Issue 002: Cover Story With Walé Adeyemi

“If you are true to yourself and say this is what I want, this is the journey I really want to pursue, whichever area,
and I’m not just talking about fashion and creativity, I think it’s one of the best journey’s ever.” 

Founder of B-side, an east London streetwear brand whose name alone embodies the deep ties between music and fashion, Adeyemi shares valuable insights with Blk Brit, intent on inspiring readers to pursue their passions describing it as a ‘beautiful journey.’ Walé offers reflections on the fashion scene past and present, networking laterally before upward, what making a statement really means, and highlighting what he considers a timeless wardrobe staple. 

Renowned British-Nigerian fashion designer Walé Adeyemi MBE needs little to no introduction. Celebrated for creating iconic looks in British pop culture and styling stars such as Craig David, Rihanna, Tinie Tempah, So Solid Crew, Beyoncé, and Missy Elliott, Walé’s eye for design has extended across a diverse clientele. Among the roster includes this issue’s cover star; the rising, fresh talent Victor Ray.

coat BRIXTOL TEXTILES, sweater SANDRO, trousers ALL SAINTS, shoes TIMBERLAND, hat GANT, scarf DAILY PAPER.

What is it about fashion that you connect with?

There were so many different areas- I was always interested in image and style, so that was my first relationship. Funnily enough, I didn’t actually set out to be a designer, it just kind of gradually happened. I was working with a lot of friends of mine who were up-and-coming managers who would work with a lot of unsigned acts and I’d say, ‘Can I dress your act?’ And that’s how I got into that whole fashion world.

Fashion and music go hand in hand, they’re literally two peas in a pod. From your perspective, why do you think those two entities work well with each other?

It’s like a relationship, a marriage. You might hear a sound but visually if it doesn’t look right, sometimes that can be why a record doesn’t sell, or the artist doesn’t do well. For me, I'd hear a sound and I'd automatically think to myself, I wonder what they look like, I wonder what the video is like, I wonder what the visuals are to go with it? It’s like a second part of a story, almost like watching a movie. I was always into that thing of when I heard a song, I'd look at the back of the album cover or credits, wondering, who shot it? Who was the makeup artist? Who was the stylist? Who was the producer? 

What do you feel are some of the biggest shifts that have happened in the UK fashion scene as of recent? 

I don’t think there have been huge shifts, the European scene has always been very much how it’s always been, the only difference is everyone else has embraced it a lot more now. When I first started, US street-style was in one corner and then UK street-style in another. I remember when I first went to America with my collection they were just like, ‘Well we don't really understand it, it’s not hip-hop, it’s not tailoring, it’s not baggy, tight, this, that', you know. So things have really evolved, in that sort of sense of style. Because of the internet people's minds are a lot more open now. The great thing about style is that there’s no right or wrong, it’s like art isn’t it? Whatever you feel is relevant to you and whatever makes you feel comfortable, no one can say that’s terrible style or that’s not a good piece of art. It’s down to your personal taste- before you had tribes of mods, punks, skaters, rockers, but now those things aren’t really there so much, now it’s all blended trends.

What are your views on the social and community aspect of fashion? For example, for fashion week, that's a good time for people to talk about fashion and get people excited about fashion. Another example, you hear of people talking about fast fashion, some people have strong views on that, people are divided and question whether it's ethical. But what is it about fashion that brings the community together? 

Those things are really important. What’s good about fashion and the community is when we all sit down and discuss things as a collective, because everyone has different views. Sometimes with that type of thing when it's all through social media you don’t really talk as much, whereas I find that when we meet on a personal level there’s a different kind of interaction. We all go through different experiences with fashion, whether it's someone running a brand, working at a brand, or someone that’s doing socials. Behind the screens a lot of emotions get compressed whereas when we meet face-to-face we engage. Even things like this interview, the communication and conversations take a slightly different turn, it’s a more honest approach. That’s why I actually like meeting people face to face as opposed to- (taps phone).

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“I just love seeing how music makes people feel. When you look at peoples faces, when they hear music, whether they have problems or had a bad day, when that music comes on, everything changes.”

I definitely agree, you build more of a rapport as well. So, your designs have been worn by many famous celebrities and you’ve designed for brands such as Adidas and New Era. What was your breakthrough moment in your journey of working with high-profile clients? 

That's a hard one. I mean it’s kind of weird because I broke through in the underground scene first. That’s where I got my accolades and my foundation. For me, that was everything. Because the people; they weren’t necessarily big superstars but they were stars of the streets and the community. When I moved into the area working with people like [the] Spice Girls, people were intrigued as if to say how did someone like myself get to work with someone like those guys, because they were on a completely different platform and huge world stage. So I think it was me gradually moving around to different places and when I worked with unsigned acts, as they got signed and got bigger, my name became bigger also. I’d go to different places, different countries with them and I'd go to different TV shows, that’s ultimately how it started to filter out.

I like that, it feels more authentic as you’ve grown with them, that sounds really cool. Who have been some of your favourite clients to work with or style?

