BEHIND THE STITCH: ALANI
June 21, 2024
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At Lagos Fashion Week 2025, Dimeji Ilori’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection unfolded like a tribute to memory, heritage, and the Yoruba spirit that shapes his design language. The show stood out as balance between expression and cultural restraint, a reminder that fashion can be both experimental and deeply rooted.
Described by many as “a love letter to Yoruba culture,” Ilori’s SS26 offering leaned into texture, craftsmanship, and the timeless rhythm of tradition. The runway was filled with garments that celebrated identity through fabric that was woven, layered, and tactile with each look exuding pride. Rather than chasing fleeting trends, Ilori built on the codes of Yoruba visual storytelling, translating motifs of lineage and ritual into contemporary silhouettes.
His use of rich colours and textured fabrics carried the emotional weight of nostalgia while remaining current, aligning with Lagos Fashion Week’s broader dialogue this season of “Full Bloom” and re-centering African craftsmanship in global fashion narratives. There was a noticeable confidence in the garments, a willingness to allow material to speak for itself. Large accessories, unconventional shapes, raffiamats, and typical color codes of the Yoruba tribe, al of which echoed the craftsmanship of local artisans, grounding the collection in both cultural and ecological awareness.
More than a visual presentation, Ilori’s SS26 felt like a reclamation. In an industry that often borrows from African aesthetics without context, his collection restored authorship to the hands that own the story. It was Yoruba, through and through.
