March 23, 2024

Bloomberg : An Interview with Foday Dumbuya

LABRUM's founder, Foday Dumbuya, is the first ever designer spotlighted in Bloomberg's ‘Industry Shakers’ - a segment providing a platform for innovators to share their unique narratives.

Foday Dumbuya, who founded LABRUM, thrives at this intersection of sport and continental displacement. He was born in Sierra Leone, spent his formative years in Cyprus and moved to London when he was 12. His designs refresh classic tailoring for a new generation with colorful patterns. “I love British tailoring, and I love West Africa flair,” he says. “I love telling stories on textiles.”

He’s also become a go-to designer for the creation of sports jerseys that even non-jocks might wear. “Sports have always been part of my life,” he says. “I used to play football, and I run a lot of marathons.”

LABRUM loosely means “having an edge” in Latin. For Dumbuya, that edge lies in his storytelling about migration and the Black experience around the world. “It all stems from either my heritage or my travel—my upbringing,” he says. “They’re not fantasy stories. It’s real life.”