At his SS26 show, LABRUM designer Foday Dumbuya examined the idea of cultural osmosis in his latest Labrum London collection, weaving West African heritage into the language of British tailoring. The brand’s ethos — “Sidestepping trends to tell West African narratives” — was prevalent all throughout the show. The collection draws on West African references, most notably the cowrie shell. Once a symbol of wealth and exchange across the continent, it appears throughout as a motif and adornment — embedded into tailoring, headwear, and jewelry. LABRUM also introduces the “ventilation print,” inspired by African architectural design, a geometric motif echoing airflow through concrete blocks.
For centuries, sacred traditions, objects, and rituals have been handed down across generations. Yet, as families migrate and societies evolve, these markers of identity shift shape. Culture adapts and transforms through contact, birthing new forms. ‘Osmosis’ reflects this exchange — a dialogue between ancestry and diaspora, heritage and reinvention. For ‘Osmosis’, LABRUM partnered with ‘A Symphony of Cultures’ and the ‘Balimaya Project’ to create an original soundscape that mirrors the collection’s ethos. Rooted in West African rhythm and shaped by the global diaspora, the score embodies cultural osmosis — traditions, languages, and textures interweaving into something new.
photography. Lee Scullion
