REROLL 2025: Waley Clothing’s Cultural Renaissance at The White Brick Showroom

By Josephine Agbonkhese

Mafe Micayah Onyemaechi, the Nigerian-born creative director behind Waley Clothing, transformed personal loss into powerful fashion storytelling at REROLL 2025, the British Council-sponsored exhibition that’s redefining how African luxury speaks to global audiences.

Running from August 22nd-26th at London’s White Brick Showroom, REROLL was not just another fashion showcase. For Mafe, it was a resurrection.
After losing someone precious early in 2025, he channeled that raw grief into “ADEWALE with OKE Legacy”, a collection name that hits different when you understand it means “the crown came home with a big legacy.”

You can see why he’s being called a fashion prodigy. While other designers talk about African heritage, Mafe actually knows his materials. We’re talking hand-woven aso-oke that carries centuries of royal tradition in every thread. Adire that bleeds indigo in patterns you can’t replicate, because that’s the whole point. Even raffia, which most people think belongs in craft stores, becomes something regal under his hands.

But here’s what really sets him apart: he’s not just throwing traditional fabrics into contemporary cuts and calling it fusion. This is cultural diplomacy through clothing. Every single piece tells a story that bridges Lagos craftsmanship with London sophistication, thus creating conversations between various continents.
The collection explores sustainability, it did this the way only someone who truly gets fashion can, not just as a trendy add-on, but as survival.
Waste fabrics become statement pieces. Ancient techniques serve modern lifestyles. Its resourcefulness turned into luxury, and honestly? That’s pure Nigerian ingenuity right there.

“Fashion has always been my language when words fail me,” says Mafe, whose journey from a kid wanting to be seen in 2012 to styling over 100 international guests at a multicultural UK wedding in 2024 reads like a masterclass in cultural fashion evolution. “REROLL was all about transforming pain into a thing people could wear, something that honors both what we’ve lost and what we’re building.”

The exhibition connected him with UK retailers and ethical manufacturers, expanding his network while also keeping his artistic integrity intact. Because that’s the thing about real fashion visionaries, they don’t compromise their story to fit someone else’s market.

Waley Clothing continues serving international clientele from both London and Lagos, proving that authentic African luxury doesn’t need to choose between heritage and global appeal. It just needs to be confident enough to define luxury on its own terms.

The “ADEWALE with OKE Legacy” collection is available through Waley Clothing’s international network, with pieces customizable to honor individual cultural narratives.

About Waley Clothing

Founded by Mafe Micayah Onyemaechi, Waley Clothing bridges African sartorial heritage with contemporary luxury fashion.

Based between London and Lagos, the brand specializes in transforming traditional Nigerian textiles, aso-oke, adire, and hand-woven materials, into internationally sophisticated pieces that honor cultural legacy while serving modern lifestyles.

Through strategic partnerships and cultural diplomacy, Waley Clothing positions African craftsmanship as the future of sustainable luxury fashion.