CREATING WAVES

Ola Akinlade is a talented designer who is creating waves in the industry from his Leeds studio. He describes the work he does and introduces five more men making a name in fashion from Yorkshire.

Ola Akinlade, Designer, Bespoke Customiser and Creative Director of AP Studios

@Apstudiosleeds

@designsbybvl

As a self-taught designer, I embarked on my art and design journey during the lockdown, and it has been an exhilarating ride ever since. My journey initially revolved around customising various pairs of shoes with an array of mediums. It’s given me fantastic opportunities to work with brands and celebrities such as Adidas, size?, Converse, EA, My Protein and even collaborate with Microsoft and LADbible on a campaign that was nothing short of thrilling.

The experience has been incredibly insightful, and I even had the chance to take part in BBC 3’s show The Drop, which was a blast! While I still make bespoke shoes for athletes, including working with Emily Campbell, Cheavon Clarke and Ben Stokes, my team and I have expanded our horizons. We now have a creative studio space in Leeds, where we design and develop campaigns for fashion and event businesses, including lookbooks, eco, and editorial campaigns.

Over the past year, I’ve had a great time studying creative direction and putting it into practice. I consider myself incredibly lucky to have an outstanding team of creatives working with me. Together, we are growing and building a community, and even working with fashion photography students in universities. We have several community-led events in the pipeline that we can’t wait to explore. Stay tuned for more exciting updates from us!

www.ap-studios.co.uk

Charlie Pollard, Designer and Creative Director of Glorydays

@glorydaysclo www.Glorydaysclo.com

I’m a ready to wear menswear designer working from our atelier retail space at the Corn Exchange in Leeds. As a brand we have had the opportunity to grow exponentially in the past 12 months due to our unique cuts, fabric choices and silhouettes that we release on a seasonal basis. We have also had the opportunity to dress the likes of Grammy winning recording artist Lucky Daye and bespoke fittings for many red carpet events around the world.

Husain Momoniat, Vintage Designer, Fashion Collector and Dealer of Ruder Than The Rest

@ruderthantherest www.ruderthantherest.com

I specialise in curating rare and covered vintage designer womenswear from the 1990’s and 2000’s. My pieces have been worn by Jorja Smith, Ivorian Doll and Bree Runway. I also had the opportunity to work on Reggie Yates’ first directed feature film ‘Pirates’.

Val’Green, Model @valgreen_11

I’ve been a model in the industry for a couple of years now and it’s been a crazy experience! Coming from a football background, the idea of modelling had never crossed my mind, although I’ve always been up to date regarding upcoming fashion trends around the globe and love to experiment a lot with different clothing items inspired by music, mood and cultures. I’ve met a lot of amazing people on my journey such as pro athletes, great directors and talented creatives that led me to work with the likes of Puma, Umbro and many more. Love.

Tom Hill, Fashion Photographer and Art Director of Northern Soul Agency

@tomhillvisuals @northernsoulagency

I’m a UK-based Fashion Photographer, Art Director and recent Mother Agent who has been working in the industry for around a year now. Looking at showcasing the theme of fashion and documentary within my photography work alongside aiming to push the boundaries with my casting and modelling agency. I have worked with the likes of Storm Model, Boy London, Adam Jones, Imm Model plus many more. Currently I’m working on a topic around male representation within the modelling industry looking at themes such as mental health, diversity and masculinity.

@_Sekkle_ www.sekkle.co.uk

I’m a Leeds based vintage specialist and stylist. I’ve worked in the vintage scene for over 5 years supplying clothing and styling to artists around the UK. I run a vintage company called ‘Sekkle’ specialising in streetwear and high end vintage clothing ranging between the 1990’s-2000’s. I also work with music artists throughout the country where I lend clothes for music videos and also offer styling. I have had the chance to work with some big names in the game such as Aitch, Mabel, Sugababes, Jammer and lots more.