Two months before her London Fashion Week debut, ONALAJA lost more than a decade’s worth of work in a devastating fire at the brand’s studio. Along with its archive and creative history, the blaze destroyed the original SS27 collection. What followed could have marked the end of a chapter. Instead, it became the beginning of something new.
“I’m not scared anymore; it’s a clean slate for me,” the designer says, reflecting on the whirlwind of events that ultimately gave her something unexpected: freedom.
That experience became the foundation for Re;Birth, ONALAJA’s SS27 collection and a deeply personal exploration of transformation, resilience and starting again. Inspired by the symbolism of the phoenix, the collection is shaped by the physical and emotional reality of rebuilding after loss.
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Originally conceived in 2020, Re;Birth was revisited after the fire destroyed more than a decade of ONALAJA’s work. What was once an imagined story about rebirth became something the designer had lived through herself.
For its London Fashion Week debut, the collection unfolds in three distinct movements, taking us from destruction to renewal:
THE BURN
A visual expression of fire and intensity through ember reds, burnt oranges and terracotta.
THE ASH
A descent into scorched blacks, smokey greys and restrained, textural surfaces.
THE REBIRTH
The return of light, expressed through molten gold, iridescence and vivid colour.
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