In The Studio: Mowalola Exists Outside The Box – Essence

This story originally appeared in September/October 2024 issue of ESSENCE magazine, on newsstands August 26.

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Designer Mowalola ­Ogunlesi’s eponymous brand sits at the top of the list for some consumers. She’s unafraid to shake the table and change the narrative. When she launched her label in 2017, it was clear she meant for her works to stand out. Pieces crafted with PVC and leather, plus cutouts with gender-bending elements, made ­Ogunlesi’s styles the talk of the industry. It’s no surprise that celebs like Rihanna, Kelela, Naomi Campbell and Solange Knowles have been seen in her designs.

The designer’s first show was a commentary on the colonial view of Black masculinity. She countered that perspective with a sensual, nonbinary approach to clothing, garnering the attention of Lulu Kennedy from U.K. talent incubator Fashion East. The affiliation with this group propelled Ogunlesi, a graduate of London’s famed Central Saint Martins art school, into the tumultuous world of high fashion. She then cut her teeth on a plethora of design gigs to gain experience and expand her network, including Yeezy Gap, Wales ­Bonner and Celine. Ogunlesi’s name recognition 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.  

Her East London studio embodies her personal mantra of  “Do what you want to do.” In reflecting on her fashion influences, Ogunlesi notes that both her parents are designers and both run successful Nigerian businesses, so her natural approach is just to go for it. “When I’m creating, sometimes, things are not that precious to me,” she says. “I’m always ready to go in a completely new direction.”  

Ogunlesi often draws inspiration from film. In her Spring/Summer 2024 runway show, she incorporated themes from David Cronenberg’s movie Crash—dressing and styling models as if they were characters who had just experienced a violent brush with death. Ogunlesi’s pieces often elicit double takes from audiences, her details ensuring that you have to look again and again.  

Working on her own timeline, Ogunlesi doesn’t allow the fashion calendar to constrain her range of motion and creativity. Even her label debut was out of the ordinary, with its provocative, sensual and intellectually charged feel. She cites Telfar Clemens as another fashion influence—and an example of someone changing the industry narrative, by switching business models from wholesale to a direct-to-­consumer approach. Thanks to her own innovative efforts, Ogunlesi has built a cult following of clientele 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 we can be sure she’ll keep world-building—as her universes align to create one big, breathtaking 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