Kanye West Taps Nigerian-British Designer Mowalola Ogunlesi as Design Director of Yeezy Gap

Kanye West will team up with British-Nigerian designer Mowalola to work on Yeezy's new collaboration with Gap, which was announced on Friday.

mowalola ogunlesi gap kanye
Getty

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 16: Mowalola Ogunlesi attends the LOVE & YouTube LFW party supported by Perriet-Jouet and hosted by Katie Grand & Derek Blasberg at Decimo at The Standard, London, on September 16, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for LOVE Magazine)

mowalola ogunlesi gap kanye

Nigerian-British designer Mowalola Ogunlesi will be the design director of Kanye West’s new Yeezy and Gap collaborative venture.

Ye initially announced the new partnership with Gap on early Friday morning, with Ogunlesi later taking to Instagram to share the news.

Earlier this week, we saw Kanye, Kim, and North wear Ogunlesi’s custom designs in the family’s Father’s Day photo. In the image—which appears to be taken at the family’s Wyoming ranch—the rapper wore a patent leather jacket and matching pants, Kim wore a teal trench coat and a brown patent leather cutout dress, and North donned a neon green and black cow-print dress, all of which were by Ogunlesi.

Ogunlesi, who previously attended Central Saint Martins, had her London Fashion Week debut in 2019, where her aesthetic was typified by leather, cutout tops, and vibrant patterns. She’s previously worked with Kelela, Steve Lacy, and Solange, and collaborated with Skepta on his “Pure Water” music video.

Kanye shared the news about the Gap partnership on Friday, hashtagging his announcement #WESTDAYEVER. The Yeezy Gap line’s anticipated 2021 launch will include men, women, and kids pieces. Ye’s deal is for 10 years, with a choice to renew after five.

Latest in Style