OLUBIYI THOMAS Belanda Hitam go to battle for the designer’s AW18 collection

Olubiyi Thomas

For AW18 Olubiyi Thomas looks to the mid-nineteenth-century to take inspiration from Belanda Hitam — Black Dutchmen — a group of Gold Coast recruits to the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army who fought in Indonesia. “The story evolved while I was researching the history of how the Netherlands became the main manufacturers of batik, which was sold to West Africans and has become part of our identity,” says Thomas of the wax print that took the fancy of the soldiers, who then brought it back home. Dutch producers caught on and began to cater their prints to local tastes. “In some ways I felt I could relate to Belanda Hitam’s clash of cultures, wearing one’s uniform but still feeling estranged at times. One of their generals, Jan Kooi, became my muse for reflecting on a bygone age, heroism and cultural acceptance.”

Using vintage florals, waxed cotton, wool, linen and silk in muted shades, the collection combines military silhouettes with classic British tailoring. Key outerwear includes a quilted double-breasted jacket and a pink mohair overcoat. The magic happens when these are layered over raw-edged waistcoats, collarless shirts and voluminous cropped trousers to create elegant looks for men and — a first for Thomas — for women, too.

The designer’s own multicultural upbringing informs his whole approach to design, which is in part a reflection on post-colonial, contemporary style. Born in Lagos, his family moved to Glasgow when he was three. Excelling at fine art, he gravitated from painting to fashion and relocated to London to study menswear at Central Saint Martins. He worked at James Long, Craig Green, Alexander McQueen, Siki Im and De Rien, before establishing his eponymous brand for SS16. Inspired as much by Victorian cutting and Malian indigo textiles as by Yinka Shonibare and Hieronymus Bosch, Thomas has honed an appreciation for artisanal techniques and meaningful craftsmanship. He is now becoming known by discerning dressers worldwide for his deconstructed, elongated styles that exude an accomplished ease. So who would he love to dress? “Gaika, FKA Twigs, Andre 3000, Dev Hynes, Johnny Depp… there’s so many. Although my ex-girlfriend told me her gran would wear it too!”