Orange Culture Unveils AW22 Collection “This Place Called Home”

June 14, 2022

Words by The Folklore Team

Many childhood memories evoke a time of happiness, youth and innocence. But for Nigerian designer Adebayo Oke-Lawal, founder and creative director of Orange Culture, his younger years hold painful memories of loss and vulnerability. In his youth, the loss of his family home to a fire came with Oke-Lawal’s loss of precious pictures capturing memorable moments and emotions, and a sense of safety and security. Drawing on this experience, Oke-Lawal pays tribute to this period in his life for the Orange Culture AW22 collection, exploring the concept of safe places and the spaces we create for ourselves. “This loss taught me the importance of building a home. The importance of creating a safe space for your secrets, memories and stories to reside,” Oke-Lawal states in the note that accompanies the collection.

This sensibility is represented in the prints and colors of the collection, from the floral motifs reminiscent of Oke-Lawal’s mother’s garden, to patterns inspired by long gone pieces destroyed in the fire. There are many shades of green present, from vivid hues to muted plant-colored tones that evoke nature and new life. The fire itself is not left out, with fiery reds and oranges brought to life in pleats and fringed designs, as well as neutral beige hues that create a sense of warmth and coziness in a home. “The first time I moved into my own home, I remember decorating it so that every time I’d come home I’d feel a sense of security and individuality in a world that wanted me to be a replica,” the designer states.

The delicate nature of safety is also rendered in the physical via sheer fabrics layered over printed separates and pure white pieces paired with busy patterns. As usual, gender norms are disrupted with the brand’s signature irreverence, where cut-out details, long lines, sharp tailoring and fitted silhouettes are not restricted to any style or gender.

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