, Senegal, Ghana, South Africa. It’s really interesting. Whereas a few years ago, around 60% of sales were from Europe and 40% from Africa, it’s now the other way around.” Wherever you’re from, James is an independent designer whose appealingly distinct vision is well worth looking into.
