Music has always played a vital role in Adeju Thompson’s life, and this collection is an ode to just that. Titled “Rock n Roll,” this collection not only celebrates music but also pays tribute to punk-rock fans across the African continent, particularly in Nigeria, where the genre has seen a resurgence over the past few years. “Lagos Space Programme has always been about celebrating alternative African narratives and not putting African fashion or identity into [a box],” he told ESSENCE ahead of his presentation on Friday. “There’s a level of vulnerability that comes with this collection. I want to show the multitude of what it means to be African.” With a live performance from the Spanish Horses, an indie rock band, Palais de Tokyo was transformed into an underground music hub showcasing African craftsmanship and identity.
Thompson explained that the goal of Lagos Space Programme is to challenge our collective understanding of African fashion whilst creating gender-neutral collections that transcend borders. While there is much familiarity in this Fall/Winter 2025 collection, key silhouettes are given a new lease of life, appearing in fresh colorways such as a vibrant apple red bomber jacket and the brand’s signature wide-leg culottes inspired by archival Yoruba workwear trousers. Another common thread throughout all Lagos Space Programme collections is Thompson’s ability to manipulate the Adire print, an ancient indigo-dyeing technique. This time, the Lagos-based designer modernized the textile, featuring it on trench coats, trousers, and even scarves.
For Thompson, this collection also signifies a new chapter in his personal journey as a designer. There’s a shared sentiment among emerging designers that a new collection must expunge the previous one; it must be daring and experimental, commercial yet disruptive. However, for Thompson, this collection was also about reaffirming what Lagos Space Programme represents: “I’ve gotten to this point where I’ve built very clear house codes, and it’s about making them stronger and bringing them forward into the future. I’ve learned that I don’t have to radically reinvent myself every season.”
