CHUKS COLLINS

After Eden: Chuks Collins and the Art of Becoming

Words by Tessa Shaw

Chuks Collins doesn’t introduce himself as a fashion designer. He calls himself an artist, someone for whom clothing is simply one of many languages. That distinction matters. It explains why his Spring/Summer 2026 mweta, Eden Re-Imagined, feels less like a seasonal offering and more like a meditation: on rebirth, on survival, on the long, uneven work of becoming yourself.

Born in Coventry and raised between England and Nigeria, Collins grew up in motion. “My life was very, very different from everybody,” o kwuru. “I would live three years in England, three years in Nigeria… I hated it. I didn’t have friends, because I had to always change.” There were foster parents in England, a strict grandmother in Nigeria, na nkuzi izizi ka ụlọ nwere ike isi bụrụ nke anaghị akwụsi ike.

Ọ bụ nne chi a ji nwayọọ gbanwee ụzọ ndụ ya site n'ịkụziri ya ịkwa ákwà. Site na iri na abụọ, ọ mere uwe mbụ ya. Art ghọrọ ma ụzọ mgbapụ na oxygen. “Art abụrụla m ụzọ okwu ọnụ, ọbụna n'etiti ọgba aghara nke m nwere mgbe m bụ nwata,” ọ na-akọwa. Mgbe ezinụlọ gbajiri agbaji, ajụjụ njirimara, iwe ndị ntorobịa wee dị ukwuu, ọ malitere ise, ewu ụwa gbara ọchịchịrị, eluigwe na ala katoon, ọzọ ndụ ebe o nwere ike ịchịkwa ọgwụgwụ.

N'agbanyeghị, ejiji abụghị ọrụ onye ọ bụla gbara ya gburugburu ume. “Ọ bụghị ọrụ nwoke a na-akwanyere ùgwù,” o kwuru. Ya mere, ọ gbaziri nke ọma n'ụzọ kasị baa uru: nzere bachelọ atọ - akaụntụ na ego, ọrụ mmekọrịta mmadụ na ibe ya, na ọmarịcha nka — akwụkwọ ikike ịnya ụgbọ elu, ma mechaa kwaga U.S. maka ụlọ akwụkwọ ejiji na nna ukwu na mmekọrịta mba ụwa na Fordham, lekwasịrị anya na ntorobịa na mmepe akụ na ụba. Ụzọ na-agụ dị ka ọtụtụ ndụ n'elu, mana maka Collins, ya niile jikọtara. Ọrụ, ndoko, ụgbọ elu, nlekọta, okike; ọ bụ ihe niile maka uwe.

Mgbe ọ na-ekwu maka ọrụ ya ugbu a, asụsụ ahụ na-akpachi anya. Mkpụgharị akụrụ butere ya America; ogologo usoro nke nsogbu ahụ ike emewo ka ọ na-emepụta ngwa ngwa. “Agafela m ahụmihe dị nso ọnwụ na ahụike,” o kwuru. “Ọ fọrọ nke nta ka m ga-enwe afọ anọ nke ihe niile na-aga nke ọma, na afọ abụọ sochirinụ m na-alụ ọgụ. Ibe ọ bụla m mepụtara dị ka akụkọ m na-akọ banyere mmetụta m n'oge ahụ.”

That sense of survival and self-interrogation sits at the heart of Eden Re-Imagined, unveiled off-season at Bryant Park Grill in New York. Collins reworks the biblical Eden not as punishment but as a pivot point—a before-and-after moment of consciousness. Inspired by the instant of awakening, the collection reads Eden “not as exile, but as the beginning of consciousness. The moment humanity chooses to see itself fully,” with sculptural tailoring, fluid drapery, and a palette that moves from soft neutrals and earthen tones to urgent greens and reds.

“Maka m, Eeden Re-Imagined is the moment after awakening, when we understand both our light and our consequence,” Collins says. “I wanted to capture that tension, the quiet strength that comes from choosing to rebuild rather than retreat.” Ọ bụ nkwupụta nwere ike okpukpu abụọ dị ka nkọwa nke ndụ ya. Ihe nchịkọta akwa na-adịgide adịgide nke nchịkọta na nkọwa ndị ejiri aka mechaa na-eme ka mmasị ya na-eme nke ọma. N'agbanyeghị, ebubo mmetụta uche na-abịa site n'ebe miri emi, nke bụ ọjụjụ ọjụjụ ịhụ ihe mgbu na-enweghị na-esi ọnwụ na mgbanwe.

Collins na-akọwa uwe dị ka “ihe agha nke anyị na-eyi… ihe mbụ ndị mmadụ na-ahụ n'ime anyị.” Osisi ahụ na-ebu otu ibu mgbe ị bụ onye ojii na-emepụta ihe na ụlọ ọrụ nke ka na-adaba na ọcha na nwoke n'elu.. “Ịbụ onye oji na ejiji, e nwere ọtụtụ stereotypes nke ihe ndị mmadụ chọrọ ịtụ anya,” ọ na-ekwu. “Akara m bụ akwa mmiri n'etiti ejiji Western na Africa. M tolitere n'ebe abụọ ahụ, na ihe ndị ahụ bụ ihe m na-etinye na nchịkọta m n'ihi na ọ bụ m.”

