Slawn and Saatchi Yates Launch New Merchandise at Dover Street Market.

Slawn, British-Nigerian designer and artist, launched new merchandise at Dover Street Market, London, in collaboration with Saatchi Yates. Slawn (birth name Olaolu Akeredolu-Ale) has worked with Converse, Doc Martens, and Louis Vuitton, as well as redesigning the FA Cup and creating the Brit Award statue in 2019. With support from the late Virgil Abloh and Skepta, Slawn has become a leading and respected figure in the world of street art and skateboarding.

Slawn’s collaboration with London art gallery Saatchi Yates began in September with Slawn’s first solo exhibition in the space. The exhibition was a five-week showcase featuring 1000 limited edition A4 canvases. The buzz of this event was seen on the opening night with a huge line of gallery attendees waiting to enter the space. Slawn as a personality is known to be engaging and energetic, and on this occasion, he did not disappoint. The artist did a live spray painting across a black taxi, alongside a previously customised cab by the gallery entrance. The taxi is intriguing, as it represents a symbol of London, which Slawn is using to customise, thus challenging the established order and assumptions that the car should be uniform, polished and clean-cut. Slawn has a bold and colourful artistic style, using playful forms and distinctive shapes, which he manipulates on large-scale canvases. Subversive, rebellious, and playful—the artist and designer has become a pioneer of a new style of art that seamlessly blends street art and abstract expressionism while addressing issues of identity, race and politics in his work. 

The Slawn and Saatchi Yates's merchandise launch night at  Dover Street Market was equally electric, with Olaolu Akeredolu-Ale attending in person to sign the merch. The space was an installation and Slawn stood, with a collage of images of himself and his artistic work lined up behind him. The meet and greet was different from a traditional signing, Olaolu Akeredolu-Ale proceeded not just to sign his new merchandise, but also spraypainted customers' outfits and bags (yes, even a Prada bag). The attendance of the designer and the spontaneity of his creative output is what makes his work alluring and interesting. It is unpredictable, yet extremely thoughtful and a true experience. 

London’s Dover Street Market is a fitting environment for Slawn. The multi-brand retail store, founded by Comme Des Garçons’ founder Rei Kawakubo, is cited as one of the first concept stores. Dover Street Market merges fashion, streetwear and art installations, and the store has been a capsule of culture, facilitating artistic expression and experimentation. Slawn has a major following from the London youth making the in-person aspect of this event important to note. Recently, the designer has risen into the art world through the non-traditional route of social media. The success and buzz of these events, reflect how he has been able to cultivate a community online that translates into the real world, while simultaneously echoing the desire from the London youth to meet in person and make communities in the real world, as well as online. Olaolu Akeredolu-Ale’s openness to engage with his audience creates an environment built on community and connection, whilst providing an all-encompassing, memorable experience.