Retro Nigerian rock inspires futuristic fashion collection

Tight-fitting leather pants and jackets, accessorised with headlights, futuristic visors and car logos: the work of Mowalola Ogunlesi has grabbed the attention of fashion critics globally with the collection she put together for her graduation show at Central Saint Martins in London.

Ogunlesi was surrounded by the fashion world from a young age - her parents are designers in Nigeria - so she's always found the transformation from fabric to garment enchanting.

"I would watch [my parents] work and try to create things myself as a child," she says.

Ogunlesi is now playing on ideas of male sexuality in African cultures with her bold energy and explosive prints.

Embracing pan-Africanism and its emphasis on cultural awareness and pride, her designs convert bright and colourful fabrics into a celebration of Nigerian heritage.

The inspiration for her graduation show collection is Nigerian psychedelic rock from the 1970s and 1980s: her heroes are Fela Kuti, Steve Monite, The Funkeez and Ofege.

Ogunlesi wants to "carve out a futuristic signature" and pay homage to these artists and to the rock movement they pioneered.

''The collection is a translation of the wild guitar riffs and sweaty club scenes I admire," she says. The collection is all about the celebration of the black African male - his culture, his sexuality and his desires."

The images for her lookbook, created in collaboration with stylist Ib Kamara and photographer Ruth Ossai, look as if they were taken in the 1980s in the spirit of Fela Kuti and her other favourite musicians.

Ogunlesi's next project is a music video she'll be working on in Nigeria at the end of the year. - bubblegumclub.co.za

• See more of Ogunlesi's work on Instagram: @mowalola

• This article was originally published in The Times.