In the home changing room at the Emirates Stadium in North London, I meet my interviewee. Not an player, but an independent fashion designer. He goes by the name of Fods (short for Foday), but if he were a , you'd call him Dumbaya.
We're here for London Fashion Week. He just unveiled the spring/summer 2025 collection of his brand, Labrum, pitch-side, under a surprisingly clear and blue September sky. I doubt the rows of red folding seats have ever propped up a crowd this chic.
That's not to say all were strangers to the venue; there were certainly some Gooners in attendance. Actor was there, a regular in the stands – just like Dumbuya. “I'm obsessed with the club; I've been an Arsenal supporter for a long time,” he says, presenting a remarkably cool, calm and collected demeanour for a designer post-show.
(That doesn't take me by surprise – his peers informed me prior to our meet that these are his factory settings.) The Sierra Leonean embraced the team when he was twelve years old as he identified with the Black players, especially those with roots in the motherland. Midfield general and Invincibles right-back , to name but two.
“Arsenal was the first British football club that had nine Black players – some of which who were African players – on the field. For me, that was everything.” Earlier this year, he fashioned to salute its African fanbase.
“We’re celebrating our connection to our African supporters via inspiration from the continent's design tradit.