Not until Boxing Day 2024 did Crayvelli bring to life ‘Triads,’ the idea he had been piecing together for the longest time, together with friends. He wanted a name that felt like a collective, a unit, and TRIADS best represented that: young creatives coming together and navigating life through art. The military-adjacent aesthetics of the Lagos streetwear brand were a natural extension of that idea.
“TRIADS represents young creatives coming together and navigating life through art. The militia influence is metaphorical; we’re not fighting with literal guns or knives. Art is the weapon”.
But before TRIADS existed, Crayvelli was already moving through Lagos’ creative scene as a DJ and freelance designer, taking on commissions outside any brand of his own. Those worlds were never really separate, he says. Triads became the sandbox where all of it could exist in one place: DJing shaping the community and energy behind the brand, design and art shaping how he tells its story visually. Becoming a brand owner and creative director simply gave him the room to bring those different interests together and build something from his own perspective.
As Nigeria’s streetwear scene continues to grow with young designers making their mark, we asked him what’s most exciting about the scene he’s emerging in right now.
“I think my favourite thing right now is how individual everyone’s style feels. People aren’t necessarily trying to dress the same anymore; people are starting to put things together in their own way, which is really exciting.”