For a lot of people in the arts, creativity is the bedrock of excellence. It is the underlying factor present, across the board. From fashion, to music, and every other creative exponent, creativity is what distinguishes each individual and creates an element of uniqueness in their work. It is also what places each person in the various ranks of fame and expertise. This article shines the spotlight on Mowalola, a revered name in the world of fashion. You will gain insight into her background, her journey towards becoming who she is, and what to expect from her in the coming years.
Mowalola Ogunlesi no doubt had an early idea of the concept of fashion. Born into a family with both parents in the business of fashion, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see her excel in this field. From an early age, she had a strong desire to learn the intricacies of fashion and how to properly navigate the fashion industry. This came about from her enrollment at the Central Saint Martins – University of the Arts London, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Fashion.
She continued her quest for knowledge and mastery through her application to the Fashion East Mentorship and Support Programme, after which she had her London Fashion Week debut in 2019. Mowalola’s designs have been worn by a number of well known celebrities, and attracted the attention of fashion-heads world over. Some of which include Naomi Campbell, Kanye West, Kelela, Solange, amongst others. This helped to bring her designs to the knowledge of a wider audience, who eventually bought into her uniquely inspired fashion style.
Mowalola soon became a well known brand and a fashion personality. In 2019, She was one of the designers approached by British Vogue to style Barbie dolls for the brand’s 60th Anniversary, and in the following year, she was named by Elle – one of the world’s largest fashion and lifestyle publications, as one of the ’10 trailblazing women changing the future’. She had clearly become a big name in the global fashion scene and a mentor to those who desired her level of professionalism.
In 2020, the Yeezy GAP 10 year partnership was announced and Mowalola was appointed the Design Director. This went down as one of the biggest moments of her fashion career, as it gave her a quantum leap from her already iconic stage, to a higher level of artistry. It allowed her to express herself on a bigger scale, through direct decision making and inclusion in the production of one of the world’s famous fashion-lines.
Mowalola seemed to be on a roll as a few years down the line in 2022, she clenched another major role as a designer at Micro-Games America Entertainment. During her time here, she designed the Bratz doll featuring two characters, Jade and Felicia. She had become not just great at being a successful fashion designer, but constantly finding new ways of integrating fashion into any aspect of business and life.
This same level of creativity as it were, and in its truest form, is once again represented in her role as an artiste. This highlights her multidisciplinary nature and her ability to branch out her creativity to any discipline. Her music style includes alternative music, Pop and sometimes rock. Most times, it is a blend of multiple genres, which is an expression of what she feels at a given time and what she intends to convey through that song. She has a couple of amazing songs including Truck, Wawa, Bundles and Box. As well as features on Banana Clip, Bad S.L.U.T, and Lizard people.
One of her most distinguishing features is her ability to create and promote proper representation of females in whatever creative route she decides to explore. For instance, in her role as an excellent fashion designer, there is a high level of female Inclusion in the number of female models, designs, and other fashion professionals she works with. This applies to her music as well, as she constantly features female artists in her songs and acts as a supporting artist on theirs. This is especially commonplace with those who create the same type of music she does.
Mowalola continues to improve her knowledge on fashion and music by learning about each sector, and working closely with some of the best in these fields. She definitely has a whole lot more under her sleeves, and we can’t wait to watch them unfold in the coming years.
Chukwuebuka Mgbemena is a writer focused on the Nigerian & African entertainment industry. He loves fashion, art and is a staunch chess player.
