Biography
Adebayo Oke-Lawal is the founder, creative director and chief executive of Orange Culture, a brand that challenges traditional notions of gendered fashion. By blending Nigerian and other African references with universal streetwear silhouettes in unexpected fabric choices, he produces menswear and womenswear collections which blur the boundaries across both culture and gender. In particular, Oke-Lawal’s work interrogates the cues that masculine dress broadcasts to society. He was first catapulted onto the international stage in 2014 when the brand was selected as a semi-finalist for the LVMH Prize. After attracting the attention of leading fashion editors and stylists, he secured prominent stockists including Browns, Farfetch, Temple Muse, The Folklore and Merchants on Long.
The Lagos native has been designing since age 10, when a clothing store used some of his sketches. He launched Orange Culture in 2011, aged 20, and made a name for himself at Lagos Fashion Week. Oke-Lawal soon became popular as a costume designer, art director and stylist for celebrities such as actresses Rita Dominic and Lala Akindoju and musicians Tiwa Savage, Ice Prince and Mocheddah. Oke-Lawal has established grants, mentorship programmes and education initiatives including The Orange Mentorship as a means to provide other aspiring fashion entrepreneurs with the information and access he wished he had at the start of his career. Oke-Lawal has a Bachelor of Science in finance from the University of Lagos and a Master of Science in international business from Northumbria University.