043: Asa Shines in Nigerian Fashion & Meet Le Chouchou

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Welcome (almost) to June and the beginning of the second half of the year. While summer is not yet officially upon us, high expectations are afoot for a slew of fashion, sport, and cultural events taking place around the world.

Thank you for coming back for another week! As always, reach out with tips or questions to [email protected].

DISPATCH 043 —

This week, we’re celebrating new growth for British menswear, toasting expansion for a Lagosian skate brand, and sharing the scoop on a soon-to-launch lip product to add to the arsenal. Plus: candle alert and news from the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. But first, breaking down Asa’s GQ South Africa spread…

ASA CHAMPIONS NIGERIAN FASHION

French-Nigerian multi-genre songstress Asa brought elegant sophistication for the second cover of GQ South Africa’s Music & Creativity issue wearing the best of Nigerian fashion.

Styled by Momo Hassan-Odukale, Asa rocked a veritable who’s who of contemporary Nigerian brands, including Kilentar, Lagos Space Programme, Vicnate, and Lisa Folawiyo amongst others. Looks were tied together with consciously crafted jewelry by Refine Studios and Raenna.

All in all, it represented a triumph in highlighting the savoir-faire Nigerian brands have to offer.

LAGOS SPACE PROGRAMME EXPANDS

We couldn’t be more excited to hear news of the launch of Lagos Space Programme’s new website, now commerce enabled. It’s part of a broader plan to drive revenue via D2C channels and expansion into wholesale.

If you’re not yet familiar, Lagos Space Programme, endearingly known as LSP, was founded by Adeju Thompson in 2018. The brand has brought an artful and experimental approach to separates inspired by gender fluidity and a radical reimagining of artisanal heritage craft. Take a look at our curated selects from the recent S/S and A/W collections.

First off, the post-adire technique is a staple of LSP’s brand iconography. If keen to test the waters, this hand-painted and hand-dyed silk twill scarf is a lovely starting point. If operating with blissful abandon, the all-over adire cotton canvas coat is the ultimate homage to the centuries-old dyeing technique.

For a more minimal touch, we have high hopes for the shirting from this label, including this fabulous lavailliere blouse with mixed-media buttons. On the surface, these are classic wardrobe staples, but take another look and you’ll notice deeply special finishes, including this cloudy boucle knit with hand-casted Benin bronze disc.

ON OUR RADAR

Lagosian favorite skate brand waf. is growing its retail presence in Lekki and you’re invited to celebrate with a fete this Saturday June 1st at 4-5 Trocadero Square from 7-10PM. (Inbox)

Eadem makes the leap into lip care (as teased in a prior dispatch) with the launch of its first lip softening balm to keep up with the growing competition. Named Le Chouchou after the French heritage of its co-founder, the five buildable shades pay homage to sweet treats — Butter Mochi, Bissap Glaze, Boba Bounce, Fig Sauce, and Burnt Malai — available starting June 3 at Sephora and Eadem. (Link)

Another candle alert! Estelle Colored Glass has teamed up on a beautiful candle collaboration leveraging its stunning Polish low ball glasses. Consisting of two limited-edition shades and scents: a rose glass houses a citrus-infused Airy Comfort and a Kelly green pairs with a cozy Warm Comfort scent. Once the candle wick dims, you’ll have two new glasses to add to your collection. (Link)

London-based menswear brand LABRUM opened doors to a well-deserved flagship in its hometown with an incredible opening event bringing their community together IRL. Check it out at 35 Marshall Street, Carnaby. (Link)

CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund announced the ten finalists for its 2024 edition, including L’Enchanteur and Sebastien Ami. Congratulations! (Link)