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A Conversation With Tolu Coker
Interview Shemaiah Gold
British-Nigerian artist Tolu Coker is the visionary and founder of her eponymous label TOLU COKER. Not considering herself as a fashion designer and instead, as a creator who makes clothing as one of her many outputs, she caught up with WOTC to discuss entering the fashion industry as a working-class, black female with strong values and breaking the industry norms, what keeps her motivated and what she believes the fashion industry will look like in 10 years.
Shemaiah: Where did your journey as an artist begin? I say artist intentionally, because your illustrations are very unique. Did you always intend to get into fashion?
"I didn't have a goal or dream to become a fashion designer, I actually wanted to become a lawyer."
Tolu: I didn't grow up wanting to be a fashion designer, I grew up around fashion and style but not in the context it would be considered in today. I feel like people such as my aunties, parents, friends and neighbours were very resourceful in the culture and community that I'm from so growing up, I was very creative. My first love was drawing and illustration. I didn't study art, so it was only at the point of A-levels that I decided to study textiles and photography but even then, I didn't have a goal or dream to become a fashion designer. I actually wanted to become a lawyer.
I've always been very creative; my dad was a photojournalist, photographer and activist so I guess that's where my love for storytelling comes in. I've just always been intrigued by clothes and the role they play in identity more than the dream or idea of being a famous fashion designer - that has never really been my goal or intention. It has really been to use clothing as a mode of communication and a lot of the themes and inspiration behind my work is almost, in some essence more important than the clothes.
Shemaiah: I know you mentioned you had a very creative childhood; at what point did you decide that fashion is what you were going to do? Was there a specific moment?
Tolu: I went to Christ Hospital boarding school in Horsham, which was actually very academic so my first introduction to art as a career was through my local youth centre, through something called a ‘widening participation programme.’ It was under the council of Brent. They had amazing youth workers and a really amazing summer programme, where there was everything from dance, to music, to graphic design and fashion design, which was what mostly stuck out to me. I used to be quite active online doing illustrations for people back in the time of Myspace and Piczo (chuckles). A bit of a throwback.
I just found that there was something powerful about it on a cultural level. I was very intrigued with how you would have so many young black people and people of colour, who probably didn't have many resources, creating really phenomenal things. Even when I think about it today, the age of technology and how it's developed, you've got people who do coding and earn a hell of a lot from it. Kids back then were doing it with html codes without realising, so I was just really intrigued by that. I used to do illustrations for friends and sell them on T-shirts as a side hustle at boarding school, I even sold them to my teachers.
I guess the moment came over that summer where I was able to do that course, and wet my feet a bit into other universes. Fashion was the one that I was really intrigued by because I didn't really understand it in a context outside of my own experiences. It was more my curiosity at the time than anything else. I didn't even know what Central Saint Martins was. I knew about London College of Fashion, but when I had heard of this place called Central Saint Martins, I started to ask questions. I think the element of it being so ‘unattainable’, was more proof to myself that I could go there, because of the fact that people would say it's so ‘impossible’ to get in.
Shemaiah: Well that leads me perfectly onto the next question, being… How was your time at Central Saint Martins? Going to the leading university for creatives with alumni like Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen, what would you say it taught you?
"I always felt like the 'wildcard’ uni student'."
Tolu: Resilience, oh my god, resilience, (chuckles)!
I think it's an interesting experience navigating as a black person in that space. More so, as a black person with a working-class background in that space. An education in the arts is very expensive and I basically worked more or less full-time throughout my whole time during university, balancing life at university with retail. I think it taught me a lot of resilience and maturity. I think there were also cultural disparities, between the way in which things are taught, and perhaps some of the things that I was inspired by during my course. I always felt like the 'wildcard uni student'.
Doing my foundation year at Central Saint Martins before doing the BA degree, during a really difficult year of my life, meant that I wasn't as immersed in the courses and the work there. I didn't even go through the internal progression when applying for the BA. I applied as an external student so I could use my own projects with the things that I was personally inspired by.
One of the best things about CSM is being in an environment around so many different kinds of people. You learn a lot from their cultural perspective to their creative perspective, so it's very enriching being in that environment. On the other hand, it can also be very difficult at times because you're constantly being reminded that it's very competitive. You're having many sleepless nights trying to hand in projects and in my case, juggling work as well. I was the only person on my course that had a job at the time, so a lot of people didn't understand that people actually have to work and at times it looked as though I wasn't taking the course seriously. However, I think things shifted tremendously in my placement year, that's when I really felt like ‘yes there was a space for me somewhere in this industry.’ Perhaps I have to carve it out a bit, but there's a space.
