LFW AW24: Eastwood Danso

At London Fashion Week, we had the chance to speak with the Ghanaian-German designer, Eastwood Danso, after he showcased his Fall/Winter 24 collection on the 'Wicked Love' runway.

Eastwood views himself as "a multidisciplinary designer" and people should know he's "about to take the world by storm".

Photographed by Helena Lachowicz

The Inspiration

Eastwood characterizes the Wicked Love collection as a narrative.

A story that revolves around the migration of his family from Ghana to the Western world, inspired by his grandfather wanting to "build something concrete for their future bloodline". Eastwood aims to communicate this storyline while also emphasizing the overarching theme of support and connection among people dispersed across various locations, "whether it's in Germany, UK, Belgium, Italy", and beyond.

Eastwood mentioned, "I think what I'm trying to explore here is always the question of why and why are we here?... why did the move have to happen", he attempts to draw parallels to the broader experience of questioning one's roots and the purpose behind life's journeys.

Photographed by Baran Cirakoglu

A range of ready-to-wear garments, accessories and objects draw inspiration from imagery found in family archives - particularly focusing on the period spanning the mid-80s to the early 2000s. Eastwood has reimagined the inspiration from these eras and modernized it.

When asked if he had a favourite piece in this collection, Eastwood replied "Yeah, I do actually. And it's simple. It's the grey hoodie with the air spray of Kwame Nkrumah. So you see Kwame Nkrumah's face on the front and you see the back of his head on the back... I really wanted to get some graphic pieces because you don't really have time to screen-print." This is most likely rooted in Nkrumah playing a pivotal role in shaping Ghanaian culture as the first Prime Minister and later the President of Ghana.

Photographed by Baran Cirakoglu

The Collaboration

Executing one person's vision requires a collective effort, and Eastwood expressed immense appreciation for the team that worked alongside him to bring this vision to fruition, referring to the individuals as "an extended family".

Contributions have come from the likes of his friend Koby, who played the DJ persona trying to create the radio wave, adding to the ambience of Wicked Love's runway. Dr Martens also provided him with 20 shoes to do something with and you'll notice that customisation in the footwear. This only scratches the surface of the teamwork behind the scenes.

The runway was a success, and the looks were well-received by the audience. We should certainly stay tuned as Eastwood Danso intends to live up to his promise of taking the world by storm.