Nigerian-British fashion designer Tokyo James is part of a new wave of multicultural creatives that challenges the visual perception of Africa. Born and raised in London, James studied mathematics at university before dedicating himself to fashion. In 2015, when Tokyo debuted his first collection at South African Menswear Week, he had a strong vision of who his customer would be.
Having grown up in a conservative neighborhood in South West London flipping through the pages of indie British magazines, Tokyo chose to develop an aesthetic that fused the traditional European tailoring he grew up around with the unconventional details he later discovered on the streets of London’s trendy, young neighborhoods. This resulted in collections featuring printed white suits embossed with red spiders, and dress pants with braided details lining both legs. Now, after temporarily relocating to Lagos, he’s updating Tokyo James to reflect the culture and excitement of the Nigerian megacity.
