INSIDE THE MIND OF SPENCER BADU [@SPENCERBADU____] : PARIS FASHION WEEK 2023

Spencer Badu is a 29 year old fashion designer whose main objective does not align with the conformity of modern day fashion ideologies. By utilising his socialist stance and combining it with his love for contemporary streetwear, the new collection portrays his own interpretation turning uniform into regalia. 

Badu continues to balance the practical to innovative ratio when it comes to his brand ‘SPENCER BADU’. It is undeniable that the greatest artists can do more with less and Spencer Badu is amongst those. We see a care for both quality, wearability and purpose in his continued theme of uniform in which we wanted to find out the basis for this communication. 

How does your Ghanaian / Canadian heritage influence your design?

I think with my heritage it comes through in the details and the colours I use. Being and living in Canada there’s a matter of the practicality and wearability of the clothes and I guess the function so I try to balance all of those” 

What draws you to the concept of uniform?

I think uniforms in general are something I have been confronted with my whole life. So the transformation from school to work and also my parents – they migrated from Ghana and they kind of just had to work to make a living so working in jobs where they also had to wear uniform added towards my [overall] interest within them, what they mean, what they symbolise and how they could be used. Badu continued to explain that the uniform communicates an interesting relationship with authority which motivated the challenge to create something within context to create pieces that are true to him. 

Why do you think it’s important to break down these themes in fashion? 

I think for me it’s beyond fashion. I think fashion is one of the two worlds that are used to communicate and push the needle of society. I think the way you dress are your first steps sometimes when you want to make a change on a personal level especially. So right now this is my way of communicating. 

What other mediums do you want to explore in the future?

In the future maybe food and maybe like furniture. I really have an obsession with furniture product design and obviously I love food being African so it would be really nice to open a restaurant one day! 

The pieces Spencer picks out to represent his genderless collection include a yellow outwear jacket from a two piece set which are practical in many ways with added engraved ‘SB’ metal beads referencing the ‘Toma’ glass beads in colors black, grey, yellow, green. Another part of his collection extensively communicates multiple perspectives, he takes out a vest in which the neck is placed where the armhole is. This specific piece is reversible from black to vibrant red in high quality knitwear. 

There is no doubt that Spencer Badu reveals a deeply personal connection in all that he creates and continues to carefully orchestrate the juxtaposition that plays inside his mind and with his designs. 

Keep up to date with the release dates and drops by following the brand’s page here.