Founded in 2015, Labrum London is a modern-day menswear brand telling the untold stories of West Africa to help bridge the gap between western and West African culture
The word LABRUM is a latin term for ‘having an edge’, and this sits at the heart of the brand’s mission – to make honest, practical clothing rooted in simplicity, fit and a passion for detail
Driven by a desire to create looks that are wearable yet idiosyncratic, and inspired by a lifetime of travel, exploration and pilgrimage. Labrum London delivers innovative garments with an uncompromising commitment to quality and design
A utilitarian approach fused with British tailoring and a touch of West Africa creates a design recipe that is clean, sophisticated and unique.
Labrum London. Designed By An Immigrant
Table of Contents
About
AW24 ‘DESIGNED BY AN IMMIGRANT’ - Journey of Colours
AW23 From Greener Pastures
SS23 Freedom of Movement
AW22 Poetic of Movement
SS22 Sound of Movement
Topboy x Labrum
CHOOSE LOVE x Labrum
Guinness x Labrum
Invitation
In the first of a two-part series titled “Designed by an Immigrant” Dumbuya looked at the clothes people wear to migrate, from the vessels containing bundles of clothing they balance on their heads to the caftans and capes they wrap around their bodies for protection.- Vogue.com
Designs throughout the collection incorporate a range of global textile techniques; digital embroidery, patchwork, quilting, woven textiles and screen-printing. All these crafts are used to highlight the diverse colour palette of AW24. Silhouettes can be described as a ‘Cultural Confluence’ embracing the diversity of cuts, shapes, styles and cross pollination of cultural identities in the modern world today.
We also explored translating our LABRUM monogram into jacquard weave. This allows the manufacture of shaped fabrics with designs or relief effects by crossing the threads. Two type of weave we launched and included in the collection, was jacquard cloqué effect which was more of a subtle take. Secondly, a cut yarn jacquard which emphasised more textured result.
Look 12, Look 11 & Look 10
Look 37
Look 33
In addition, we worked alongside Byborre, an Amsterdam based digital knitted studio. Which you can choose from a variety of carefully curated compositions that range from recycled and zero-microplastic synthetics to natural fibers to produce your own knit.
Inspired by the countless forms of communication used by migrants to stay in touch with loved ones in the motherland, LABRUM’s AW23 ‘From Greener Pastures’ pays homage to families divided by borders and oceans, yet united through correspondence.
My inspiration for the AW23 collection, From Greener Pastures came from the initial idea of the concept of forms of communication when family members migrate and move around the world. What they do to stay connected and what they actually need to go aboard and set up a new life. I decided to use actual travelling documents, stamps and passports to create an artwork with a similar photomontage style to what we did in the past for the SS23 collection Freedom of Movement However, this was scaled up to reflect a placement print.
In addition, this further pushes our evertelling concept of living in an agglomeration of cultures where borders are placed but migration and creating communities go against them. The artwork was then weaved as a wool customized jacquard to create a fabric that was then made into an overcoat and suit
Maya Angelou Cropped Double Breasted Blazer
Spring / Summer 2023 ‘Freedom of Movement’ is derived from the idea of a borderless society, where merging of cultures would coexist with constant migration. In turn, it seeks to create awareness and to celebrate different cultures under one roof, living side by side.
The story is inspired by Foday Dumbuya’s own heritage. Born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and growing up in London, the merging of these communities has always been a source of inspiration and joy.
For colour, I was inspired by Mark Rothko an American abstract painter of Latvian Jewish descent. He is known for colour field painting rectangles where he let colours blend into each other. Rothko’s work usually has no sharp colour blocks rather gradually letting the colours blend. This represents him, never really belonging anywhere from his multi-diverse background. The artworks we seek colour inspiration from were ‘Grey Brown’, 1951 and ‘Blue Green and Brown’, 1951
The collection is accompanied by a corresponding film ‘On Freedom Of Movement (wi de muv)’ curated and directed by Julianknxx, produced in partnership with LABRUM & ODI for the Africa-Europe Mayors’ Dialogue.
