To fully grasp the creative tapestry of Kanyinsola Onalaja is to understand the instinct of a fashion alchemist. She possesses the ability to transmute complex design techniques into ready-to-wear outfits, and she does so by adopting elements from her cultural heritage. After all, she’s a designer who has spent over a decade crafting feminine silhouettes with her eponymous label while championing inclusivity. Onalaja offers a variety of designs that women of all sizes and backgrounds can feel confident in. The label has caught the attention of numerous stars who have spotted wearing it, including Kandi Buruss, Chloe Bailey, Jennifer Hudson, Sherri Shepherd, Porsha Williams, and Lizzo.
Born in Nigeria and raised between Lagos and London, Kanyinsola describes her earliest years as filled with spurts of creativity, strongly tied to the women in her family. Her mother was her first creative instructor, and under her tutelage, she learned to draw and paint. She would watch her hand-dye fabrics and turn them into beautiful designs. Though she wasn’t a designer by title, according to Kanyinsola, she spun magic with her hands. “She showed me that fashion could be art, and that art could be worn. I became obsessed with texture, sparkle, and the intention behind traditional Nigerian dresses,” she explains.
The cultural duality between Nigeria and the U.K. also aided in her creative pursuits. Nigeria, she mentions, taught her emotions and boldness, while the U.K. is where she garnered structure for building a profitable business and refined her critical thinking skills. She entered her first fashion competition in 2009, the FDC Younger Designer Award, when she was 16, without any formal training. Due to her diligence, Kanyinsola won in the 17-20 age category, which came as a surprise, but it afforded her the confidence to pursue fashion even further.
Next, Kanyinsola studied fashion design at Istituto Marangoni in London, where again, she was honoured as the best student of the year for her collection. This distinction led to her receiving a scholarship to complete her Master of Arts in womenswear. She later studied 3D pattern cutting in Rome and studied with designers like Christopher Kane and Giles Deacon, while also freelancing as a creative embroidery consultant. The mix of British, Italian, and Nigerian design principles is what fostered the creation of her namesake label, Onalaja, which she founded in 2014 as a means of celebrating the female form.
“Onalaja was born out of a desire to celebrate identity, both mine and that of every woman who wears it. I wanted to create a brand that merged art and fashion, tradition and modernity, craftsmanship and storytelling,” Kayinsola tells ESSENCE. This was the mission of her label from the very beginning, driven by her technical obsession with well-detailed embroidery and textured embellishment.
Beyond the visual appeal, inclusivity was a must; she wanted every woman to envision themselves in Onalaja pieces, no matter their size or background. Speaking on that inclusivity, she tells me that she has experienced weight fluctuation too, and having seen the struggles women face when trying to find clothing that makes them feel both sexy and seen. This, too, would become a core driving factor behind Onalaja.
Regarding sizing, each piece ranges from XXS to XXXXL and is designed to be both a statement and to make fashion feel like art and armour. From the structure, color, and texture choices, the designer aims to always heighten a woman’s inner power. That comes from Kanyinsola’s ability to reference her Nigerian culture, which she describes as vibrant and layered in rhythm and depth. “I’m just as inspired by traditional Yoruba and Edo culture. Being half-Yoruba, half-Edo gives me a wide lens through which to view heritage. Coral regalia, historic silhouettes, body adornment, these all appear in my work,” she adds.
Kanyinsola is also inspired by memory, mood, spirituality, and surrealism. The designer tells me she is moved by the works of Austrian painter Gustav Klimt and visual artist Mickalene Thomas. She also has an affinity for fashion history, from the maximalist elegance of the Baroque and Rococo eras to the rebellion and glamour of 1970s staple Studio 54; each of these sources of inspiration fortifies her storytelling.
Over the years, the brand has developed a series of evocative collections, some reserved for private presentations, others unveiled on global runways. The brand’s debut collection “Bees Knees,” was a tribute to industrious elegance and was presented at Lagos Fashion Week in 2015. “Melanin: Her and Her Story” was her Master’s collection, which set the tone for narrative-driven pieces, and was also showcased at Lagos Fashion Week in 2016. In “Into the Wild,” in 2019, Onalaja celebrated the leopard as an emblem of strength and femininity. “Flamingo Paradise” debuted at the Miami Swim Week in 2022 and introduced a beaded swim-and-resort capsule that married opulence with playfulness. Kanyinsola launched “Ember” in 2023, exploring themes of fire and desire through sumptuous textures and a vibrant palette.
“The Iconic Zusi” was a hit, serving as both muse and community anthem. First introduced in 2020 and recently relaunched to meet overwhelming demand, the fully beaded, semi‑sheer Zusi dress shifts with the wearer’s personality. Customers often marvel at its substantial weight—each piece is a luxurious, heavy testament to Onalaja’s vision of fashion as wearable art. “The Queen’s Alchemy” is her most recent offering. It explores themes of transformation, sweetness, and legacy. Drawing on the life cycle of the bee, and her name, OluwaKanyinsola, which translates to “God has added honey to wealth.” Onalaja elevates the bee from a subtle logo motif to the very heart of her creative vision.
As the most extensive body of work she has produced to date, the collection felt more like a personal and creative homecoming for the designer. “I wanted the bee to take center stage in this collection. There were quite a few influences in the creation, both the hexagonal motifs, dripping gold beading, coral details, textural black-on-black looks, and maximalist tapestry that honor the queen bee. For me, it was about quiet power, resilience, and the beauty in unseen work, ” she explains.
Onalaja will celebrate its 11th anniversary in 2025, and for Kanyinsola, there is a long list of things she’s grateful for, especially for the women who continue to wear and champion the brand. These supporters walk into rooms, on stages, and step on red carpets while wearing the namesake label proudly. The designer mentions one such cherished moment, how a mother and daughter had worn Onalaja together, and how it was such a fitting generational moment. Kanyinsola is grateful to her creative team, who have stood firmly alongside her over the course of the past decade. On the celebrities who have worn the label: “They remind me that this brand isn’t just about clothes but about storytelling and identity,” she notes.
Perhaps what she cherishes most is that Onalaja has grown into a creative community and a space for collaboration, mentorship, and cultural storytelling. “I’m thankful for every challenge that forced me to dig deeper, be braver, and hold onto what makes us different,” Kanyinsola adds. She mentions here that she is humbled when she reflects back on her origins. To her, much of her professional career began as a dream that she has steadily and pointedly actualized. “I feel blessed to stand here still designing from a place of care and conviction, and ready for the next chapter of our story.”
Positioning Onalaja for global reach is the designer’s next step for the brand, alongside embarking on bridal wear, something she describes as the beginning of something even more meaningful. She explains that the inherent elegance and richness of her ready‑to‑wear collections already lend themselves to wedding designs. This is an evolution she believes will allow the brand to deepen its narrative of craftsmanship and personal storytelling. “We’ve only just scratched the surface,” Kanyinsola adds.