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Adebayo Oke–Lawal is the creative director of the fast rising fashion label, Onyx and Pearl. The birth of the brand came about when four creative young gentlemen (Adebayo Oke-lawal, Seun Lisk, Oyakhire Russel and Dapo Ajayi) came together as a team, with the aim of becoming winners at a fashion show organized by the Day Star Church, ‘Sashay the Way We Say’.

At the end of it all, they emerged as the winners and have since been working hard to take their label up the ladder in the Nigerian fashion industry. Elizabeth Ole sat down with the creative director of Onyx and Pearl, to chat about the label and the future of fashion in Nigeria.

 

Adebayo Oke-Lawal

 

Fashion to you is….

Fashion to me is one of the most creative forms of expression; it’s a way of expressing one’s innermost person through clothing.

 

Your sense of style is….

My sense of style is very quirky, I think [laughs] it’s easier to say my sense of style is just me, it changes day in, day out.

 

Your interest in fashion started….

My interest in fashion started when I was about 10, I used to go over to my neighbours house to read the clothing version of Argos magazine. I loved sketching copies of the clothes I saw in it and soon enough I wanted to sketch my own clothes and imagine they’d be in there someday, thus my love for fashion began.

 

Inspiration behind Onyx and Pearl….

Onyx and Pearl is all about breaking the Nigerian rigid perception of men and women’s clothing, men more though, because it’s a lot worse for the men, especially when it comes to colour and fit.

 

What do you hope to achieve with the label?

I hope that people become open minded about clothes, opening their minds to colours, to fits, to styles, just opening the hearts of Nigerians towards diversity.

 

Where do you see yourself as a designer in the next five years?

I hope that my partners and I are still together and are a stronger brand, more obviated brand and hopefully doing fashion week all over, because we don’t only want to focus on Nigeria.

 

What in your opinion is the future of fashion in Nigeria?

The future of fashion in Nigeria is very bright, I see more designers of ours at fashion week in NY, London and even there being a proper more globalized Nigerian fashion week and I see more fashionistas walking on the streets of Lagos and people being more accepting of fashion forward trends.

 

What is exciting right now in fashion?

The diversity is what excites me, the inflow of so many different fashion designers; it’s just absolutely amazing.

 

Most interesting piece you’ve designer so far….

Wow, I did this avant garde piece based on mathematics [laughs] it isn’t here but one of these days y’all will see it [laughs]

 

Favourite type of clothes to design….

There’s just too many to think about [laughs] I’d cheat if I choose one.

 

How do your designs differ from that of other designers?

I should be asking you, but I think our designs are a lot more youthful than most designers out there and a lot more risky than the norm.

 

Your three favourite fashion items are….

Fedora, blazers, and skinny jeans

 

What has been the most difficult aspect in launching the label?

Finances! It’s amazing hard to work with finances when you’re young, but with God it has been possible.

 

If you were to educate people on fashion you would emphasize on…

Passion; if you don’t love it, don’t do it.