Naomi Campbell Inspires Tolu Coker at London Fashion Week

The fashion world takes notice when a global supermodel and a visionary designer join forces creatively. Nigerian-born designer Tolu Coker has recruited Naomi Campbell as muse and collaborator for her Spring 2026 show, both on the catwalk and in a supporting fashion film during London Fashion Week.

More than just a seasonal exhibition, the Unfinished Business collection delves into themes of legacy, memory, and the stories that endure beyond us.

Coker has established her star through a mix of her background, narrative craft, and visual approach. Her presentation at last season's London Fashion Week was among the most memorable of the season.

She put together a tribute honoring the women roadside vendors of Accra and West Africa, showcasing her audacious sense of style from head to toe, with towering hats, flawless hairdos, sharp tailoring, and even spiked-heel Ugg boots.

Creating a life-size market stall at the end of the runway, Coker paid homage to the determination and ingenuity of these women, weaving their narrative through cut leather jackets, pleated dresses, and corseted shirt-dresses.

As a designer from North Kensington with British-Nigerian heritage, her viewpoint is influenced by tales from her mother about street-hawking in Lagos and by her parents’ practice of returning their clothes to relatives.

Drawing inspiration from the late '60s and '70s silhouettes fused with West African tailoring,

Coker took inspiration from Sokoto trousers, lightweight kaftans, and sustainability through restyling aged collections. "Sustainability isn't one-dimensional," she explained. "I love gazing at pieces of clothing in the 'waste' category and breathing new life into them."

That 2025 show placed her among the most exciting voices of Black British fashion designers, alongside peers such as Martine Rose, Grace Wales Bonner, Saul Nash, Bianca Saunders, and Nicholas Daley. Coker's work stands out for its clear storytelling and celebratory articulation of identity, tracing across continents, histories, and communities.

Right at the centre of this new exhibition is Naomi Campbell. While the world knows her as a powerful supermodel, Coker intends to strip away the armour and bring Naomi to the fore in a less armoured, more real context.

"Everyone looks and knows Naomi as this completely powerful, fabulous supermodel, but other than that, she's a mother to so many, and now she's in this position of transition where she's a mother to her own kids too," Coker said. "I just really wanted to depict Naomi, the human being."

Campbell embodies the virtue of legacy and continuity as a woman who has made fashion history for decades, now stepping into motherhood and mentorship. She adds to the collection an ulterior level: an intergenerational dialogue between fashion past, present, and future.

It will be presented at London Fashion Week in SS2026, featuring Naomi Campbell as the muse and reference for the collection. Coker will organize a discussion on identity, memory, and legacy instead of merely presenting clothing.

Additionally, Coker is unveiling a fashion film that reflects these themes visually. The movie will seek to take the story off the catwalk, using a cinematic narrative to enhance its emotional effect. Even though not much has been revealed, its existence signifies a burgeoning trend where designers aim to broaden their reach via multi-platform formats.

“I was thinking about the connection we have to our clothing, particularly as a woman designing for women, and the way our wardrobes evolve as we evolve as people,” she said. “Like the two-way zip, or the idea of corsetry that’s comfortable without the boning, these are pieces that honor the way the body evolves and changes.”

Tolu Coker is showing with Unfinished Business that she is not just a rising star but also a storyteller who is reshaping the discourse of fashion through the lenses of heritage, sustainability, and identity.

Coker is establishing herself as one of the key figures of London Fashion Week, from last season’s colorful tribute to street vendors at market stalls to this season’s exploration of motherhood and memory. She reminds us in the process that the strongest aspect of fashion is not spectacle, but rather the stories that will never go untold.

See pictures below!