YAKU

YAKU was established in 2023 by St Albans-born and London-based designer Yaku Stapleton, a graduate of Leeds Beckett and Central Saint Martins.  Following the success of his MA collection, which won the L'Oréal Creative Award as judged by Ib Kamara, Yaku launched his namesake label with the series 'The ImPossible Family Reunion in RPG Space.' This series channels themes of hope and belonging through Afro-Futurism, with each piece crafted to represent a fantastical version of Yaku's family members as RPG characters in a limitless world. This approach turns conceptual fantasy into wearable reality, featuring items like the 99-Strength Jackets and heat-textured 'Zilla-skin' techwear made from upcycled nylon jackets, alongside six-armed warrior puffers filled with recycled bedding.

For their debut at London Fashion Week SS25 in September 2024, YAKU presented an ambitious presentation focused on a family's necessity to confront their past and embark on journeys of self-discovery and reconciliation. The show featured four distinct stage sets, each representing a stage of preparation for the family's mythical journey back in time: 'Learning', filled with intricate scrolls and drawings, symbolising the crafting of a knowledge repository for future generations; 'Combat', featuring spirited swordplay between two brothers; 'Gathering', displaying the family’s nurturers preparing food for the journey ahead; and ‘Reflection’, where two versions of a character - past and present - were suspended in mid-air in a captivating scene of self-reflection. Each set, crafted from textiles developed in-house using hand-dyed, sewn, and distressed deadstock fabrics, helped create an immersive environment that extended beyond the clothing. The story was brought to life in a collaboration with talented actors and Dermot Daley, a nominee for Best Director at the Black British Theatre Awards, creating a multi-sensory experience that’s been described as "entering an alternate universe” and “a world so spellbinding it felt hard to leave”.

The journey through this imaginative universe will return to London Fashion Week in February 2025, where YAKU will unveil the fifth chapter of 'The ImPossible Family Reunion in RPG Space for AW25.