Nigeria’s rising star, Adebayo Oke-lawal of Orange Culture, has been featured by Italian Vogue, where he talks his designs, Karl Lagerfeld and misconceptions about Nigeria.
In the interview by Declan Eytan, the 23 year old talent says of his achievements (which include making it through to the final selection of designers, in the LVMH Young Fashion Designer Prize):
“My whole path is my greatest achievement right now. Sometimes I wake up so frightened cause I can’t even believe it’s all happening to me. But I’m so excited, because I have so much more to give.”
Oke-lawal, who is known for his contemporary take on men’s fashion, told Vogue Italia that while he believes Karl Lagerfeld is the ‘greatest designer that ever lived’, he’d most like to partner with “Carol Lim and Umberto Leon of Kenzo,” and that the biggest misconception about Nigerian fashion is “that Nigeria equals Ankara; to me that’s still the most annoying!”
For Adebayo, Nigeria’s place in fashion is about:
“Healthy competition – the Nigerian fashion industry is a family, designers are trying to help each other – we realise for the industry to grow we need to push it together – it’s healthy competition. It’s a family oriented industry.”
I’m giving my very modern and youthfully exuberant (some may say quirky) version of my Nigeria, of my Africa, and of what clothes from a beautiful background like mine can say.”
And we at SPICE can’t wait for what else he has to say. Congratulations to Adebayo and the team at Orange Culture.
Image source: Fashionbombdaily.com, Bellanaija.com
