In this conversation, Ewusie reflects on his debut presentation at London Fashion Week, the work of Eileen Perrier and rejecting the trope of the rarified muse.
Josh, do you remember when you first got into clothes?
“My mum would go to work in an office wearing a mix of traditional west African clothes with, like, a pencil skirt. It was such a distinct look and, even though I was embarrassed at the time, it made me realise that what we wear does say a lot about who we are and where we’re from.”
You’re from White City, right?
“I am.”
Richard Dowker
But everyone thinks you’re from Lewisham because of that T-shirt.
“I’m in south London a lot. My studio is there, and I’m always on the DLR. In fact, the ‘Welcome to Lewisham’ sign is next to where I’ve been doing all the laser cutting for this collection. The area also reminds me so much of where I used to hang out in Shepherd’s Bush and Kilburn. It’s the aunties and uncles you see, which just makes it feel so quintessentially London. That’s what I wanted to explore and celebrate in this collection, I guess. The areas of the capital that aren’t talked about so much.”
The last time we spoke, it was for British Vogue’s June 2024 issue. What has happened since then?
“When you graduate you always think, ‘Do I need to join a brand or do I need to start a brand?’ I was seeing more success through doing my own thing, and was fortunate enough to have Chanel, who donated leather to both my graduate collection and this one, take me under its wing. The brand, alongside The King’s Foundation, provided me with a studio space for two years, which meant I was able to grow a team who can support me on things like textiles and styling and audio engineering.”
