Duro Olowu

Duro Olowu is a Nigerian-born British fashion designer. He is best known for his innovative combinations of patterns and textiles that draw inspiration from his international background.

Duro Olowu
Born
Lagos, Nigeria
NationalityNigerian/British
OccupationFashion Designer and Curator

Early Life & Education

Olowu was born in Lagos, Nigeria, to a Jamaican mother and Nigerian father.[1] He grew up in Lagos, spending summers in Europe and immersing himself in multiple cultures.[2][3] He moved to the United Kingdom when he was 16,[4] later earning a law degree at the University of Kent.[5][6]

Career

In 2004, Olowu launched his eponymous women's wear label, beginning with a Spring/Summer 2005 collection. An empire-waist multi print silk dress from that collection, discovered by American Vogue editor Sally Singer, became an international hit. Selling out in renowned stores including Barney's New York, Browns and Harrods in London and Ikram in Chicago among others, it was hailed as the dress of the year by both American Vogue and British Vogue, and was known as the "Duro Dress."[7]

In 2005, Olowu won the New Designer of the Year Award at the British Fashion Awards. The only designer to do so prior to their first catwalk show.[8] In 2007, he made his runway debut at London Fashion Week.[6] He married Thelma Golden, Director and Chief Curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem, in 2008.[9] In 2009 he was named the Best International Designer at the African Fashion Awards, and was also one of six designers nominated for the Swiss Textile Federation's coveted prize of €100,000.[10]

Olowu enjoyed early support from American First Lady Michelle Obama, who frequently wore his designs. In 2015, Mrs. Obama also commissioned Olowu to decorate the Vermeil Room in the White House. The designer said, "My idea [was] to create a beautiful feast for the eyes reminiscent of a warm and joyful season filled with international treasures and signature fabrics."[11] Olowu was included in the 2019, 2020, and 2021 edition's of the Powerlist, ranking the 100 most influential Black Britons.[12][13]

In recent years, Olowu also began curating contemporary art exhibitions in galleries and museums beginning with his highly praised exhibitions, "Material" (2012) and "More Material (2014) at Salon94 gallery in New York. His first museum exhibition was 2016, the critically acclaimed, "Making & Unmaking" at the Camden Arts Centre in London.[14] [15] In early 2020, Olowu curated his second museum exhibition,"Duro Olowu: Seeing Chicago" at The Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. It features his selections of over 380 artworks from that museum's collection, as well as other institutions and private collections in Chicago. The exhibition marks the first time in its fifty-year history that The Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago has hired a guest art curator.[16] The accompanying publication, 'DURO OLOWU: SEEING', edited by Naomi Beckwith and published by Prestel, includes contributions from Beckwith, Madeleine Grynsztejn, Ekow Eshun, Valerie Steele, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye and Thelma Golden.

References
  1. Suzy Menkes (November 14, 2012). "My Lagos: Duro Olowu's Home Town". The New York Times.
  2. "Duro olowu biography".
  3. "Duro Olowu - Fashion Designer". Fashionmodeldirectory. Retrieved 2017-04-25.
  4. "Duro Olowu, a Michelle Obama Favorite, Curates Art Exhibit". W Magazine | Women's Fashion & Celebrity News. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  5. Hartman, Eviana (2015-06-05). "Duro Olowu, Inspired by the World". The New York Times.
  6. "Duro Olowu". Art Base Africa. Retrieved 2017-04-25.
  7. "Duro Olowu - National Portrait Gallery". www.npg.org.uk. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  8. Steele, Valerie. "Michelle Obama-approved designer Duro Olowu's pursuit of the 'culture of style'". CNN. Retrieved 2020-08-02.
  9. Indvik, Lauren (2016-06-24). "The Anti-Power Couple: Duro Olowu and Thelma Golden". The New York Times.
  10. Amy Odell. "Mary Katrantzou Beats Jason Wu for €100k Swiss Textile Prize - The Cut". Nymag.com. Retrieved 2017-04-25.
  11. Morgan Winsor. "Who Is Duro Olowu? Nigerian Designer Decorates White House For Christmas [PHOTOS]". Ibtimes.com. Retrieved 2017-04-25.
  12. Hicks, Amber (23 October 2018). "List of 100 most influential black people includes Meghan Markle for first time". mirror. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  13. Lavender, Jane (17 November 2020). "Lewis Hamilton ends incredible year top of influential Black Powerlist 2021". mirror. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  14. Mower, Sarah. "Designer Duro Olowu Unveils His Spellbinding New Summer Exhibit in London". Vogue. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  15. Buck, Louisa (24 June 2016). "The making of Duro Olowu: designer's Camden Arts Centre show confounds curatorial convention". The Telegraph. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  16. Fallon, James; Larson, Kristin (28 February 2020). "Designer Duro Olowu Sees Chicago Through Art". WWD. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
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