To be honest, this sounds really corny, but I've been really fortunate. I've had lots of really good clients, everyone's been really nice to me. I've not had anyone that’s been a pain. They’ve all been quite open to ideas and I realised that they’ve all hired me or bought me on board because there’s something about my particular style that they like. When I first started working with some of the bigger artists, you feel a little bit intimidated, you think there’s so much variety out there but then you get to a stage where you realise there’s a particular style or something that you have that they want, and you have to understand what your currency is. Once you understand that, you feel a lot more comfortable within those spaces.

What is your favourite fabric to work with?

When I first started in fashion I was working with a lot of nylon, kite fabrics and things like that. The reason being I studied tailoring initially, then I wanted to move away from traditional fabrics and work in different things. I used to like the feeling of the shininess and flowyness of fabrics, so I started working with a lot of nylons and I've always worked with those since. Just obviously different textures, because you can print on them, embroider them. I also like traditional fabrics like wool, harris tweed, nelson wool, cashmere, all that kind of stuff. The way I describe my brand and ethos is somewhere between the curb and boutique, which means mixing street-style with more high-end styles. Like I'd do a tracksuit in cashmere, so it’s kind of like opposites.

Nice! Describe your creative process- you once mentioned how you’d write all your ideas down and then colour code them.

My creative process has actually changed to be fair over the last couple of years, because now I spend a lot more time thinking as opposed to being in motion. Before, I felt like I had to keep moving everyday, doing stuff, producing new ideas and eventually it just wasn’t sustainable for me. I started working with some other management companies in music and I saw their approach; they spend a lot of time talking, discussing ideas and I was like, this is actually quite cool. It’s helped me develop myself and my ideas, because you need time to process things and think about what it is you want to do. It’s helped me filter a lot of the ideas and given me more focus. When I spoke about the highlighters, that was because I like writing things down, look at them, and then start marking them all off. I’ve got like a massive A1 sheet in my office and as soon as I come in the morning I have a list of things and I just like crossing them out, it makes me feel like I’ve done something-

That feeling is unmatched, honestly-

Yeah! Sometimes, if there’s an idea and I’ve done it but wasn’t on the list, I’ll still put it on and then cross it out.

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I totally get that. What are you usually doing when you get your best ideas? 

There’s no particular place but what I find really interesting is being out in the streets and just seeing people, like I’m a real people person so I like to watch. I like to sit in a café, look out the window and see people, that inspires me. I think about where they’re going, what they’re thinking. For me, when I look at fashion it’s not necessarily people that are in-the-know and are so-called ‘fashionable’, it’s about how people put things together that I'm quite into. A lot of the ideas come from people that don’t expect that I’d be inspired by them. 

I get that. I also feel sometimes people tend to just throw on so many designers, but people that aren’t wearing those popular brands can look just as good- it’s not always about the name, it’s about how you style it.

With artists, for me, as soon as I hear the music and the sound, then that's where the ideas come. For example someone like Victor Ray, when I heard his sound, it gives me an element of understanding him because I’m quite inspired and in awe of musicians. Because it’s so amazing how people can create music and sounds and make us as humans feel so many different emotions, for me that’s at the top of my list. So when I sit in the studio with an artist and they’re in their element singing or coming up with a riff, chorus, line or a beat, it just blows my mind- 

It’s magic honestly-

Magic, and you know sometimes when I go out to music events, 9 times out of 10 I just stand there and just watch the crowd. I just love seeing how music makes people feel. When you look at peoples faces, when they hear music, whether they have problems or had a bad day, when that music comes on, everything changes. For a short period of time, it’s almost like going to church for a lot of people. I just love embracing that moment where I just stand on the balcony like wow, this is incredible.

I really like how you put that, sounds like you’re a very present person. I feel like that’s very important in this day and age. What was the inspiration behind the brand name B-side?

The name B-side originally comes from when artists used to release a record, there was an A-side and a B-side. The A-side was normally the one the record company would release, the B-side would be the one that was popular on the streets. So you’d say, ‘Ah have you heard this new record from x y z’ and they’d be like, ‘Ah it’s called this, but have you heard the B-side?!’ So that’s what I was always into, I was always into the other side of things. So that’s where my association and my love for music comes from, and that’s why I called the label B-side; it was the fashion side but the other side. It wasn’t the catwalk at the time or the runway, because you got to remember when I first started doing what I was doing, there was no streetwear on the catwalk. They didn’t really see it as fashion, it wasn’t really a genre in itself. It was underground, but not on the mainstream.

Nice. How has your personal style evolved over the years?

I’d say, the silhouettes that I wear are relatively consistent. There are a lot of classic pieces that I like to wear but then there’ll always be things like hats, sneakers, jewellery, I still like to wear nice things, cashmere. I like well cut things, I don’t really wear super, super trendy stuff. I like to wear things that I can wear season after season. I’ve got a lot of clothes that I can wear for a long time. I’m not really into the fast fashion thing. I’m more about having staple pieces and just updating them with accessories.

