April 21, 2026 |
Has the London look ever been this slick? From Saul Nash’s sportswear-tailoring crossovers and Oscar Ouyang’s knitwear wonders to the West African influences of Labrum and the cult wardrobe of Stefan Cooke, these brands are making the sort of menswear worth getting excited about.
LABRUM
From the bright lights of London Fashion Week to the floodlights of the Emirates Stadium. This year Labrum reached new heights when it was announced the brand would design one of Arsenal’s official away kits. Created alongside Adidas and unveiled at a catwalk show held beside the pitch – with England stars Declan Rice and Myles Lewis-Skelly appearing among the model line-up – the brand’s founder, Foday Dumbuya, describes the project as “incredibly powerful. It was a really huge moment for me. I’ve supported Arsenal since I was 12 years old.”
The kit, which comes adorned in the hues of the Pan-African flag, is a celebration of Arsenal’s African fanbase, says Foday. “It’s taking an African narrative into one of the biggest football clubs in the world, to see that get embraced by millions of people. It was incredibly powerful.”
The brand, which in 2023 was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design, was built to champion West African narratives and stories from the wider diaspora. “I set up Labrum to show what’s possible when culture leads the way,” he says. “If you look at the prints we do, the tailoring or the storytelling behind it, it connects people to the world that I live in. I was born in Sierra Leone, grew up in London. It’s about how these worlds connect. When culture collides a beautiful thing is born out of it, and we’re trying to celebrate that.”
from left: Emilio and Maxime wear LABRUM and Yacine wears LABRUM
He has taken over a series of legendary London landmarks to share his message, including Tate Britain, for his AW24 collection, and Brixton Village, where guests enjoyed food and drinks from local vendors during his AW23 show. For AW25, he staged a catwalk-cum-concert inside Abbey Road Studios titled Designed by An Immigrant: Sound of Us, inspired by how migration has shaped the UK’s sonic palette. The show was soundtracked by an all-star line-up of London greats, including Ezra Collective, D Double E, Wretch 32 and Akala.
“Everything we do stems from the joyfulness of music,” he says, touching on his SS26 outing, which played out like a glorious procession of British tailoring peppered with West African flair. He was thinking about how people harmoniously synthesise their cultures with those of their new homes when they migrate. A colossal band concocted of a full chamber orchestra, a jazz outfit and djembe drummers scored proceedings, in which elegant jewel-adorned suiting was paired with stacked military-style hats.
Emilio wears LABRUM
“In 50 years or so, some kid in London or in Africa will be able to look back to be like, ‘There was a guy who created beautiful stories about London, about West Africa, about our culture, about the music,’” says Dumbuya when quizzed on his hopes for Labrum’s legacy. “I want it to be used as a reference point, something that can inspire people to set something up of their own because I didn’t have a starting point. That’s what I’m hoping I can leave.”
Taken from 10 Men Issue 63 – CLASSIC, CRAFT, NOSTALGIA – out NOW. Order your copy here.
THE FAB FOUR
Photographer LEONARDO VELOCE
Fashion Editor KAREN BINNS
Text PAUL TONER
Models YACINE FERROUDJ at Garçons by Gervais, EMILIO DE DUVE and MAXIME EL HANAFI at Select Model Management
Hair SEBASTIEN BASCLE using Hair Rituel by SISLEY
Make-up EMMA MILES at Caren using WELEDA
Photographer’s assistant BRANDO GRAMAZIO
Fashion assistant SORAYA RIZZUTO
Casting CONAN LAURENDOT
Production SONYA MAZURYK
