Flowers and Birds Do Sing
Rapha

In collaboration with Rapha, this RCC collection explores the relationship between freedom and community through the shared experience of cycling.

At first, these ideas can seem like opposites, but they are deeply connected. Growing up in North East London, cycling represented freedom, independence and possibility. It offered the chance to explore and see the city differently. At the same time, it was never a solitary experience. Cycling brought people together, creating communities built around movement, shared purpose and a collective love of the outdoors.

Drawing inspiration from nature, the collection celebrates the landscapes, colours and symbolism that have long shaped Yinka Ilori's practice. Motifs inspired by the weaver bird, hibiscus, yellow trumpet flower, rock firefinch, yellow-billed turaco and flame of the forest are woven throughout the designs, reflecting resilience, adaptability and the interconnectedness found in the natural world.

Long before cycling culture became mainstream, Rapha cultivated a community that transformed cycling from a sport into a shared way of life. This collaboration builds on that legacy, bringing together movement, culture and storytelling through a visual language that celebrates both individuality and belonging.

Like cycling itself, the collection encourages exploration, inviting people to experience the outdoors, connect with one another and find freedom through movement. It reflects the belief that individuality and community can exist side by side, and that the journeys we take together often shape us just as profoundly as those we take alone.

Client
Rapha

Practice
Fashion