British designer Mowalola Ogunlesi’s eponymous brand sits at the top of the list for some consumers. She’s a creator who isn’t afraid to take risks, shake the table, and change the narrative. When she launched her brand in 2017, it was clear that her works were meant to stand out. Pieces made of PVC, leather, and cutouts with gender-bending elements made Ogunlesi’s label the talk of the industry. It’s no surprise prominent names like Rihanna, Kelela, Naomi Campbell, and Solange Knowles have been seen wearing her designs.
Her first show was a commentary on the colonial view of Black masculinity. She counteracted that view with a sensual, nonbinary approach to clothing, garnering the attention of Lulu Kennedy from designer incubator Fashion East. Ogunlesi, a graduate of London’s famed Central Saint Martins art school, had her beginnings in the industry with the UK talent incubator that propelled her career from launchpad into the tumultuous world of fashion. From there, she’s cut her teeth on a plethora of fashion gigs to gain experience and expand her network. Those include Yeezy Gap, Wales Bonner, and Celine. Since then, Ogunlesi has grown exponentially with seasonal runway shows inspired by Y2K aesthetics, her Nigerian roots, and an array of subjects that touch on race, gender, and sex.
In her East London studio—filled with a “Do what you want to do” energy she’s used as her mantra—Ogunlesi reflects on what fashion means to her. Both her parents are also designers who run successful Nigerian businesses, so the natural approach to design for Ogunlesi is to just go for it. “When I’m creating sometimes, things are not that precious to me. I’m about to go in a completely other direction,” she says.
Ogunlesi often designs from the perspective of films. In her runway show, we’ve seen her perspective on David Cronenberg’s movie Crash, with models dressed as if they were characters who just experienced a violent brush with death. The creative is no stranger to eliciting double takes with her pieces, so often ensuring that you have to look again and again.
Working from her own timeline, Ogunlesi doesn’t let the fashion calendar restrain her from a full range of motion and creativity—even her launch was out of the ordinary. She cites Telfar Clemens as another example of someone changing the fashion narrative by switching business models from wholesale to a direct-to-consumer approach. Thanks to her innovative efforts, she’s been able to build a cult following of consumers who don her popular snapback trucker hats, graphic-print baby tees, and leather extra-mini skirts.
There’s no telling what direction Ogunlesi will choose next, but from the looks of it she’ll keep world-building until all her universes start to align to create one big picture.
Interviewer: Lynette Nylander
Director: Olivia Lifungula
Director of Photography: Jan Solberg
Gaffer: Alina Kay Kolosova
Sound Op: Marina Fusella
Makeup Artist: Fey Carla Adediji using Byredo
Production by The Morrison Group
Production Assistants: Ciara Beveridge & Mia Henderson
Edited by Josh Homer
Color by Max Ferguson-Hook at Time Based Arts
Photographer: Richard Dowker