I did internships at JW Anderson, CELINE and Mason Margiela in Paris, and more than anything it was my Margiela internship that solidified the sense of confidence in me. It was the artisanal team, which was a very small team who just trusted me and liked my approach to design. I worked in small sketchbooks because my work is intimate, as opposed to large portfolios. I wasn't that ‘prim-and-proper’ kind of student. It was just sketchbook after sketchbook, but they loved that and I think that placement year working at the different fashion houses showed me that there isn't just one approach to designing; there are so many and you have to carve out your own. As soon as I went back into final year, I was confident enough to say I don't care anymore. Because I had a successful placement year, having that co-signing from other fashion houses, then coming back to complete my course meant that my tutors took me more seriously. I also filmed a documentary over my placement year and decided at the time that it's what I wanted to explore. It didn't have to make sense to them, it was just important that I was able to develop it and communicate what I wanted to communicate at the time. So, it was a mixed experience, some real highs but some real lows.
Shemaiah: What is the number one thing that keeps you inspired or motivated?
Tolu: Community. No one is motivated and inspired 100% of the time, so being able to channel your creative energy can be very difficult. I think community is so important and travelling really inspires me. Meeting different people; different cultures and communities; realising there's always something new to learn about a different space - even in your own community, there's always something new to learn about what's developing and emerging.
As well as that, feeling accountable and responsible for your community. I don't believe in the idea of 'self-made'. Some people have to work a lot harder than others, but everybody at some point, even if it's a minute of some kind of support or input from someone, that's what allows them to grow. For me, I could never take my community for granted. My neighbours don't do anything in the fashion space, but whenever I’m creating a collection they're always so willing to help in whatever capacity. They’ll be cutting lace or I'll show them something and they'll just help. Even when you feel challenged and you feel like giving up, you remember that there's so many people rooting for you. If I'm honest, it's my community, that's my biggest motivation.
Shemaiah: I remember seeing one of your first major shows at CSM in 2017, what exactly was going through your mind in that period of your life, did you have high expectations for the collection at the time?
"I've never understood the whole stiff runway walk just because I used to think that's not how people really are. There's this ideal of what it is to be 'fashion', no one really walks like that outside, in real life."
Tolu: I think my expectations for the collection were more for myself than anyone else. It was actually one of my most emotional moments, because the day of the press show, I'd introduced another look from the internal show so it all sunk in that I'd actually made my own collection, something I genuinely wanted to do rather than just project after project. The collection 'Replica' was made based on the documentary I filmed during my placement year in London and Paris, documenting different black experiences.
I wanted to start conversations again on how diverse this idea of blackness is, it almost doesn't exist. Black people are human beings and spending time with other people across the diaspora who have grown up in different cultures with parents who were born somewhere else but immigrated to the west, is something I wanted to shed light on. I think some people who saw the show got it, others didn’t but still questioned it or were excited by it. There were so many different reactions to the collection.
I've never understood the whole stiff runway walk, just because I used to think that's not how people really are. There's this ideal of what it is to be 'fashion', no one really walks like that outside, in real life. People are expressive, people are themselves and the main thing I said to my models backstage before the show was ‘be yourself!’
Shemaiah: Yes and you could really see that!
Tolu: Exactly, I was just like "listen man, listen to the music, if you guys had just turned up would you walk like that to this kind of music?" Even the music I chose for the show was based on what we grew up listening to; a mixtape of what excites us, what inspires us.
At first the models were confused, but backstage I was getting very involved saying things like I’m not a model but "this is how I would be" and everyone kind of loosened up and people could feel that energy. It was a very organic energy and that's what people were excited by, because whether you're black or not, everyone can relate to being in that space of just being with your friends, being comfortable, being yourself and that's what clothing should be about - it's about identity so why be so stiff and stuck up about it?
Shemaiah: What has been the most difficult time for you in your career/life so far and what has been the best?
Tolu: As I've been getting introduced to more people and spaces, the most difficult time would probably be saying no, blocking out outside noise and just trusting your gut.
