BROKEN ENGLISH

AUTUMN WINTER 2024

noun [ U ]

UK/ˌbrəʊ.kən ˈɪŋ.ɡlɪʃ/US/ˌbroʊ.kən ˈɪŋ.ɡlɪʃ/

- a term coined for the pidgin commonly spoken amongst those whose mother tongue is not English, or between whom a common language is not shared.

Drawing inspiration from the backdrop of West Africa’s bustling markets, gridlocked streets and street hawkers, Tolu Coker’s AW24 collection engages in critical conversation around migration, social equity and post-colonial economic landscapes. Commonly used amongst market traders in Nigeria to communicate and procure clients, Coker proposes ‘Broken-English’ as an evolved means of communication, applauding it as a ‘linguistic convening of ‘othered’ communities separated by borders’. As a child of the diaspora, she recognises its role as a praxis which fosters intergenerational dialogue, the preservation of culture and a shared sense of community in the face of struggle.

Ideas of ‘brokenness’ are explored through dual notions of conflict and resolution across the Global South. As she celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit and proactivity of those engaging in ‘hawking’ practices as a means of survival, she critiques the long-last effects of imperialism from which the need for such practices arose and the exploitation resulting from the booming informal trade sector.

The designers DNA of sustainable craftsmanship and community once again takes centre stage in this collection through quality tailoring, layered silhouettes, clashing prints and consciously developed jacquards. Weaving together the common threads of stories passed down from her mother’s intimate recollections of life trading in Lagos markets, and griots from across Asia, Africa and her London neighbourhood, the collection explores how sustainability operates in the Global South. Repurposed materials and motifs feature heavily throughout the collection, nodding to the resourcefulness and alchemy of Africa’s traders that generate purpose and beauty from the tonnes of waste frequently dumped on their shores by Western countries.

Coker provides insight into the relationship between sustainability, class and culture, whilst giving opportunity for global accountability. Rather than a USP, a culture of sustainability is a holistic, ingrained and often imposed necessity in communities threatened with scarcity and the most imminent environmental impact.