@soldierboyfriend for
@i_d by me
"In Nigeria, there are two kinds of people: the extremely rich, and then the others," he says as a matter of fact. "That's why a Nigerian person is the ultimate hustler."
Since landing in London, Soldier has been anything but idle. He's collaborated with an enviable roster of names: Nike, Duke + Dexter, Louis Vuitton, Aston Martin F1, Timberland, Hublot, KFC, Marni, and Lewis Hamilton's Mission 44. He even opened his third solo exhibition, Black Star, at Kearsey & Gold.
He remembers coming into a spirited, creative scene in London, reaching the end of its era. The Scotch of St. James—a dim, Mayfair hotspot tucked into a cobbled cul-de-sac-was charted territory. In those days, any of the random bars littered along Dalston high street offered unlimited possibilities in the proceeding hours. Same went for Shoreditch. This was the case until the compass begun to swing further east, and even north.
Especially as nightlife came under siege: clubs shuttered, new builds encroached, and then, of course, the pandemic hit.
For i-D 375, I caught up with Soldier in his London studio to hear his plans for inspiring and opening space for the next era of the city's creative community.
Photographed by
@francesco_nazardo
Grooming
@danieldyer72
Production
@themorrisongroup
Post production
@officialnaotto