I never really felt part of the fashion industry or that space so coming into it and hearing 'this person's really important', you don't really want to ruffle any feathers but when, like me, you're very inspired and passionate about things which I think fashion can take for granted, there's no way to stand for your values and morals without stepping on people's toes, you're going to piss people off if you don't do things the way in which it's been done. People don't like change and I found it very frustrating at times, navigating that space without seeming like the aggressor or aggressive. Even outside of the racial stereotype of being the black female, being young in this space and coming from a working class background, I don't necessarily have the same idols as others, so it's different having conversations with people on an honest level. If you're 'fangirling' over someone, it's really difficult to have honest, passionate conversations because most of my heroes are around me.
When I'm in those spaces I'm quite honest. Some people love it and draw to you, but you are also met with a lot of resistance and I think that's been a big challenge for me; trying to create my own space for myself. I don't consider myself a fashion designer, I just make clothes as one of my many outputs.
Shemaiah: I would definitely describe you as an artist, how would you describe yourself?
Tolu: Yes. I feel like I am an artist, I explore and flirt with many different disciplines. I may not be the best at all of them, but I feel like there's something I'm trying to communicate. People are still trying to make sense of my approach. I keep hearing 'it's about making money,’ because fashion first and foremost is an industry, but I'm not motivated or led by making money and sometimes people mistake that for you not being 'business savvy' which isn't the case at all. It’s just that I’ve got particular values, which might not align with the ways in which you think are best to make money. So I would say that's been my biggest challenge.
My best moments have been with some of the really incredible people that I've been able to connect with. One project that really stands out to me was when I did the Lagos B&R in Nigeria because I got to work with my brother, and visit where my father was buried. I hadn't been there for 11 years, so it felt like a real homecoming to go back. We created a film photo series and tapestry installation and to be able to bring it back home creating something inspired by him, it almost felt like we were continuing his work on his land. It was really powerful.
Another moment was working with women in Congo with a company called Vlisco and The City Of Joy, whose work is absolutely incredible. They rehabilitate and empower women who have been survivors of rape violence and war violence in Congo. Vlisco being such a huge manufacturer of dutch wax fabrics, which made a lot of money in Africa; they took it upon themselves to go, support and shine light on some of these stories and projects of these women. I created a mini collection for some of the women from the rehabilitation centre, and it was like a lightbulb moment where everything that I felt like I should be doing, it was like, this is it, this is what it looks like; using fashion in a way that gives back and doesn't just take from society and different cultures.
Shemaiah: What advice would you give to any aspiring artist or designer?
Tolu: Just believe in yourself. The definition of a designer and what it means to design has been controlled and set out for people, and I feel like the only boundaries that exist are the ones you give yourself. That's not saying it will be easy, but that inner voice has to be louder than the noise happening outside because it's so easy to be disheartened.
Also, go out and allow yourself to create. I feel like right now the world is so caught up in the hype of who's doing what, who said what and who did it first. Everyone's online watching what everyone is doing and competing with this imaginary sphere of nothingness. It's not good for the environment, it's not good for mental health and it's not good for culture or creativity.
People need time to create and I think a lot of students and designers working towards carving out a career, their examples have been obviously what exists today, but I think it's so important for the next generation to allow themselves to think differently, to explore different mediums, to collaborate and to take time to do it, it's not a rush.
People will rush you and make you feel under pressure like if you don't release a collection now, everyone's going to forget about you and it's not going to matter.
But remember why you're doing what you're doing, are you doing it for fame and hype or are you doing it to tell stories? And if so, there's no time limit on that. You can do it infinitely, you can do it whenever. Do things when you're ready and you'll always be able to create work that you're proud of, rather than just doing things to meet a deadline or budget. Allow yourself to explore.
Shemaiah: Name people that inspire you or your art... or both?
Tolu: The people that inspire me the most are my friends. It’s one thing to have idols that are celebrities or famous, but that's often a perception. Knowing and seeing my friend's journeys has been very inspiring. One of my friends Favour Jonathan; she went to university with me and she's incredible. She makes sculptures. Being able to see her journey and have conversations with her, seeing how her as a person is reflected in her work is beautiful. She's very genuine, passionate, caring and authentic and it's so refreshing to have friendships that hold you accountable, because you're always able to check in with each other and remember why you're doing what you're doing. Even though we've got different practices, having that as a core value is so important.
My younger brother Ade, he's incredible. He's one of those that are very quiet and you won't see much of him because his works speak for him. Many of his photos have gone viral - not everyone would know who shot it but everyone would be involved with the image. He is in every sense an artist. Very focused and very much about his passion and craft.
