PETTRE TAYLOR’S “SHADES OF BROWN” WAS A STUDY OF CRAFT AND CONNECTION

Pettre Taylor has long existed in that rare space where craftsmanship meets quiet rebellion. Known for transforming indigenous techniques into global statements, the Lagos-based fashion house returned to the Lagos Fashion Week runway this season with “Shades of Brown,” a collection that explored the intersections of identity, colourism, and collective humanity all through the rich, grounding hue of brown.

The brand described it best: “Different shades, one hue. We are siblings.” It’s a statement that feels both deeply personal and universally resonant. A reminder that skin, fabric, and culture can all serve as storytelling devices when wielded with care.

From the moment the first model appeared, wrapped in a quilted, cream-toned ensemble of voluminous trousers and a tie-waist jacket, paired with a tall beanie and leather sandals, it was clear that Pettre Taylor was once again speaking through texture, not noise. The look was monastic, almost meditative, setting the tone for a show that prioritized introspection over spectacle.

As the collection unfolded, brown became a language of its own. There were sculptural halter tops built from concentric braids of rope, paired with gathered skirts that shifted from puffed silhouettes into grounded, earth-streaked hems. There was a brown tweed suit, what one could say was a study in restraint, paired with a rounded Peter Pan collar, light buttons, and subtle ruffled cuffs peeking through structured sleeves. Even in its tailoring, there was softness; a willingness to let form bend toward emotion.

Elsewhere, Pettre Taylor leaned into its mastery of fabric manipulation. A white strapless dress, layered in ruffled tiers, looked like a deconstructed sculpture, soft yet precise, traditional yet modern. The house’s signature handwoven textiles reappeared in fragments, reminding the audience that in every pleat, thread, and weave lies a human touch. What makes “Shades of Brown” remarkable is its refusal to be confined by geography. Pettre Taylor pulled inspiration from Japanese minimalism, Indian draping, and Nigerian craftsmanship, merging them into a visual dialogue about coexistence. Every fabric fold, every manipulated seam, felt like a conversation between worlds: East and West, modern and ancestral, self and collective.

In a season where maximalism dominated, “Shades of Brown” offered something quieter but infinitely more profound. It was fashion as reflection, and an earthy meditation on belonging and the ways in which art can hold multitudes.

In Pettre Taylor’s world, brown is an inheritance, a skin, a shared language, proof that beneath every difference, there is always something that binds us.