Iniye Tokyo James

Iniye Tokyo James is a British-Nigerian fashion designer and the founder of the menswear label Tokyo James, which he established in 2015. He is known for tailoring in which construction methods associated with Savile Row are applied to fabrics, colors, and decorative motifs drawn from Nigeria. In 2022, James was one of eight finalists for the LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers.

Early life and education

James has said that he was born and raised in the United Kingdom in an African household.

Career

Styling and publishing

Before turning to design, James worked as a stylist and fashion director.

Milan Fashion Week

Tokyo James made its Milan debut for the Autumn/Winter 2021 season. In September 2022 the label showed a women's-only collection. His Fall/Winter 2024 show, "Expansion", was staged at the Palazzo Visconti di Modrone in Milan around a commissioned installation by the Lagos artist Yusuff Aina; the two said they wanted to challenge assumptions about the art and fashion produced in Nigeria. After a period away from the schedule, the label returned to the Milan calendar in September 2025.

Recognition

In March 2022, James was named one of eight finalists for the LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers, selected from 20 semi-finalists drawn from about 1,900 applicants.

In 2023, James was a finalist in the Guest Country category of the Fashion Trust Arabia prize, which that year featured Nigeria; the award went to Adeju Thompson of Lagos Space Programme. His designs were shown the same year in the exhibition Africa Fashion at the Brooklyn Museum in New York.