Berlin Fashion Week: When Childhood Memories Inspire Fashion at Orange Culture
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Childhood is a particularly significant period in life, and the loss of a mother is, of course, a very powerful event. It is to pay tribute to his deceased mother that the designer of the Lagos-based brand Orange Culture, Adebayo Oke-Lawal, reflected on the theme of his childhood, with plenty of colors and different textiles, of course.
Orange Culture is one of those brands that redefine African luxury. Showcasing gender-fluid silhouettes and celebrating identity, the brand walked the runway in Berlin this weekend to present its new collection, Backyards of Memory. And we braved the icy cold of the Berlin winter (and the snow) to attend the show.
The Beauty and Colors of Childhood
The Orange Culture label is back at Berlin Fashion Week. At the intersection of modern luxury, craftsmanship, and activism, Orange Culture draws extensively from notions of masculinity and African identity through its collections.
If you are not yet familiar with designer Adebayo Oke-Lawal, there is still time to discover him. After being a semi-finalist for the LVMH Prize in 2014, he made it onto the BoF 500 list of influential fashion figures and collaborates with several names in fashion and craftsmanship.
For his show, we naturally expect colors, and indeed, we are enchanted by vibrant patterns, visuals, and lively overlays. But what is most touching about this show is not so much the colorful and bright effect of the clothing but the way of mixing fabrics with macramé pieces or crochet pieces.
The Garden as a Memory of Creation
The designer, originally from Nigeria, built his new collection using the sentiment of childhood nostalgia as a starting point. After the death of his mother, he immersed himself in his childhood memories, most of which awakened in a very simple place but rich with ancient memories: his garden, his backyard, as he says in English. The courtyard of his home, where friends and family would pass, where the sun would dry the laundry, and where life filled every space in a simple and tender way. He says of his collection that it reminds him of the protection and vulnerability of a garden of childhood memories. His work pays particular attention to light and shadows, which played an important role in shaping his memories and in how he visually brings those memories to life.
The End of Childhood is the End of a Life
The end of the show is dressed in black. Nothing surprising regarding the theme, but it is pleasant and necessary, to appreciate a show, to find meaning, whether it is natural as here or more personal or conceptual.
After a selection of models in bright colors, we approach the end of childhood, which some may see as a way to express the end altogether, with the gradual disappearance of colors.
Visually, the choice of mixed colors, then monochromatic, culminating in black with small touches of color, complete black, and a bride for the grand finale, is very coherent, and it is obviously everything we love to see in a show.
The Community: Essential for Creation
Attached to his values of sharing and driven by the desire to invite creators to bring emotions to this show through their work, the creator of Orange Culture, Adebayo Oke-Lawal, surrounded himself with other artists, like the Kisara label for their handbags inspired by the shekere instrument, artist Paolo Sisiano for the paintings, Moni Morgan for men’s shoes, and Kkerele for women’s shoes, along with other creatives for the show accessories, such as King Daviid for belts, Gemz Global for hair accessories, and In Jewels for jewelry.
Cover image: Orange Culture show, Berlin, January 31, 2026 – © Andreas Hofrichter
