STYLE
Naomi Campbell walked her debut show inParis – now, the Nigerian-Brazilian designer is turning to her roots for inspiration
TORISHÉJU DUMI’S FORAY INTO FASHION ISN’T THE TYPICAL story of an enamoured girl flicking through magazines from a young age. Instead, it was her family’s Catholic roots and growing up in the faith that sparked her interest. ‘The whole ritual of putting on these big garments and cloaks spoke to me. It was the idea of world-building.’ The worlds Dumi builds now have led her to become one of the most exciting names on the British fashion scene, with Zendaya wearing her looks on the red carpet and supermodels Naomi Campbell and Paloma Elsesser walking in her debut show in Paris last October. ‘It was priceless,’ Dumi says of the experience, from her flat in London. ‘I put Naomi in Doc Martens, which was reminiscent of my childhood, and it felt like we’d brought a core element of British culture to Paris. She adored the suit,’ she says, smiling.
It was thanks to super stylist Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, with whom Dumi had connected via social media during her time at Central Saint Martins, that she booked the esteemed models. ‘Gabby messaged me during the pandemic saying she liked my collection, and that if I ever needed anything to let her know.’ Thinking nothing would come of the DM, the designer explains her joy when it did. ‘It’s rare that people follow through. I just hit Gabby up and said, “OK, I want to do a show now,” and that was it.’
The collection, titled ‘Fire On The Mountain’, has sentimental meaning for Dumi, as it is the name of a song her mother would sing to her as a child. ‘It was something that just stayed in
