Davido, Orange Culture in London for style house files ‘music matters’ in selfridges capsule collection ​

Music and fashion are like Siamese, both go hand-in-hand, and the relationship between them is one of abundant and mutual creativity. Music has been a source of inspiration for fashion changing trends. Reciprocal influences have resulted in some of the most dynamic apparel visualizations created in popular culture.

Some exist as memorable creations for the stage and music video; others become long-lasting fashion trends, which settle in the culture to become noteworthy, referential, and lasting.

Despite these influences from music, fashion has over the years been perceived and given the same importance as music that it sometimes draws reference from, therefore creating sub-cultures and movements straight off the runway and into stores globally.

Music celebrities and designer collaborations have altered the course of fashion, as musicians have long been tastemakers of style and fashion. Today, many music artistes are trailblazers; they create the future of fashion at every turn, strengthening the bond between music and fashion.

The outcome of many associations between the music artiste and the designer or stylist is usually a confirmation of the extant youth sub-cultural fashion. The affects of these unions have been very significant as new perspectives, methods, and resonances of fashion are made when fashion and music are linked to sub-cultural expression.

This season, as the Heineken Lagos Fashion and Design Week (LFDW) approaches, Style House Files is delving deeper into fashion and music collaborations with the birth of ‘Music X Fashion’. 

With support from the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Selfridges in collaboration with Style House Files will on Tuesday, September 12, in the city of London, debut a capsule collection by one of Africa’s leading music export, Davido, and Orange Culture, a LFDW Young Designer alumni and LVMH Award finalist, at its High End Department Store as part of the new season campaign tagged ‘Music Matters at Selfridges’.

Speaking on the collaboration, founder, Style House Files, conveners of Lagos Fashion and Design Week, Omoyemi Akerele, said ‘Music X Fashion’ explores the tribes that collaborations between music and fashion can create, the expression of creativity that is constant and experimentation pioneered through icons that straddle.

“SHF as a platform’s strength relies on collaboration as a tool for promoting the work of African designers. Such relationships provide ongoing opportunities for designers within Nigeria, the continent and beyond.”

“Music Matters at Selfridges, our second collaboration with Selfridges is one of such collaborations. It main objective is connecting the dots of indigenous expression and fusion between fashion and music to the global shopping audience,” Akerele added

Known to explore inextricable cultural intersections between fashion and music, Selfridges recently launched the ‘Music Matters at Selfridges’ campaign. Building on this momentum, the fashion outfit will on Tuesday, welcomes Davido and Orange Culture to its menswear floor for an exclusive unveiling of the collection to its esteemed clients. 

“We are thrilled to be working alongside Davido and Orange Culture on this exciting project. Music is the lifeblood of culture and its effect on fashion is vast, this was one of the starting points of ‘Music Matters at Selfridges’. It’s so wonderful to have a brand partner who shares a similar vision,” said Bosse Myhr, Selfridges Menswear Buying Director.

Unarguably one of the frontline artistes in Africa exporting his music and the afrobeat sound to a growing loving audience, Davido as stylist’s gentleman and true fashion icon, embodies the new ways music and fashion collaborations are experienced. Hence, creating a cultural moment marked by a distinct visual fashion identity that emerges from an indigenous musical genre, working its way up to global relevance.

“My personal style is an expression of who I am. Performing on stage or hanging out with my daughters, the key pieces in my closet speak volumes — easy going wardrobe basics, always infused with an edge and that is what this collection represents.

“I really love connecting with my fans through music and to extend that to fashion via this collaboration with Orange Culture is a great opportunity. I am excited to present a collection that is an extension of my personal style to my fans, and share in this unique experience of how they engage with the collection at one of my favorite shopping destinations in the world,” Davido said.

The capsule collection will feature pieces inspired by Davido’s hit song, IF with the focus to create easy, ready-to-wear pieces that will be loved by fans of Selfridges, Davido and Orange Culture.

“I have always thought a beautiful relationship between music and fashion exists, especially right now with music artistes creating powerful and recognizable identities for themselves with the use of fashion. So once we were given the opportunity to work with such a talented artiste like Davido, who is constantly pushing creative barriers to set the tone for Africans globally, we were excited and eager,” said Adebayo Oke-Lawal, who recently showcased his new collections to both the press and buyers at the London Fashion Week.