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The Guardian

Superfine: Black designers worthy of a place in the Met

Founded by the Nigerian designer Faith Oluwajimi, Bloke has been producing clothes that mix colour and texture with laid-back shapes since 2015 and is now part of the London fashion week schedule. Described as 'artisanal' on its website, Bloke's aesthetic is guaranteed to bring something special to anyone's style. Photograph: Bloke British-Nigerian designer Iniye Tokyo James launched his brand in 2015. Although he didn't train in fashion – he studied maths – it has become a favourite of the industry. The brand has been nominated for awards (the LVMH prize in 2021) and included stockists such as Dover Street Market over the years. That's thanks to fashion-forward sharp tailoring with a side of playfulness, as seen here for AW24. Photograph: Tokyo James Founded in 2021, Tolu Coker's eponymous label mixes fun, colourful design with sustainable principles, often using upcycled fabrics. The brand describes itself as 'rooted in three core pillars: community, craftsmanship and culture'. This came together at the AW25 show, which saw Coker's designs with the backdrop of her 'studio', recreated inside the London fashion week venue 180 The Strand. Photograph: Henry Nicholls/AFP/Getty Images Now a decade old, the Nicholas Daley brand is about fashion that intertwines with culture. Daley regularly looks to his Scottish and Jamaican heritage for his collections. AW25, for example, included T-shirts with the Reggae Klub logo, a roots reggae night run by his parents in Edinburgh in the 1980s, and an official Nicholas Daley tartan, with red, gold and green thread. His designs feature in the Superfine exhibition at the Met in New York and he dressed Leon Bridges for the Met Gala. Photograph: Nicholas Daley Founded in Nigeria in 2016, Olumide Oyewunmi's Midetush has been making its way to the UK recently, showing at Leicester fashion week in March. The collection, called Afrocentrism, used striped Aso-Oke fabric, sourced from vendors in Nigeria. Reworked into shirts, jackets and shorts, with a preppy theme, the designs have a fresh appeal. Photograph: Midetush As a choreographer and fashion designer, Saul Nash is an impressive individual. His brand, which dates from 2018, has a signature sports-meets-tailoring aesthetic. Recently he collaborated with Lululemon, and his pieces feature in Superfine. Photograph: Estrop/Getty Images Olivia Ozi-Oiza Chance launched Oiza in 2022 and it has become known for its delicate but impactful looks, with lace often central to the designs. Genderless in an imaginative way, SS25 (Chance creates one collection a year) includes lace vests, dresses in bubblegum pink and combat pants embroidered with flowers. With its romantic vibe, anyone with a wedding in their summer diary could take inspiration from Oiza. Photograph: Silvia Draz/Oiza Pronounced 'service', SRVC mixes workwear with a sexier aesthetic. Led by Ricky Wesley Harriott, who co-founded it in 2021, the brand is now at London fashion week and it's a favourite of Charli xcx and Alex Consani, among others. The AW25 show at the top of the BT Tower cemented SRVC's position as a label to know – and to know how to pronounce. Photograph: Victor Virgile/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images Jawara Alleyne launched his brand in 2020 but when Rihanna described him as 'my new favourite designer' last year, it confirmed he was one to watch. With jersey fabrics held together by safety pins, Alleyne has a signature aesthetic, one explored in three solo shows at London fashion week, and featured in Superfine. Photograph: Ik Aldama/Jawara Alleyne Jamaican designer Francesca Lake is nominally at the start of her career – she graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2021 – but she has already worked with Rihanna and Erykah Badu, who she dressed for the Met Gala in 2024. Lake, who grew up between Kingston in Jamaica and London, and works across art and design, told Vogue her next step would be to 'manifest an exhibition space' in the two capitals. Her AW25 collection is surely going to help her get there. Photograph: Francesca Lake Having graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2023, Yaku Stapleton won the prestigious L'Oréal Professionnel Creative award, which is given to the brightest talents. He has made good on the potential. With an aesthetic that could be described as video game meets utility, his presentation at London fashion week in February was immersive, with guests – including Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy – wandering through 'worlds' he created. Photograph: FKY/Yaku The first fashion designer to make a football kit worn by players for Premier League matches (Arsenal's away kit for 24/25), Labrum designer Foday Dumbuya is a star of London fashion. Labrum's AW25 show cemented that status even further. Taking place at Abbey Road studios, it featured sets from musicians including Ghetts, Ezra Collective and Akala, as pictured here, with Dumbuya. His designs are featured in Superfine. Photograph: Sama Kai/Labrum Founded by Deborah Latouche in 2020, Sabirah is a modest brand that describes itself as 'demi-couture', and has an opulent, luxury-first aesthetic. Latouche also works as a stylist with clients including Naomie Harris and Sophie Turner. This red carpet training is there to see in Sabirah. Photograph: Olu Ogunshakin This London-based designer only graduated from Central Saint Martins last year, but his designs have already been worn by the actors Emma Corrin and Lashana Lynch. Wraparound skirts were inspired by his grandmother's Ghanian heritage while laser-etched leather miniskirts and crop tops are a nod to his sister's clubbing style. In May, he was named a recipient of the British Fashion Council's 2025/26 NewGen scheme. The initiative aims to help turn emerging talent into global brands. One to watch. Composite: Joshua Ewusie