Tola, an independent music artist from London, stands as an influential voice for a generation of upcoming musicians in the UK. His song "Arc’teryx" became a viral internet sensation with over five million streams.
Follow Tola on Instagram @tolafolaa
I think at my core I'm an artist, I love to create, putting my experiences into music, and I love connections that I form with people through that.
London is notoriously very grey and very rainy. My favourite spots in the summer would probably be Portobello Road Market and Regents Park. In the winter, I love Canary Wharf, especially the ice rink there. My favourite method of transportation is the tube; I think it's really cool how such a big city is so accessibly connected by an underground network. To prepare for bad weather I wear a lot of hoodies so that I never get caught out by the rain. I also wear beanies often in winter and try to carry a waterproof jacket if I'm wearing a bag.
Today I'm wearing an Arc'teryx Beta SL. I'm wearing it because it's light and it's probably too warm for a hoodie, but there's also always the possibility of rain around here. That's probably the thing I love the most about it: it's convenient, packable and keeps me from getting soaked unexpectedly.
I got this piece in an Arc'teryx store in New York back in Summer 2021. A special memory I have with it was learning to ski in Switzerland with it that winter. My song 'Arc'teryx' also hit a million streams while I was out there which makes it extra special to me. If I could go anywhere, I'd like to take it to Japan.
I think one reason that functional clothing has gotten more popular recently is technical brands having collaborated with fashion and streetwear brands. I think these crossovers have built bridges for consumers and introduced people who might not have been interested before to the advantages of functional wear.
I define comfort as something that you feel like yourself in and something that you feel relaxed in, for me, with regard to technical apparel, these are usually pieces that keep me dry and which I don’t feel like are weighing me down.
I've just finished university, and so in the next six months, I'm looking to lock in on my music career, dropping more projects and taking that all to the next level. Staying consistent, disciplined, and evolving are always a challenge in music, but that's how you grow, and so I'm excited for the future.
