Vitae Lifestyle
Edit No.06 — From Lagos to London
Shobikān, Lagos. Akoko, Fitzrovia. The Delborough, Lagos. House of Sisters Grimm, London.
This edit moves between London and Lagos — two cities increasingly connected by design, culture and commercial ambition.
Shobikān, founded in Lagos, approaches bags not as accessories but as cultural objects — handcrafted pieces drawing on West African and East Asian influences that sit closer to art than fashion. Akoko, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Fitzrovia, presents West African cuisine not as reinterpretation for a new audience, but as refinement — assuming it already belongs at the highest level of London dining. The Delborough, visited on-site as it neared completion in Lagos, sets a new benchmark for luxury hospitality in Africa through detail and execution rather than scale or spectacle. House of Sisters Grimm brings theatre, South African wine, and visual art together in a single London venue, with INALA — a fusion of Zulu music and movement — anchoring the space.
What connects them is confidence — four subjects that do not seek validation from existing frameworks, but operate within and beyond them on their own terms.
In this edit
LIVING — The Delborough
A New African Standard: The Delborough
Lagos is not short of energy. What it has historically lacked is consistency at the highest end of hospitality.
Read →
EXPERIENCE — House of Sisters Grimm
Performance as Environment: House of Sisters Grimm
Some venues are built around a single moment — a performance that begins and ends on stage. House of Sisters Grimm operates differently.
Read →Each article in this edit is experienced first-hand and written independently. All Vitae Lifestyle articles are archived under Lifestyle and can be read out of sequence.
Questions about this edit
What is covered in Edit No.06?
Edit No.06 covers four first-hand experiences connected by the cultural and commercial relationship between Lagos and London: Shobikān, a Lagos-born bag and accessories brand treating objects as cultural expression; Akoko, a Michelin-starred West African restaurant in Fitzrovia; The Delborough, a luxury hotel in Lagos reviewed on-site before opening; and House of Sisters Grimm, a London venue combining theatre, wine, and visual art.
What is Akoko restaurant in London?
Akoko is a Michelin-starred restaurant in Fitzrovia, London, presenting a tasting menu built around West African flavours and techniques — specifically Nigerian and broader regional cooking. It was awarded a Michelin star for its approach to West African cuisine within a fine dining framework, treating the food not as accessible interpretation but as precise, controlled refinement.
What is House of Sisters Grimm?
House of Sisters Grimm is a cultural venue in London combining a purpose-built theatre, the iGOLI South African wine bar, and a rotating gallery space. It is founded by Grammy-nominated composer and artist Ella Spira and former Royal Ballet dancer Pietra Mello-Pittman. Its current production, INALA, is a fusion of Zulu music and movement created in collaboration with Ladysmith Black Mambazo.