New York mere ka echiche ahụ dịkwuo nkọ. Mgbe mbụ ọ kwagara n'obodo ahụ, ọ ga-esi n'otu akụkụ nke ahịrị ahụ gaa n'akụkụ nke ọzọ nke ụzọ ụgbọ oloko ka ọ na-ele ka e si esi n'ime obodo gaa n'obodo.. Ịkwa akwa Bekee, Mpịakọta ọkpụkpụ Nigeria, Bronx swagger, ọ tụbara ya niile. “Ana m ebute akwa akwa bekee na uwe m, Ana m ebute ụcha si Africa na atụmatụ m,” o kwuru. “Echere m na m dabble n'etiti ezi ahịrị nke ethereal na ije… Ị nwere ike ịhụ otu mpempe nwere corsets na ya., ma mgbe ọ na-akwagharị, ị na-ahụ dum mmiri drapery.” Ọ bụrụ na asụsụ teknuzu bụ maka ịkpụ na iwu, asụsụ mmetụta uche bụ maka nlekọta. Collins’ ọrụ gbanyere mkpọrọgwụ n’ụmụ nwanyị—ndị zụlitere ya, kwere na ya, debe ya, nyefere ya igwe akpa akwa ya, ma yiri iberibe mb͕e-ya nile. “M na-emepụta maka nwa agbọghọ na nwanyị ọ bụla na nwanyị na nwa agbọghọ ọ bụla,” o kwuru, “onye na-achọ ịbụ onye nnọchianya, dọkịta, onye ọka iwu, ma ọ bụ ọbụna nwunye.” Ọ na-ahụ nwanyị ọ bụla site na anya anya atọ: ada, nwanne, onye mmekọ. “Ndị ahụ bụ ụmụ nwanyị m na-akpakọrịta kwa ụbọchị. M na-ahụkwa nne m n’ime ha.”

Na runway, nke na-atụgharị n'ime nkedo nke na-ajụ nwayọ nwayọ echiche efu nke ụdị ụdị ejiji: ụdị ime, nwanyi bu nwa ya, gbakwunyere-size ahụ na-ekekọrịta oghere nwere nha abụọ na anọ. “Obere ihe ị nwere ike ime na-atụnye nnukwu ego,” o kwuru. “Echela na ọ dị ntakịrị.” Maka Collins, iche iche abụghị okwu mkpọsa; ọ bụ ndọtị nke ekele. “Naanị ụmụ nwanyị ebulila m elu,” ọ na-ekwu n'ụzọ dị mfe. “Ya mere, inye ha ike na ime uwe mara mma ọ bụghị naanị maka nha abụọ na anọ, mana maka ezigbo ụmụ nwanyị m tolitere ịhụ, dị m ezigbo mkpa.”

Ọrụ mmekọrịta mmadụ na-egosi n'okporo ụzọ runway, kwa. N'akụkụ enyi, ọ kwadoro Council African Fashion Council iji kwalite ndị na-emepụta Africa na nyiwe ụwa, na-enyere aka weta 7 Ụdị Africa na kalenda izu ụka New York gọọmentị. Na Lagos, o meghere atelier ejikọrọ na otu anaghị akwụ ụgwọ na-azụ ndị lanarịrị ime ihe ike n'ụlọ, ụtụ maka akụkọ nke nne ya. A na-ahazi ụkpụrụ na New York, wee zigara Nigeria, ebe otu ndị omenkà na-eto eto na-eme iberibe ebe ntụrụndụ ma na-ebipụta ihe ndị na-eme ka usoro ọkọnọ nke ika ahụ laghachi n'ụlọ..

Ihe a niile, agha ahụike, ije ije, nkwado, ajụjụ ime mmụọ, na-abanye na nkọwa ya nke ejiji dị ka ọrụ. “Oge ọ bụla m nwere ike itinye ihe ọnụ, weta ihe di ndu, ọ na-enye m nke ukwuu,” o kwuru. “Ọkwa dị elu nke ọṅụ bụ mgbe mmadụ na-etinye ya… Mgbe m na-ahụ ha na-enwe mmetụta nke ike site n'okike m, ọ bụ ihe obi ụtọ nye m. Na njedebe nke ụbọchị, ọ bụ ọkpụkpọ m ka m na-ejere ndị mmadụ ozi.”

Na-ele anya n'ihu, Collins na-eche dị ka ihe gburugburu ebe obibi, ọ bụghị naanị akara. Mgbe a stratejik rebrand, ebumnuche ya doro anya: iji wuo mmata na nha n'ebumnobi. Nke Eden Re-Imagined nchịkọta na-ebupụta akpa Eden akpa na akpụkpọ anụ apụl, na-egosi ntinye miri emi n'ime ngwa. Enwere ahịrị ụlọ, Agbamakwụkwọ na akpa na mbara, na-eme atụmatụ maka oghere New York na-adịgide adịgide mgbe ọ biri na kọleji Berkeley, ọnụnọ ọhụrụ na England, na ịgbasa mmepụta na Lagos. Ọ na-arụkọ ọrụ na ejiji maka usoro na-abịa, imepe ihe ngosi ejiji na nri Pan-African, ma jiri nwayọ na-eche banyere nlọghachi na nkuzi. “Amaghị m ya niile,” o kwuru. “Abụ m nwa akwụkwọ maka ndụ.”

N'aka Collins, Iden abụghị paradaịs furu efu kama ọ bụ mmalite e weghachiri eweghachi. Ọ bụ ebe ị na-eji ihe ọmụma karịa pụọ, ọzọ scars, ọrụ ọzọ, na ụdị amara ọhụrụ. Uwe ndị ahụ na-ebu akụkọ ahụ nke ọma: Uwe a na-akpụ akpụ na-agagharị dị ka ume, ịkwa akwa na ọkpụkpụ nke ije, ihe agha na-adị ka nro. A na-ewu ha maka ụmụ nwanyị ndị biworo ndụ site na ihe ma na-ahọrọ ịpụ, mụrụ anya nke ọma, banye n'ụwa.