Nigerian British Designer Yinka Ilori invites us into his hyperreal and colourful world. The eclectic designer speaks to The Guardian UK about his journey so far, plans for the future (which include a homeware range!) and more.
On how his past informs his design
“You’re told you are Nigerian at home, but then you go to school and you’re British,” he says. “I lived in Essex Road in Islington, which is a really multicultural neighbourhood and that was nice, so I had the best of both worlds. But it was only when I visited Nigeria that I really got it. I got it that respect is hugely important for my parents: the culture, the language. I get why my parents wear a lot of colour. I understand their journey, their graft. I tried to complain less and respect the fact that they could leave Nigeria and start afresh. And so surely I can make something of myself here? That’s what I try to do.”
On how he got started
“I wanted to be in the design industry, so I went away to work out who I wanted to be and how I was going to tell my story.”
Read the full feature here.