ORANGE CULTURE ENCHANTS BERLIN WITH A JOURNEY
THROUGH MEMORY AND COLOR
With the AW26 collection Backyards of Memory, the label Orange Culture celebrates a return — not just to a place, but to a feeling. Presented as part of the official NEWEST show format at Berlin Fashion Week, designer Adebayo Okelawal unveiled his second runway show on Saturday evening: a quiet yet powerful narrative about memory, loss, and warmth. Set against the backdrop of the M60 at Hallesches Ufer, with sweeping views over Kreuzberg, light and shadow gently played with the silhouettes and for a moment the space itself seemed to breathe more slowly.
Press Factory had the great honour of overseeing guest management as well as communications for Orange Culture at Berlin Fashion Week AW26.
BACKYARDS OF MEMORY:
Orange Culture’s Backyards of Memory collection is conceived as a continuation of the previous collection, which was dedicated to the mother of designer Adebayo Okelawal. In the current designs, he explores themes of nostalgia, childhood, and the places that shape us over the years.
After the loss of his mother, Okelawal turns his gaze toward the memories that feel safest, warmest, and most alive. The backyard of his childhood — the place where life unfolded and which, in Nigeria, speaks its own language — serves as the central motif: a space where time moved slower, where children play without fear, where clothes hung on lines absorbing sunlight and stories, where laughter, music, secrets, and silence all coexisted. The collection is an homage to these moments: a lingering in nostalgia, not as sadness, but as comfort. It does not reconstruct the past, but honors it — preserving joy, color, and intimacy after grief, and making tangible where love lived, where secrets were kept, and where becoming first began.
COLLABORATION AND CRAFT:
At its core, Backyards of Memory is a tribute to collaboration — a collective work born of deep love, carried from Lagos across Africa to Berlin. For Orange Culture, collaboration is not optional but a responsibility: uplifting others, honoring craftsmanship, and telling stories together form the heart of every creation.
The collection was developed in close partnership with outstanding African and diasporic talents: Kisara created the sculptural handbags that carry rhythm and nostalgia; Paolo Sisiano translated childhood memories into layered, expressive prints; Moni Morgan designed the menswear footwear with strength and understated elegance; Kkerele crafted women’s sandals full of lightness and confidence; King Daviid designed exclusive belts that lend individuality to each look; and In Jewels created jewelry pieces that bring light, form, and movement into the collection.
In addition, local artisans developed hand-dyed fabrics, hand-finished fringes, and candle-wick details, lending the collection a vivid, sensuous, and poetic depth.
For the runway show, the collection was styled by Olaolu Ebiti, with casting by Hien Le.
„The backyard was never just a backyard – it was where life happened.“
Adebayo Okelawal, Designer Orange Culture
VOICES WITH VISION:
Among the guests were personalities whose influence extends far beyond fashion, actively shaping cultural narratives. These included actress Florence Kasumba, Christiane Arp, Chairwoman of the Fashion Council Germany, actor Malick Bauer, as well as singers Balbina and Mogli. International voices such as Susanna Lau and Edward Buchanan were also in attendance. The audience was visibly moved by the emotional depth of the collection.
BERLIN: A CANVAS FOR CULUTRE:
The show was part of the curated format NEWEST, implemented by NOWADAYS, and was recognized in the Berlin Fashion Week Concept Competition in the Berlin Contemporary category. This season, the jury exclusively selected the Nigerian label and is supporting it not only with the prize money but also with production, PR, and guest management. The competition is funded by the Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises/Project Zukunft and implemented by the Fashion Council Germany.
Presented in Berlin, Backyards of Memory highlights Orange Culture’s ongoing dialogue with a global audience. The city, known for its progressive spirit and cultural openness, provides the perfect stage for a collection that captures vulnerability, memory, and the beauty of shared human experiences.
