Torishéju Dumi: The designer behind PFW’s most exciting debut in years

The collection itself was a melting pot of inspirations which tapped into her Brazilian-Nigerian heritage, Catholicism, and David Lynch films. “I remember watching a lot of Lynch movies when I was younger because of my dad,” Dumi shares. “That sort of uncanny, weird thing has always been on my mind. I love things that are not quite right, that really excites me.” With fabrics donated by Craig Green, swathes of sublime draping, drew inspiration from Nigerian lappa while layered, esoteric suiting turned tailoring on its head. 

The following six months have been a whirlwind in which Dumi designed a look for Zendaya on her Dune: Part Two press tour, appeared on the cover of British Vogue’s January 2024 issue alongside Priya Ahluwalia and Tolu Coker, and earned a spot on the Dazed 100. As if she wasn’t busy enough as it was, she also contributed seven looks to the Met’s permanent collection – two of which are currently on display at its brand new Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion exhibition. 

Still on the hamster wheel, Dumi’s debut collection was unsurprisingly snapped up by Dover Street Market – a full-circle moment for the designer who always dreamed of being stocked at the hallowed fashion destination. As the first drop of her SS24 offering lands in stores, here, the designer talks about her Paris Fashion Week debut, resilience in the face of adversity, and the story behind Zendaya’s custom look. 

Hey Torishéju! You presented your debut collection at PFW last October. Have you had a chance to decompress since? 

Torishéju Dumi: People keep asking me that. I feel quite numb but in a good way – everything is happening and I’m just reacting to it because I don’t have a moment to be still. It’s good because it’s quite thrilling and I work really well under pressure. At the same time, I feel like I’m in a strange place mentally. 

Speaking of working under pressure, you created your collection almost single-handedly – an inhuman amount of work for one person. 

Torishéju Dumi: I wouldn’t wish that upon my enemy, I don’t even like thinking about it. My mother has always told me, ‘When you’re doing something, just do it. Don’t think too hard or you’re going to stress yourself out.’ I was in the mindset of making the toiles perfect and then making some final pieces, but also sending some pieces to some seamstresses to make. I didn’t send any patterns because I was still using them to develop the silhouettes, so it was really hit and miss. My toiles are my favourite bit of the whole collection because I perfected them and they’re beautiful garments to look at on their own without having the final finished material. The whole process of researching, creating the toiles, going back to researching, creating another toile, editing, creating another toile was so tedious and quite ludicrous. I think the reason I was able to cope with it was because we graduated during COVID, I did my whole MA during COVID in my apartment so being in one compact space helped me work more efficiently and use my mind better. 

“I feel like people have preconceived notions on what Black artists, designers, speakers, and writers should speak about or look like and when you go against the grain it can be a bit repulsive to some people. They’ll turn away because they want you to stick in the lane they think you should be going in” – Torishéju Dumi

It sounds like a trial by fire. What do you think you learned throughout the process? 

Torishéju Dumi: I’ve learned that I’m quite resilient. Different adversities may come my way, but I’ve always had the mindset that anything is possible. I think it’s because of my mother and being brought up by a single parent. My father passed away when I was 15 and my mother has been so hardworking, she’s built a whole empire. I’m a strong believer that if you work hard at something and cultivate your garden, you’ll see the results. I’m a strong believer of the law of attraction. 

Your mother and her tastes when you were growing up also had a direct influence on the collection and its themes. What can you tell me about that? 

Torishéju Dumi: My mum likes to collect a lot of vintage things, objects and furniture. We always used to go to charity shops when we were younger and I used to get so embarrassed and annoyed. She would put me and my sister in weird… Not Victorian or 18th-century clothing, but very quaint looks. It was strange then, but now looking back, it was really fashionable. I love antiques and period dramas and my mum is obsessed with stuff like that. 

My father was Brazilian-Nigerian and my mother is NIgerian and the themes in both countries are quite similar in the sense of religion and spirituality which is something that’s really important to me in my work. I grew up Catholic and I always wanted to be an altar server when I was younger. I loved [the idea of] wearing that long dress and walking up to the altar, it felt like a whole performance and I begged my mum but she said no because she didn’t want to wake up early to take me there. I go to church on Sundays and I really like looking at what everyone is wearing, the altar servers and the priest. I love priestly garms, it really creates a resonance that I like and that inspires my work.

Your debut show in Paris was a creative collaboration between you and Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, how did you end up working together? 

