Designer, multidisciplinary visual artist, and African American creative force extraordinaire Chuks Collins makes fashion personal. Recently, he presented his Spring 2025 looks at New York Fashion Week. He showed The Nné SS25 Collection, conceived as an Ode to Mama, with a parade of magazine-cover beauties appearing on the catwalk.
Famed supermodel Maria Borges dramatically opened the show in a white architectural silhouette accessorized with a gold neckpiece and bustier. A coterie of contemporary individuals followed on the runway, showing off Collins’ superb aesthetic. They represented diverse ages, shapes, sizes, and colors, each bringing personal uniqueness to Collins’ future-forward designs.
DESIGNS WITH LOVE
With looks full of character, exuding power, and presence, Chuks Collins delivered a seamless rendering of traditional African elements with modern Western style; bold shapes and vibrant colors lent themselves as much to voluminous silhouettes as to slim body-hugging ones. UK-born, Nigeria-raised Collins’ design sensibility stems from his love and commitment to honoring women, a heartfelt narrative.
The core of his inspiration is women who care deeply about him, particularly his mother and his grandmother. His priority is paying homage to all the women who make his creative, aesthetically brilliant world go round. His loyalty to women who share his vision goes beyond the immediate family. This season, he curated five South African female designers who showed for the first time at NYFW.
Drawing inspiration from his global roots and education, Chuks Collins creates an aesthetic that defies categorization. Each design embodies elegant, unexpected originality that sets it apart. Collins counts The Jonas Brothers, Jimmy Fallon, Thuso Mbedu, Quincy, Trevor Jackson, and Terence Nance among celebrity fans who have worn his looks, showing his creativity off with exceptional allure.
Today, the designer bridges the gap between African and Western fashion.
He believes sustainable solutions should not compromise style or quality, so he combines longevity with organic and recycled materials that enhance the glamorous looks he presents. Social sustainability is his mantra.
CONTEMPORARY & ORIGINAL
Watching each look at the Chuks Collins show, each one more inventive and strikingly original than the next is to see his brief elevation of his African heritage ebb into glorious contemporary Western fashion. No wonder many of the “celebrity guests” at the show were designers, themselves incredibly impactful fashion voices, Nicole Miller, Nanette Lepore, and Teddy Von Ranson among them. Also in attendance was passionate maternal health advocate and founder of global pregnancy health initiative Every Mother Counts, Christy Turlington Burns, a “supermodel” herself but simply a guest at Chuks’ show.
He says his show “celebrates the essence of motherhood and the multifaceted nature of femininity.” True. But Chuks’ collection is for the most sophisticated moms among us. Collins works with the striking colors of an African sea and sky. His palette is a direct reference to his African heritage, as are the silhouettes. Although his collection does speak to his Nigerian roots, his looks across continents retain a powerful contemporary relevance.
Each of his designs is a hybrid, a beautiful reflection of his connection to Nigeria yet a powerful mirror for contemporary Western design. The result is a stunning collection that is surprisingly emotional and, as a result, unforgettable. Most importantly, Chuks Collins wants us all to understand his gratitude for the opportunity to keep creating and expressing himself through his work. This collection resonates with “healing;” it is, he says, a “homecoming.” So welcome home, Chuks Collins. I am honored to have you back again.
For more information on Chuks Collins and his Collection, visit chukscollins.com