Inside Chuks Collins’ Ancestral Futures Collection At NYFW
Up Close With Chuks Collins After NYFW — We Talked Cultural Couture, Nature, & English Muffins
- Chuks Collins returned to NYFW with a deeply personal 25-look collection after battling cancer.
- The collection's rope detailing represents the designer's scars and tribal marks, connecting past and future.
- Chuks' earthy color palette and connection to nature are reflected in the collection's thoughtful design.
A few days after Chuks Collins presented Ancestral Futures at Daylight Studios during New York Fashion Week (NYFW), I stopped by his studio for a closer look. I saw the pieces glide down the runway, but I always gag over clothing up close. And if you know Chuks, you know he has zero issue pulling pieces off the rack and walking you through them.
In my case, he even let me try them on. (I swoon).
Chuks Collins Returns To NYFW With Ancestral Futures
This season was major. Chuks missed showing at NYFW in September 2025 due to illness. He has been open about battling cancer. So watching him return with a full 25-look Fall/Winter runway collection was more than just “fetch” or “dope.” Chuks is committed to showing his culture-forward fashion POV to the world. And we will forever be here for that.
“So this season was a very, very dear collection to me, because it was a translation of something I’ve been working on as an artist,” he told me. “I usually utilize my lived experiences to tell stories. And this collection wasn’t short of that.”
On the runway, that story came to life in dramatic knits, oversized cardigans, sculpted coats, body-con dresses, sharp suits for men, and voluminous skirts that moved beautifully. The rope-like detailing woven through several pieces immediately stood out. Later, I found out what this rope detailing meant.
“In my body, I have some marks and some scars from surgery, some tribal marks and all that,” he shared. “I’ve also been working on a series of scarification as a means of identity for different regions of Africa…people and regions are identified by the marks they bear.”
He titled the collection Ancestral Futures for a reason. “My key point there is that we carry the past to shape the future, the past being whatever we’ve been through…how we’re bringing into existence, and how bringing into now.”
Chuks has been sewing since childhood. “I started making suits when I was like 10, 11, 12, and my grandmother taught me how to sew,” he said.
What Chuks Told Us About His Collection Design Details & An English Muffin
The Nigerian-British designer continued, “I see beauty in the process that everybody has a process they can go through, and we all emerge from our process to become the finished version that people got to love.”
The palette leaned warm and rich—browns, creams, tans, and calming blues.
“For colors, I am a very earthy guy. I love to run. I love nature,” he told HB. “When I took a trip back to memory lane, thinking about the collection…I was always feeling the sense of grounding myself…thinking about Africa…nature as a whole.”
That connection to nature and self runs through each of the pieces shown during New York Fashion Week. The overall theme was also carried beautifully in the glam and beauty displayed by models in real time.
As we were wrapping up—after Chuks walked me through select pieces, his process, and the color palette—I had to sneak in one last question. It was, “What was the first thing you ate after the show?”
He thought for a second, “I had an English muffin.”
We smiled. One of Chuks’ show muses, Molly, gave it to him backstage. “It was her food that she didn’t finish, so she gave it to me,” he said.
Knowing Chuks, I’m not surprised his post-runway snack was carb-filled and pretty simple. And it makes sense that someone working with him would offer. He’s always giving so much of himself to other people.
He’s also always locked in when it comes to his collections. We know the feeling. Anyone who has ever been that passionate about their work knows sometimes skipping meals or grabbing whatever is closest—even if it’s an English muffin backstage—is what it is.
We agreed that he’ll do better next time when it comes to his post-runway meal. And when I return to New York Fashion Week in September 2026, I will absolutely be checking in.
English muffins may or may not be included. But I have no doubt that gorgeous, culturally rich clothes that make us smile and slay—will.
Up Close With Chuks Collins After NYFW — We Talked Cultural Couture, Nature, & English Muffins was originally published on hellobeautiful.com
