At London Fashion Week, Tolu Coker’s Spring/Summer 25 collection took the runway by storm, and it wasn’t just the clothes that had everyone talking. Efi Davies, International Artistic Director at TONI&GUY, crafted bespoke wigs for the designer’s models using LABEL.M Personalised Haircare, drawing on the rich heritage of British-Nigerian matriarchs.
Tolu’s collection, Olepaju, dives into the stories of British Nigerians in the late 60s and 70s, seen through the lens of her own mother. The result? A celebration of culture, migration and an unbeatable blend of style and resilience. And what better way to honour that than with hair that harks back to the past but still has a fresh, modern twist?
Cue Efi Davies and the TONI&GUY Session Team, who created 30 bespoke wigs for the runway, each tailored to perfection. Inspired by the way Tolu’s mother would have styled her hair during the 60s, the looks were playful, chic, and loaded with character. Think big volume, soft textures, and a nod to natural, nostalgic beauty – but with a fun, fresh spin for 2025.
To lock those styles in place? The LABEL.M Fashion Edition Ultimate Hairspray. A backstage hero, it gave the wigs the staying power to hold through the models’ fierce walk – and even a little dance down the runway. Davies ensured the hair moved naturally while keeping every strand in place, no matter how much runway magic was going on.
In short, Efi and the team made sure that the hair was as much a part of the narrative as the clothes, beautifully complementing Tolu Coker’s storytelling with a hairstyle throwback that looked nothing short of revolutionary.
At Labrum’s Spring/Summer 2025 show, held at Arsenal Stadium, hair and headwear took centre stage as powerful symbols of cultural fusion and transformation. Nick Irwin, using Schwarzkopf products, styled the hair to complement Labrum’s Pan-African influences, creating looks that were both respectful and innovative. “Labrum allowed us to bring their vision to life through respectfully curated and crafted hair that pays tribute to the wonderful Labrum culture,” Irwin explained.
The headwear told its own story, inspired by the resourcefulness and movement of people across continents. Leftover hemp braid was repurposed and sewn into intricate patches that, when layered, resembled aerial shots of fertile land—beautifully illustrating the richness of migration and cultural cross-pollination. The collection showcased an array of styles, from dandy-inspired Fedoras influenced by the vibrant Les Sapeurs movement, to Tie-Top baseball caps crafted from signature Labrum textiles with striking fringing.
The collaboration also explored the desert Tuareg wrap, stitched with five-metre strips of raffia. Adding a bold twist, the wrap featured the Pan-African Adidas stripe running through the centre, cleverly mirroring the iconic Arsenal kit. Together, these looks celebrated the resilience and creativity that define the movement of cultures and people, blending tradition with modernity in a way only Labrum can.
Nick also worked on the hair for luxury modest fashion brand SABIRAH, owned by stylist and designer Deborah Latouche, whose SS25 ‘Lovingly Modest’ featured a core theme of love.
Nick said, “The last two seasons with Sabirah, we’ve worked very much dialled into as muse. This time, when we first had our meetings with Debs, the designer, was to really talk about what’s going on in the world, talk about empathy and love and how we come together as a community, and how do we express that through the hair and the styling and the clothes tonight at the show. The products we’re using this season are from the [Schwarzkopf] SESSION LABEL. We’re going to be working with products like The Mousse, which will just allow us to clean any of those fine ends. And these shapes are through the top of these opulent, almost couture shapes. We’re using products like The Coat. And also, what’s a really important aspect of what we’re doing is The Strong, so that’s really going to lock in these shape in place.”
Curl care favourites, Curlsmith celebrated 40 years of London Fashion Week, partnering with cult fashion designer KNWLS for their show. Curlsmith sponsored the hair looks for one of the most sought after shows in the schedule as KNWLS showcased their latest collection for SS25. Renowned session stylist Claire Grech created the hair looks for the show, opting for effortless styles that were light and airy with a mix of natural looking textures and waves. Each style was individual, working with each model to create a natural, lived-in finish.
“I started off by washing the girls hair with the Essential Moisture Cleanser, to gently clean and remove any product build up. Whilst hair was still soaking wet, I applied Curl Conditioning Oil-In-Cream to hydrate and ensure hair looked naturally healthy and in great condition.”
“For models with more straight or wavy texture, I prepped hair with Effortless Waves, spritzing all over to define with a light and moveable hold. Hair was then diffused dry with the new Defrizzion Travel Dryer & XL Diffuser. Any models with tighter curls and coils, I twisted in some additional Curl Conditioning Oil-In-Cream along with the Curl Defining Styling Soufflé mixed with a few drops of Bonding Oil. This ensured curls were defined with a naturally hydrated finish. I then diffused until dry with the Defrizzion Travel Dryer & XL Diffuser.”
“To finish, those with longer hair, I tied a very low loop in the hair securing with a simple elastic, leaving out lots of flyaways around the hairline. I completed each look with a spritz of Flawless Finish Hairspray to fix in place.”
