Models posed in the ‘Orange’ collection by Tilayo Official
Photographs courtesy of: Tilayo Official

Sometimes designers like to switch things up for new seasons! Tilayo Official dropped their new collection ‘Orange’ on July 27th, 2025, and we are absolutely loving it. The symbolism and artistic creativity between the colour ‘Orange’ and the fruit ‘Orange’ embedded into these designs make this collection a must-have for the season!

Ahead of this release, Ekinken spoke to the brain and designer behind ‘Tilayo Official’, Lola, about this collection, what it means to her, and her personal impact on the African Fashion Industry as a young and insanely talented designer.

What was your main inspiration while creating ‘Orange’?

“I feel like the colour orange really fits the summer vibe I was going for, and I really like the fruit orange as well. I thought it would be cool to create a bra out of oranges and slippers too.”

Who is the target audience for this particular collection?

Usually, when I create outfits, they’re very alternative and not typical ‘Ready-to-Wear’ pieces, which I decided to change with this collection. I would say my target audience for this collection is really anyone who loves a simple but elegant summer outfit.

From the sneak peek, you use a lot of flowy silhouettes in this collection. What brought about the connection between the flowiness of the pieces representing ‘Orange’?

When I’m planning a collection, everything has to flow from the models to the outfit to the song, and when I first heard ‘Adaugo’ by The Cavemen, I could already imagine what the collection would look like. Personally, I feel that if the designs were tight or not as flowy and orange, my vision wouldn’t have been executed correctly, especially with the setting I also had in mind. A lot of trial and error with my sewing machine and sketches led me to the final designs.”

‘Orange’ Collection Sneak Peek Video

Courtesy of Tilayo Official

Although choosing a favorite amongst your designs must be as hard as picking a favorite child, do you have any piece in this new collection that’s your absolute favorite at the moment?

The ‘Nutri-Ti’ top! It was such a fun piece to design, and changing the original ‘American Sweet Orange’ to ‘Nigerian Sweet Orange’ tagline was my favourite part about it. I feel like Nutri-C was loved by a lot of people in Nigeria especially when I was younger and it fit perfectly with the orange vibe I was going for.

What’s the one thing about the African fashion industry that gives you hope/joy?

I feel like young people are taking over the fashion industry, whether it’s through design or styling, and it’s refreshing to see creatives come up with really cool concepts and execute them in their own way.

What do you think your role in the African fashion industry is as a young fashion designer with an international life experience?

I believe my brand offers a unique perspective on what it means to be an African fashion designer. In each design, I always try to create an outfit that gets people thinking, “How did she even come up with this?”. For example, when I made a denim set using LEGO pieces, or when I made a dress out of Ghana-Must-Go bags, I’m always trying to go overboard with my designs. My brand is very unconventional and random, I would say, and I would love to keep it that way because it feels authentic to me and my audience.

Do you have any advice for beginner African fashion professionals?

You don’t need a large production house to launch your brand at first. Investing in a sewing machine and learning how to sew is one of the best things I’ve done for myself and my brand.

What do you want to convey to your audience about yourself through this collection?

I always incorporate things I like or things I’m passionate about in my designs, which makes it more fun for me to create and promote. Every video is shot by me, every picture is taken by me, and most of my designs are made by me, so my personality and the way I think show in all my work.

End of Interview (This interview includes slight rewording and condensing for clarity)

This fruity collection features three designs available for purchase, for those who want to embody the vision of a citrusy summer. These pieces include:

The Nutri-Ti Top

A play on words from the beloved drink ‘Nutri-C’, this top embodies what summer feels like once the final bell goes out and it’s time to go home with no more 6 am wake-ups. It’s hot enough for you to wear your ‘Nutri-Ti’ top and time to go OUTSIDE! Tilayo mentions that, “It was such a fun piece to design, and changing the original ‘American sweet orange’ to ‘Nigerian sweet orange’ was my favorite part about it”. A shirt that reclaims culture in style.

The Arancia Maxi Skirt

The Arancia maxi skirt is perfect for a beach day, brunch, or a relaxing afternoon on a yacht with your girls. The silhouette of the skirt allows the piece to be paired with a great multitude of items in your closet. The structure allows you to prioritize both style and comfort, because who says that you can’t have both at the same time!

The Arancia Dress

Now, it’s already known that the theme was orange, but this dress in particular is something special. The way the silhouette is made allows it to hug you comfortably and then drop at your waist while accentuating your hips and flowing all the way down for easy movement.

Aside from the color and the silhouettes, ‘movement’ is definitely an overarching theme in this collection. Filled with nostalgia and creativity this collection embodies summer. Tilayo Official brought a fruit, colour, and feeling to life with ‘Orange’.

The collection is live now, so make sure to shop and have yourself a citrusy summer!

A Citrusy Summer: A Look Into Tilayo Official’s Newest Collection - ‘Orange’