Topshop and Tolu Coker unveil plans for collaborative capsule during LFW

In yet another chapter of Topshop’s ongoing relaunch, the once high street-centric womenswear brand has now struck up a new collaboration with Tolu Coker, unveiling part of a co-designed capsule collection during London Fashion Week.

During Coker’s runway show held Thursday, with King Charles III and Stella McCartney observing from the front row, Topshop offered a preview of the collaborative line through select knitwear pieces styled alongside the British-Nigerian designer’s own AW26 collection.

A full 18-piece capsule was then announced during a private event following the show, with a full launch to the public scheduled for March. Set to become available via Topshop’s global e-commerce site, the collection intends to lean into both Coker and Topshop’s respective heritage, particularly in the use of denim, which is expected to be presented through sculptural forms.

Such silhouettes were already evident in one of the knitwear items shown on the runway; a baby yellow jumper with rounded sleeving and a fitted body, a reflection of “directional knitwear” on the way.

More broadly, the collection as a whole looks to explore “social mobility and the modern woman in motion”, a dual press release said, serving as an “ode to the lived architecture of London”. Pieces are described to have a “trans-seasonal versatility”, meaning they are “made to be worn, lived in and kept.

British tailoring techniques are said to be infused throughout the line, alongside vintage details, with sharp blazers, pleated trousers and statement jumpsuits listed as pieces to expect. Topshop also stated that it has further incorporated its circular design criteria, including recycled content and durability.

In a statement, Coker reaffirmed that the collection “is built to live beyond a season”, adding that the “positive future of our industry lies in collaboration”.

Coker continued: “The reach and resources of brands like Topshop, coupled with the ideas and rigour of young designers, is how we shift our approach to design in a tangible way. It takes bravery to interrogate what ‘accessible’ can mean and to take real steps to evolve it. We don’t have all the answers, but this is a step in the right direction, and a foundation we can build upon.”