Torishéju Dumi: Gabby is an absolute G, I love her. She contacted me just after I graduated from my MA at Central Saint Martins. I didn’t win the prize because I didn’t follow the rules of how you had to upload the photos but I didn’t care. Gabby sent me a message on Instagram saying that she thought my work was amazing even though I didn’t win and that she would love to work with me one day if I ever wanted to do a show. I didn’t think I could do a show because I didn’t have any money and I needed to pay rent, so I said I’d think about it. I wanted to bring out a little collection before doing a show, even if nobody saw it. 

After launching that collection in February, I messaged Gabby in March and said ‘Let’s do a show’ and she was like ‘Fuck yeah, let’s do it!’. We were calling different people in the industry asking them to sponsor the show and then Lucien [​​Pagès] came on board, but we came across so many roadblocks and Gabby was shocked. It was her first time realising that it’s a lot harder because we’re at different levels in the industry and people don’t help out young designers or artists who are struggling to get sponsorship to do things. It was just constant and so exhausting. I remember the day of the show my team went out in Paris and I just slept and it was the best sleep, I felt reborn again. It was like an angel came to kiss my head and put me to bed. 

“[For SS24]I was thinking about some sort of warrior princess. I love this ethereal presence that the wrap pieces created and I wanted the models wearing them to feel like goddesses and gods. The theme for the whole collection was a massive ball that’s thrown centuries in the future and these people are using drapes and wraps to create divine silhouettes” – Torishéju Dumi

Gabriella said that it’s rare to see a Black woman taking up space in esoteric design. What are your thoughts on this? 

Torishéju Dumi: I feel like people already have preconceived notions on what Black artists, designers, speakers, and writers should speak about or look like and when you go against the grain it can be a bit repulsive to some people. They’ll turn away because they want you to stick in the lane they think you should be going in. I think that people of colour are sectioned to certain sorts of designs. When I was in my BA and MA, people used to say that they thought I was Asian because of my name and my designs and it used to piss me off because it doesn’t make any sense. You just have to carry on and if you know who you are and what you’re doing, people will always see it. 

After presenting your collection, you held a showroom for [Dover Street Market’s] Adrian Joffe. How did that come about? 

Torishéju Dumi: I met Adrian a few weeks after the show. I was still working from my house and I didn’t think I could take him there so I hired out a space down the road from my apartment to make it more comfortable. It was a really calming meeting and one of the first times after that show that I felt at peace. I have so much respect for Adrian, he’s a man of substance and speaking to him felt like I was speaking to my granddad. We spoke about life and people, it was deeper than just fashion.

You’re now going to be stocked in Dover Street Market London because of the meeting, which has been a longtime dream for you. 

Torishéju Dumi: The only thing I prayed to sweet baby Jesus was to sell my stuff at Dover Street Market. That has always been my one goal since graduating from CSM. During my BA, I would go past it and think ‘maybe one day’. I didn’t even imagine meeting Adrian and the fact he came and wanted to speak to me – it was all I ever wanted. We talked, we laughed, we cried. Everything else has been a blessing, but to sell at DSM was all I ever wanted. 

How does it feel to have now achieved that dream? 

Torishéju Dumi: It feels insane. I still haven’t even been to the store because I’ve been so busy dealing with things. I’m angry because I want to see what it looks like in person. I never tend to believe something until it actually happens but I know it’ll be amazing. 

You also created a custom look for Zendaya while she was promoting Dune: Part Two. What can you tell me about it? 

Torishéju Dumi: Gabby messaged me in early December last year and sent me a text from Law [Roach], she said ‘Get Law Roach that dress now’. I was like ‘No shit, he wants it for Zendaya, that’s fucking ridiculous.’ It all happened quite fast, I did some adjustments and made a new piece and then it was sent to Paris. I didn’t believe it because I thought she might not end up wearing it. It’s crazy because when I was making these wrap pieces in the collection, I was thinking about some sort of warrior princess. I love this ethereal presence that the wrap pieces created and I wanted the models wearing them to feel like goddesses and gods. The theme for the whole collection was a massive ball that’s thrown centuries in the future and these people are using drapes and wraps to create divine silhouettes. Seeing it on Zendaya made the collection feel complete. There’s nothing like seeing your work on somebody. 

Since you’ve now achieved your dream of selling your clothes at Dover Street Market, what’s your goal now? 

Torishéju Dumi: I have no expectations. If something happens it’s good, but I need money to do the next thing. All I want is to be happy with my family and friends – that’s why I’m doing this. It’s the way I can get what’s in my head out and if I didn’t, I would have serious problems, it’s helping me mentally and physically. I’m excited about the future and the happiness this brings for my family and friends.