African Influences Punctuating Britain

You Must Create, a significant British label, tapped into the historical cultural merging moments that made Britain the multicultural place that it is today. The collection called “Okoro” celebrated the influx of African Art the permeated British culture during the late 60s through to the early 80s and represents the cross-pollination of cultural artefacts. YMC showed off their classic cropped wide leg chinos, flared jeans and silk boiler suits in addition to its modern luxe fishtail parkas, reversible collarless MA1 bombers and raw edged suede jackets. The latter, a sure style that will filter its way down into your wardrobe come Spring. Jacket and shorts combos, layered shirts and baggy knits held its own with laced trainers and chunky tanned boots. The prints, bold stripes and checks pinpointed the era to the max.

Muted Tones Screamed Prints and Patterns

Burnt red, royal blue and khaki green were the muted tones setting the backdrop for the looks, against the highlights of bright lemon, vibrant orange and dirty pink. The line up was a beautiful combination of heavy influences from Africa contrasting against your average black and white tiled floor. Truly going back to its ethical roots, the line-up had abstract prints and hand-stitched embroideries with silk and jacquard being the key textiles.

A Slice of the Funk

The atmosphere gave an impression of the music scene during the era, with Ethiopian Funk 45s and Cameroonian synths tracks that infiltrated British music. It was a party not to be missed, the music was a pleasure to our ears and Ibibio Sound Machine gave us an insane playlist. Small details related to groundbreaking photographer Malick Sidibé, who documented these influences on British culture, as the cast adorned Polaroid cameras around their necks. More excuses to hipster-out and carry around a Polaroid camera? It’s a win.