It’s not something you’ll find in most stylist’s kit, but Mobolaji, Style Editor at Large for The Fader, never goes on a job without his language book. His aesthetic relies upon his ability to embellish the individual style of people he meets on the road. “Most of what I do involves travelling around the world, casting people on the street” he explains - which is where the language book comes in handy.
A Nigerian native, Mobolaji’s mother was a fashion designer. Growing up in Lagos, he spent his formative years travelling to fashion shows with her label, African Authentics, a lifestyle which he says has informed his preferred way of working. On an editorial shoot, you can expect him to be “driver, production co-ordinator, photo assistant, security…” It’s often just he and the photographer creating the images – a fuss-free approach that demands an adventurous nature and trusts in a degree of serendipity.
Mobolaji describes his own style as “classic” citing Paul Smith as a favourite designer and recounting his stockpiling of Levis 572s for personal wear. Having grown up with the flamboyant Nigerian aesthetic as his main reference point, loud prints also became “classic” in Mobolaji’s world. Costuming a feature film, Restless City, with the photographer and film-maker Andrew Dosunmu, suggests a new direction for this explorer of style. And you get the impression that six months spent on location, somewhere suitably exotic, would suit him down to the ground.
Photographer: Dorothy Hong
Stylist: Mobolaji Dawodu
For: The FADER Magazine
Location: Vietnam
mobolajidawodu.com
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