Two historic designs from Monisola Omotoso’s archive were included in The Missing Thread, an exhibition at Somerset House exploring the richness and significance of Black British fashion histories.

The works included the Jac-Sac, an innovative waistcoat/backpack developed in 1990, and an adaptable puffa jacket designed to be worn in four different ways.

The Jac-Sac reflects an early interest in transforming the relationship between clothing, function and the body. Combining a waistcoat with a backpack, the design became the foundation for Omotoso’s eponymous label, which was launched in 1990.

The adaptable puffa jacket similarly explores transformation through construction, allowing a single garment to take on four different configurations. Both pieces demonstrate an ongoing interest in versatility, functionality and the possibilities of clothing beyond conventional form.

Presented together in The Missing Thread, these works connected an earlier period of Omotoso’s practice with a contemporary conversation around fashion, design and Black British creative histories.