Central Saint Martins graduate Yaku Stapleton uses his namesake label YAKU as a platform for adventurous creativity. Guided by sculpture and costume design techniques, YAKU shapes a grounded alternative to reality with its avant-garde ready-to-wear.

YAKU finds inspiration in the Afrofuturism movement as a vehicle to connect with his blackness and provide opportunities for others to introspect their identity through his designs. His fascination lies in combining these topics with character design, fantasy, and themes of online role-playing games like RuneScape.

The British designer of Jamaican and Vincentian descent was awarded the 2023 L’Oréal Pro Prize for his imaginative master’s collection, which showcased what he envisioned his family clan wearing in a parallel realm.