The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2025 - Issue 37

bitedesignerprofile Before transitioning into fashion, Foday studied Information System Design at Nottingham Trent University, centring on how humans interact with computer interfaces. After graduating, he felt lost in limbo, so he enrolled in the Pattern Cutting and Menswear Design short courses at the London College of Fashion, which prepared him for his career focus. “I think the skillset I learned from those courses helped me know the path I wanted to go down.” The brand presented its AW18 ‘Freetown’ show during Lon- don Fashion Week, paying homage to Sierra Leone’s capital city and exploring its history, people, and the unifying spirit that connects the different tribes within the town. It was a tribute to the home Foday left at a young age, spending his early childhood in Cyprus before moving to London when he was 12. Key pieces included the Abada shirt inspired by traditional loose-fitting gowns in West Africa and the Freetown suit. The following season saw the SS19 ‘Highlife Revival’ collec- tion inspired by the lively and upbeat West African music genre and its vibrant cultural influence presented at London Fashion Week Men’s. Labrum London collaborated with artist and designer Kelly Anna to create abstract prints for the themed collection, including a signature zigzag pattern. Growing up with this music in Sierra Leone, Foday’s interest was piqued when he met Ghanaian musician DJ Leigh and London-born DJ Danny Wood. For AW19, Labrum London celebrated the 50th anniversary of Ghanaian highlife band Osibisa, founded by Teddy Osei in London in 1969, with its ‘Highlife Electric’ collection. The relaxed tailoring and bespoke prints were expressed in a 1970s colour palette of rich reds, yolky yellows, and vintage camel shades. The accompanying film was shot in a retro vacant house in Epping with original 1970s wallpaper and a dinosaur-inspired room that Foday felt tied in well with Osibisa’s album artwork. In the late 18th century, Sierra Leone prince John Frederick Naimbana, who studied Protestantism in London, once said, “The dehumanisation of others is the foundation of all bigotry.” The brand journeyed to the past to present his story for its SS20 ‘Black Prince Naimbana’ collection. It focused on 18th-century silhouettes, including the era’s British culottes, coats, shirts, and jackets inspired by traditional West African formalwear with buttons crafted from ceramic or coconut shells. The Cotton Tree is Freetown’s historic symbol, which gained importance in 1792 when enslaved African Americans were freed after fighting for the British during the American War of Independence and settled in the capital city. The SS21 collection takes its cue from the British army silhouette and traditional West African formalwear with the signature piece Cotton Tree Jacket, conveying the kapok tree’s story through its design, such as the clasp fastener representing the tree’s roots. Labrum London’s AW21 ‘St Giles Blackbirds’ collection hon- ours the sailors, soldiers and formerly enslaved people who settled in St Giles-in-the Fields, London, in the late 1700s but were dispassionately transported to Sierra Leone when