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World Service,26 Aug 2025,26 mins

Adeju Thompson: Taking fashion label Lagos Space Programme to the world

In the Studio

Available for over a year

Adeju Thompson, the founder and creative director behind the Nigerian fashion label Lagos Space Programme, attempts to establish the label on the global fashion scene. Lagos Space Programme blends Yoruba heritage (notably Adire dyeing) with queer and futurist aesthetics, taking inspiration from Lou Reed, traditional Ife sculptures, and the photography of Rotimi Fani-Kayode and Robert Mapplethorpe. Thompson talks about his dedication to slow fashion, gender-fluid creations, and detailed artisan craftsmanship, blending traditional techniques with contemporary designs. Tayo Popoola follows Thompson to Paris where he unveils his collection, based on the idea of "rock'n'roll consciousness". We then join him at his studio in Surulere, Lagos where he discusses his new designs for 25/26. In Ibadan, they visit a profound source of Adeju Thompson's inspiration. The Dominican Chapel, designed by the esteemed architect Demas Nwoko, is a testament to a powerful synthesis of African artistic traditions and modern architectural principles. Nwoko's vision for the chapel, integrating local materials and traditional building techniques with contemporary design, deeply resonates with Thompson's own artistic philosophy. Much like Nwoko in his architectural practise, Adeju strives to bridge the gap between historical African aesthetics and contemporary global fashion, creating a dialogue between the past and the present, the local and the universal. Beyond the creative process, the programme also sheds light on the realities of an up-and-coming fashion label navigating the competitive landscape of international fashion weeks. A Spiritland production for ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ World Service (Image: Fashion designer Adeju Thompson, photographed at his studio in Lagos. Credit: Tayo Popoola)

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