The film considers what it means to be free to move, not as in leave or flee, but to move.
To change is to move. To grow is to move.
My inspiration for our SS23 collection Freedom of Movement, derived from the initial research of the idea of a borderless society where merging of cultures would coexist with constant migration. I was influenced by Nijdeka Akunyili Crosby, who is an Nigerian visual artist that paints and collages in a figurative style. Her art practice is an amalgamation of two worlds, Nigeria, where she was born and raised and America where she currently lives. Her work often features many layers and mixed media.
Photo Montage Silk Scarf
Look 8
I was particularly inspired by ‘5 Umezebi Street, New Heaven, Enugu,’ 2012. Which featured a character wearing a shirt compiled with family photos to create a print that sparked me to create our own version. I collated primary and family photo imagery from the Labrum team members that represent our diverse background. They ranged from Europe, South Asia to West Africa. I chose to use a variety of imagery, which included scenery, architecture and people. In addition, I reflected this further by placing borders that weave throughout the print to add more detail and symbolise the idea of borders being placed around us but the movement of immigrants going against them.
Green Monogram Printed Silk Scarf
Blue Monogram Printed Silk Scarf
Pink Freetown Printed Silk Scarf
Look 13, Look 14, Look 15, Look 4 & Look 16
In line with the integral ethos of the brand and journeys toiled, Labrum London’s AW22 Poetics Of Movement collection is an ode to just that; movement. A rallying noun and a borderless verb.
Movement for survival, an instinctual shift. Movement as art, an expressive life form. Since the beginning of time, humans have ambled through life; shaping the earth after ourselves. Changing locations to establish future generations. To simply fall in love, or to turn our backs on it altogether. Residing with purpose or resettling with hope.
Dumbaya returned to his native city, Freetown of Sierra Leone, to source fabrics from local artisans in delectable shades of canary yellow, vibrant orange, and ocean green. Standout pieces were the coats: One in particular was padded in iridescent black vinyl, while others with oversized lapels featured floral motifs in tangerine applied to gray and black wool. The designer also collaborated with leather goods brand Nosakhari on three new bag shapes: a folio, a crossbody, and an oversized tote.
Vogue, 2022 By Alex Kessler
For the Labrum London AW22 ‘Poetics of Movements’ collection I created the repeated jacquard artwork. It derived from stripes and zig-zag patterns that we created for SS22, Sound of Movement collection. The stripes were inspire by the Ghanaian cloth called Kente. Then we came across a lot Zigzag motifs in our research, which were featured in many West African artworks. So for this collection we wanted to interweave the two elements to once again symbolise the idea of merging of cultures and celebrate West African art. I also develop the ‘Labrum London’ monogram that was featured across many garments.
Look 3, Look 4
&
Look 1
& Look 9
Embodying Labrum’s tagline ‘Designed by an immigrant’, the Spring / Summer 2022 collection champions the culture and style brought over to Britain by Caribbean and African migrants, particularly during the 70’s.
This season stories of music, politics and community have been woven together in a vibrant display. Classic British cuts meet West African accents; large celebratory collars compliment African traditional silhouettes with flared sleeves. The Agbada style is reflected through drop shoulders presented in the Freetown shirt in blue and green.
From Frank Bowling’s confidence with colour to Fela Kuti’s spiritual relationship with music, the collection harnesses the unexpected yet growing momentum of cultural hybridity. Music is one of the strongest forums of self-expression, at times of global movement it plays an integral part in lifting the spirit of those travelling far from home and brings a piece of this with them wherever they may be.
Look 6, Look 7, Look 8
Bold, playful, tie dye prints add flashes of colour throughout the collection. Labrum London worked with the Madam Wokie Skills Development Initiative in Sierra Leone to create these designs, a choice made to support local artisans in Creative Director Foday Dumbuya’s birth place of Freetown.
