Labrum London Spring 2027: Carried by Hands

by · WWD
Labrum Spring 2027 Ready-to-Wear Collection at London Fashion WeekCourtesy of Labrum

Labrum’s spring 2027 collection began with the same question Foday Dumbuya has been asking for the past two seasons: when people cross oceans to new lands, what do they actually bring them?

For his third and final chapter considering the matter, his answer was craft, the gestures of making that travel in people’s hands, finding new expressions in new places, often without the need for words.

“You go to Africa, you probably buy a piece of craft. You try to understand what it, where’s that from, why. Then you learn about culture, and you embed your culture within that culture, and that’s what this is about,” he said backstage.

Textiles had rich hands and richer backstories, such as a white fil coupé used on a suit whose oblong geometric motif alluded to Olokun, a Nigerian goddess of the sea. It was one of a plethora of techniques seen on the Labrum runway on Sunday with roots in West Africa, India and the U.K. for their techniques and motifs.

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On a puffy circle skirt, charming hand-embroidered scenes paid homage to the designer’s grandmother and the market stall she once ran.

Fascinating as the cultural filiation of each item was, you didn’t need to know it all to embrace Dumbuya’s lightweight tailoring with easy proportions and the unfussy elegance that dressier pieces exuded.

A palette of saturated blues, yellows and wine were lifted from American painter Jacob Lawrence’s “The Shoemaker” and “The Seamstress” — a favorite artist of Dumbuya — and read like a subtle nod to makers at work. But the colors also imparted a resort-like vibe.

In the mix were pieces from his collaboration with Adidas, featuring a flower motif inspired by traditional Nigerian Adire indigo textiles and also named after the sea goddess; jewelry that tied back to Sierra Leonean traditions in a nod to Dumbuya’s roots, and newly introduced eyewear and a Dr. Martens collaboration that will bow come December.

Whether one ended up collecting as many stamps as Dumbuya’s family, whose passports he mined for destinations and dates featured in his now-signature passport jacquard motif, remains to be seen. But Labrum is sure to go places.

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