The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2022 - Issue 32

bitefashion A fter the last two and a half years, things have shift- ed towards a new normal. Thankfully, we have begun to see fun fashion again! Enter designers like Tokyo James, who was quoted saying backstage at his first runway show in two years, “At least we don’t look like what we’ve been through!” James’ per- sonality gravitates towards the super positive and excited, always looking for the brighter, half-glass-full side of things and fighting tooth and nail for it. This confident, headstrong attitude has always been present in his collec- tions, and this season is no different. In his tailored, exuberant line-up of punk and sports (mainly soccer) in- spired looks, James wants to return from the dark pandemic age with a pop of colour and a kick to the head. Featuring his signature scrunched styling in many of the ensembles, this AW22 season also showcased his work with Nike, where the designer clever- ly inserted touches of sportswear-like pieces nodding to his love of soccer. “Football is what unites us all, Nigeria, Italy, England,” he said. Another truly remarkable thing is he created jackets and bags from upcycled Nike sneak- ers and recycled denim separates and coats constructed from inventory tak- en from Nigeria’s dead stock markets. Overall, this collection, complete with his famous reimagined men’s power suits (look #5 is my favourite), embroi- dered frogs, and separates, also took a shot at presenting womenswear. While I felt some were a bit off their mark as far as styling goes, like looks #2, #8, and #23, all could have been simplified and fitted a bit better; how- ever, breaking the looks down into in- dividual pieces, one can see his talent shine through. Fine, graphic editing comes with time and experience, but natural talent and panache one’s born with, and honey, Tokyo James has it in spades. https://tokyojames.co.uk TOKYO JAMES