The Madam Wokie Skills Development Initiative is inspired by the gender-based inequalities in the Sierra Leone society. The organisation is designed to provide economic empowerment for women. Their objective is to provide practical skills while inspiring the students by presenting female role models that have ascended to positions of power and influence regardless of the vicissitudes they faced in their lives.
For The Sound of Movement SS22 show Labrum featured womenswear looks to accompany the collection. I helped design some of the styles and silhouettes.
The Mende Head is recurring in our Spring/ Summer 2022 collection. The motif launched on two showcase pieces during our London Fashion Week runway - digitally printed with hand embroidered details on the Princess Cut Coat and the Slit Dress. However it has expanded into our SS22 line with a couple products carrying the Mende Head motif available for purchase via Selfridges.
The Mende Head motif comes from the Sierra Leonean Mende tribe - one of the two oldest and largest ethnic groups in Sierra Leone with Mende being the most culturally dominant in the southern Sierra Leone land. They belong to a wider group of Mande peoples who live throughout West Africa and are primarily hunters and farmers with rice being their staple crop. The Mende are believed to have gradually and peacefully migrated to the area from Sudan between 200 to 1500 A.D. Despite being considered as one ethnic group, there are physical and cultural differences which indicate that the immigrants came from a variety of places, as well as exploring the possibility of their inter-marriage with local people already present/living in the area.
Mende Head Mask shirt at Selfridges
Original Freetown Print
The Freetown print explores everyday life in Sierra Leone’s capital city through textiles & illustrations. The print is inspired by Mamie Bakie, our founder’s grandmother, a fruit and vegetable trader.
In this collaboration Labrum and illustrator Masha Karpushina showcase the individual aspects of working lives; from the mountains to that of the sea, with each part playing a critical role in the harmonious ecosystem.
Highlighted in the illustrations are fishermen, farmers, and traders working to make ends meet, capturing the essence of a common goal in Freetown and cities alike: ‘Work to live’.
For SS22 collection I recoloured the original Freetown Print to have an alternative version that brings the artwork to life.
Blue Freetown Print
Look 9
Labrum collaborated with Choose Love, an organisation supporting refugee communities across the world to create a graphic tee that was released during our SS23, ‘Freedom of Movement’ collection. The print we decided to use was our Labrum monogram from the AW22 collection but decided to recolour it using our SS23 colour palette. Which were khaki green and ocean blue with royal blue.The print was inspired by the cowry shells which are commonly found in West Africa and used as jewelry, hair ornaments and sewn onto prestigious garments.
Hackney Wick FC Home 2022/2023 Kit
TOP BOY, the critically acclaimed crime drama series from Netflix, will be sponsored Hackney Wick FC for its 2022/2023 season, working with founder Foday Dumbuya, to design the new home and away shirts.
The TOP BOY Netflix sponsored Hackney Wick FC home and away shirts from LABRUM, include a zig-zag motif, inspired by traditional African art, to represent community and different cultures interweaving. The shirts contain the TOP BOY Netflix logo on the chest and LABRUM’s logo on the right sleeve. The logo for Hackney Wick FC’s charity, Grassroots For Good, is featured in the left sleeve.
The TOP BOY Netflix x LABRUM x HWFC project was captured by our long time friend Ib Kamara, DAZED Editor-in-chief, in his East London studio. The official ‘On Top Together’ film was directed by the amazing Harry Deadman with the aim to showcase how communities come together and grow together.
Iconic Irish ale brand Guinness and British African fashion brand LABRUM have collaborated on a collection sharing their joint love of celebrating family, friends and community.
The limited edition capsule, featuring a co-created, one-of-a-kind print pays homage to LABRUM founder Foday Dumbuya’s joyful memories of Freetown, Sierra Leone. The print captures this electric feeling using drawn mages of loved ones coming together to enjoy good conversation over a glass of Guinness.
For the campaign we created seeding gifts, for family, friends and friends of the brands. The print featured on the box is across the capsule line, it captures the scenes of community and shows the way Guinness is commonly consume in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Labrum London Opening Retail Space Invite
Labrum London Africa Day Dinner Invite