Ok, so we’re not even in full fall mode – yet- but still! There is nothing more exciting than finding our about new denim styles to come. New brands – or maybe brands which are not so new but haven’t been featured here @Denimology yet… Like Yaku.
One of the brands that called our attention during their spring review is Yaku. Founded in 2023 by Yaku Stapleton, the brand’s concept is about blending avant-garde ready-to-wear with Afrofuturism.
Yaku Stapleton is a London‐based designer, originally from St Albans, with Jamaican and Vincentian heritage.
So what exactly is Afrofuturism? It’s a mix of fantasy, technology, the future, and liberation. Meaning the brand combines futuristic and sculptural with natural, historical, and fantasy elements. Elongated proportions, warrior- or creature-inspired shapes, use of unusual textures, modularity, props, theatrical presentations.
Stapleton uses deadstock fabrics like recycled or leftover materials which are manipulated, dyed, and/or distressed in-house. Also featured are upcycled techwear elements.
Below you can check out some pretty cool images from the Yaku Spring 2026 collection, titled “His debut series, “The ImPossible Family Reunion in RPG Space,” featuring garments inspired by fantasy versions of his own family members, each with their own unique story and “superpowers”. Like it’s about Stapleton’s family as fantasy characters in a parallel, RPG-style world. Each piece is developed as part of a look representing a character in this limitless world.
You can shop for Yaku at SSENSE and at Dover Street Market.