Runyararo Mapfumo, who just directed the Netflix series 'Sex Education'. Seeing her as a young black female in that space, killing it and doing it with such integrity, that's what inspires me. When I see people who are developing in their career and craft, they're not rushing, not jumping at every opportunity for hype, they're really taking their time and carving out the career they want without compromising on their values; that is I think the hardest thing to do, but it's beautiful.
Adeleke Adesina and Jerry Preddon, they're two cinematographers who I've worked with and are incredible as people which reflects in their artwork.
I can’t mention people who inspire me without mentioning musicians, even if what I'm working on isn't relevant to what they're singing about, sometimes it's just the mood the sounds put me in. There's a singer called Anais Zero, the most beautiful voice and when you hear her story and why singing was her medium, it's so inspiring. Then there's this band called Khruangbin, I can't place them in a genre. Laura Lee is the female bass guitarist of the band and my brother and I used music from them recently for a film we did about the skate community. I was just obsessed with their videos.
Usually, when I share music like this, people always say my taste is different but I've realised, you can't box yourself into a particular genre of music or sound. If you like something, if it feels good, if it speaks to you it doesn't matter who's creating it, be inspired by it, take the good from it. I love that band, they have minimal vocals and so many of their songs are instrumentals. I feel like they make the kind of music that people years from now will sample, old school, timeless music.
Shemaiah: As well as designing in fashion, you've created illustrations and documentaries for big brands such as Dr Martens and Diesel. Many creatives dabble into different industries rather than just being known to do one thing their whole life. How do you keep evolving as an artist/ creative in your difference?
"It's so weird because the world has this thing where the more visibility someone has, the more famous they are or the bigger the celebrity, the more people assign them to be masters of their craft or experts and I found that to not be true."
Tolu: Just stay humble and curious. What evolution looks like to everyone is different. It's good to be inspired by people but I think it's important to not idolise people and compare yourselves to them so much. It's so weird because the world has this thing where the more visibility someone has, the more famous they are or the bigger the celebrity, the more people assign them to be masters of their craft or experts and I found that to not be true.
Now, we're having more conversations about plagiarism and big designers stealing from small designers. You start to see that celebrity, hype and noise doesn't equate to being a master of your craft. At university, a lot of the tutors have worked with everyone in the industry, and that's the person that everyone's dying to meet or be around while they're at university, but I learnt so much from the technicians, the people who worked in the print room, who helped operate the laser cut machines. In order to evolve, you have to be humble and realise that nobody knows everything, there's no point pretending to be an expert, or to have it all together, we're always learning and there's always someone who might be a bit better than you at a specific thing or more informed or educated that you can learn from. I find that my biggest moments of evolution often happen when I’m away from noise, where people ask 'are you still designing and doing stuff?' and yes, I’m just taking time to learn, to evolve and master my craft. I think people are scared to do that because people are scared of 'falling off', but 'falling off' of what?
If it's the hype bandwagon, then you'll just get to the point of putting out mediocre stuff, some of them don't even know why they like you, maybe because other people like you and it's popular. You really want people to love what you do because they care about what you're doing, not because they idolise you as a person. I think they're two very different things. So my goal isn't to be famous, my goal is for people to be inspired by some of the conversations, or to even get involved and do it better than how I'm doing it. I might be a creator of it but I don't own the art, I feel like in essence it belongs to everybody, so I feel like that's how to evolve, humility and slowing down.
Shemaiah: What do you think the fashion industry will look like in 10 years:
"I'd like to see more real inspiration and people not creating different versions of the same thing."
Tolu: No one knows. I think people can try to predict and foresee it, but what is going to happen is going to happen.
It will look very different to what it looks like today for sure, things change, things don't always evolve, sometimes things move backwards but my hope is that less clothing would be produced, it would be great to see people invest more into the stories behind the collections, educating people, making and reusing things cool.
It would be beautiful to see the fashion industry become more accessible to people, in many instances, what keeps the desirability for people is they feel like they're outside of 'the club' and to be in the fashion industry is to get into 'the club' and be able to sit with a bunch of people and be in a certain space. I'd like to see that change because everyone wears clothes. I'd like to see people being able to attend and experience shows; people who buy into brands, I think it's important that they get those experiences.
They don't have to be in the industry or a tradesperson to experience the show, the general public should be a part of that. I'd love to see fashion become more democratic and become an art form again, more like when you see the couture shows in Paris and you've got that real element of art. Fashion Week can sometimes be more hype than inspiration, so I'd like to see more real inspiration and people not creating different versions of the same thing.