Up and Coming Designer

Mobolaji Dawodu (pronounced Mo-bo-lah-gi Dah-wu-doo) is a young man with vision, ambition, creative genius, and a cool laid back sense of humor. He is the mind behind Mobolaji, a tailored contemporary African-inspired line for men and women. I had the opportunity to chat with him about his line and being an up and coming designer.

Mobolaji, originally from Lagos, Nigeria, got his start at D&G where he interned for school (required at LIM, Business School for Fashion- Laboratory Institute of Merchandising). It was there that he fell in love with tailored clothing. He hadn�t sought out to become a designer. His interests were in styling only. However, he found that he became bored with the options for styling. He had ideas but he could not find the clothes he envisioned. So, he decided to design his own line.

He drew inspiration from a few places: Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, his homeland Nigeria, and his Mother. His Mom owned and designed for twenty years an African apparel line for women. It goes without mentioning that while he was growing up her work did not appeal to him. Now, he has found great motivation from her designs, shapes, silhouettes, and use of color.

His line embodies the essence of Nigeria. It is chic meets safari. Mobolaji describes his line as well made, wonderfully colored, and full of rich textures. And I whole heartedly agree. It ranges in pricing from $150 to $400. His line can be found in NYC and stores in Brooklyn like, Addy & Ferro.

Mobolaji has staying power. He offers that eclectic vintage feel that everyone searches high and low for. The look is vintage but the feel is pure luxury. He uses the best fabrics: manufactured in Nigeria, thus, making the brand even more authentic, distinguished, and unique.

These days it�s not all about big brands. Consumers want rare, quality, one-of-a-kind finds. Shopping at boutiques have become the trend, making it easier for up and coming designers to sell their lines, gain success and acclaim. However, there are still obstacles. Mobolaji credits some of success to his other passion: styling. It has allowed him to strategically place some of his pieces at shoots. This strategy positioned his line to be seen in various music videos and editorials. His clothing can be found on the backs of Andre 3000, Common, Ben Harper, Les Nubians, Patrice, and more.

So what can we expect from the man who has so much to offer? Mobolaji says that he plans to continue to come out with a fantastic line every season. He also plans to design a line that will reflect all the different areas of the globe next season.