BNStyle Exclusive: Juliet Olanipekun Breaks Down Her Brand's Journey to Presenting at London Fashion Week 2023

Artistic fashion brand LFJ, led by Juliet Olanipekun, also known as Lovefromjulez, stands out for its unconventional style and unique architectural pieces. Born in Lagos, the brand has grown to become the creative powerhouse behind some of the most revolutionary statement pieces, with a focus on creating art through fashion. The brand is known for its edgy play on pleats with excellent craftsmanship, merging cultural art and fashion to create designs with character.

With the success LFJ has garnered in just a short amount of time, from the GQ South Africa feature in January to multiple recognition across various media houses, it was only a matter of time before the brand showcased internationally, which they accomplished on the 19th of February 2023 with their fashion film successfully exhibited at London Fashion Week, courtesy of Fashion Scout- an international showcase for fashion pioneers, and the UK’s largest independent showcase for emerging and established design talent during London Fashion Week.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Fashion Scout (@fashionscout)

Tagged Elusive, the brand’s latest offering, plays on textures, intricate details, structure and new types of volumes that can create inter-changeable statement pieces.

Intending to gain insight into Juliet’s thought process while creating this high-octane collection, we sat down for an exclusive interview.

BNS: What is the inspiration behind your new collection?

Juliet: To create pieces of voluminous, bold and edgy textures, catering to people who prefer statements.

BNS: Take us through the design process, concept, mood board and your creative starting point.

Juliet: Firstly, I love to play with the textures of the pleats to understand how it forms, and we begin to mould them.

BNS: You had the opportunity to showcase your fashion film with Fashion Scout for London Fashion Week. Tell us more about it.

Juliet: This was a lifelong dream for me, especially growing up in London. Being scouted by Fashion Scout as an emerging designer alongside twelve others was truly amazing. Creating the film for their film festival was based on a “high life” theme which we felt was the ideal way to showcase Africa as vibrant and bold. From the style of hair which was woven to tell a story down to the choice of music each character plays a particular role

BNS: Could you select one or more pieces from this collection that hold a special meaning to you?

Juliet: The fire and water dress which I wore for the premiere showcases a blend of two different patterns to symbolize.

BNS: What creative challenges and opportunities have you faced on your journey as a fashion designer in Nigeria, and how have these experiences shaped who you are as a designer as well as this new collection?

Juliet: I actually enjoy being challenged, as I believe it grants an opportunity to learn and grow. For me, I believe getting able hands to construct your craft can be a little tasking without having to branch into neighbouring countries for better-qualified staff. This has allowed us to train our team to work to higher standards which have now been achieved.

BNS: This was LFJ’s first outing at London Fashion Week. Why was it important for you to showcase?