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.
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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 my head. The song conjures up so much.’ Raised and schooled in north-west London, Dumi gained an art degree from Leicester’s De Montfort University before pivoting to Central Saint Martins for fashion and then transferring to London College of Fashion to learn menswear – a skill that is evident in her sharp tailoring, roomy shirts and floor-sweeping trousers.
Dumi delved into her family’s Nigerian heritage for SS24, poring over the everyday attire of the Itsekiri and Bahia people. ‘The clothing in the Itsekiri tribe includes tailored wrap-around shirts. I’ve always thought that was so prim and proper. I do think during your childhood you create a world that later inspires you.’ Due to financial pressures, Dumi used leftover materials she had in her studio until fellow designer Craig Green reached out and donated fabrics, with which she created her distinctive silhouettes and circular
perforations; ‘I’m obsessed with holes and disc-shaped cuts,’ she says.
A team of one for now, Dumi worked long hours to make her debut collection with two seamstresses, but says the payoff is worth it. ‘I want people to see that a Black woman can create avant-garde, couture-like pieces. I hope my work will open gateways for other Black female creatives.’
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