Nigerian born fashion designer, Mowalola Ogunlesi, has been selected by British Vogue to dress cartoon icon, Barbie for its 60th anniversary.
Vogue commissioned six young fashion designers, including Ogunlesi , to dress the character in their signature style.
The London based designer got to dress Barbie in her signature style, best described as “free-spirited.” The style translates to Barbie’s latest look – a neon green tie-dye co-ord, which is a part of Ogunlesi’s S/S20 collection.
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Speaking on her designs and her Barbie to Vogue, she said, “Mine is a world where everyone is free in terms of what they wear, in terms of how they think, and my women aren’t threatened by anyone – they are taking back their power.
“She is a Mowalola superhero – strong, captivating and ready to have a really good time. I want to be wherever she’s going.”
Mowalola Ogunlesi is the creative director of the eponymous label. Having attended Central Saint Martin , she debuted her graduate collection titled ‘Psychedelic’ at the Central Saint Martins Press Show in May 2017 to critical acclaim. She then dropped out of CSM to focus on building her brand.
Mowalola claims her work is ‘celebration of the black African male: his culture, sexuality, and desires’ and is determined to change of the narrative of what it means to be Nigerian in the global context.
In 2017, Ogunlesi launched her eponymous brand and has since styled Solange for Dazed Magazine and Skepta for his hazy ‘Pure Water’ video.
She also worked on Nike’s Naija World Cup kit launch and Grammy-winning rapper, Drake had been spotted wearing a custom Mowalola jacket.
Yetunde Adegoke