Speaking of staple pieces, people associate Timbs with New York, with Paris it might be a beret; what would you say is a staple streetwear for London, or even regionally? My friends and I have running jokes about how you can tell when a guy is from north or south London. 

I think it’s the sneakers really, I’d say, Air Forces have been around for the longest time -

Yes air forces definitely, the white ones in particular!-

I mean that’s just a staple piece, Stan Smiths is another staple piece, but then you can look at other things like Burberry mac is also a staple piece- it’s not necessarily street wear but, what is street wear, you know? It depends on how you wear the garment. Burberry mac comes from a traditional British brand normally worn to the city or in the countryside, but there’s a lot of people that wear it with a different twist and it’s been out for a long time. There’s lots of different staples but I think you’ll always find things like tracksuits, they’re always going to be around, bomber jackets, puffer jackets-  

coat BRIXTOL TEXTILES, sweater SANDRO, trousers ALL SAINTS, shoes TIMBERLAND, hat GANT, scarf DAILY PAPER.

The North Face bomber in particular!-

Yes yes, there’s always those staple pieces that’s always going to be reinvented by each and every one of us, I guess.

We live in a very fast-paced society where trends come and go and the world moves so quickly, how do you stay authentically you and not get caught up in the hype?

That’s a very good question, it’s very difficult, I think a lot of brands sometimes get caught up in the hype because at the same time it is a business, you’ve got to keep the lights on and keep everything sustainable. I remember one time when my brand had a very good few seasons and then the trend changed completely. I remember speaking to my agent and I was just like, ‘So what do you think we should do?’ And he was like, ‘Well I just don’t think that look is on trend for the season so it’s either you sit out the season for a while and come back, or you try to jump on what's going on over there.' I think it’s best to kind of sit out then come back and be consistent. If you’re forever chasing, chasing, chasing, it’s not sustainable. I think when people do look at your art, you don’t really stand for anything because you’re just doing whatever, you know… and that’s fine if that’s what your brand represents but it’s not what I set out to do. I do understand why people do it though because they’ve got to keep moving.

I think for my generation in particular, a lot of it is very instant gratification. People don’t see the delayed process and what you’re saying sounds very long term. 

Yeah it is, and you know, I'm sure you can think of so many brands you were wearing a year and a half ago and you’re probably not even interested in them anymore. I’ve heard people say, ‘That’s dead, that’s gone, I’m not wearing that anymore, I’m not listening to that sound anymore.' I feel it for musicians or creators because I think, even if you’ve got a particular sound or music, I remember when we used to go to Notting Hill Carnival and you’d hear a song that came out maybe in May and you’d be like that song’s going to run for the whole of summer, it doesn’t happen like that anymore. Now it’s like 2 or 3 weeks, then it’s done. 

It’s crazy, I also think that’s the difference between a classic album and a one-hit-wonder.

Yeah, as a creative you have to be constantly evolving yourself, like I said, is that really sustainable? I don’t know- personally for me it’s not, but you just have to find that space where you sit, where you feel comfortable and where you feel that you can contribute to this whole scene, do your art and be true to your art without pressing that panic button.

Definitely, being true to your art is so key. What words of wisdom would you give someone who is afraid of taking the leap to pursue their passions?

I think to pursue your passions is one of the best things you can do. Because I think if you get it right depending on the individual mindset, it can be a beautiful journey. Most of the people I know are from this business, places it’s taken me, is all throughout this business. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the top every time, but you meet people, you have experiences. Experiences are one of the best things for me, if you can understand that it’s a journey that involves ups and downs, it's not linear. It's like a relationship: you just work on a relationship and some days you’re going to have great days, some seasons you’re going to have great seasons, other seasons not so good, but that’s how it is; that’s how life is. If you are true to yourself and say this is what I want, this is the journey I really want to pursue, whichever area, and I’m not just talking about fashion and creativity, I think it’s one of the best journey’s ever. 

Random question, do you prefer flat or fitted bed sheets? 

I actually prefer flat-

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Really?! Are you sure?

I knew you were going to say that, but the only reason I prefer flat is because sometimes there’s a certain technique that’s really nice that takes time to turn it under the mattress. I think when you get that right it's really nice, it feels like you’re in a nice hotel. The fitted ones though are just a quick turnover, there’s a real skill to doing flat sheets.

[Publicist jumps in] That’s the wrong answer-

He was really trying to sell it to me, I was thinking I'm not completely sold. Finally, you featured in Stormzy’s Mel Made Me Do It music video, considering he featured an array of legends, what did that feel like? A lot of people see that video as such a staple for our generation.

That was actually one of the highlights for me, because we recognise Stormzy who is doing amazing things, and the fact the team hand-picked everyone to be in that music video and I was amongst so many people that are just way up there. I think the interesting thing for me about the video was how many people saw it. The impact, even my school teachers, said, ‘Omg I’ve just seen this video’, people I haven’t spoken to in years, different generations, cultures, everyone saw it! You just realise the reach of someone like him, it’s far bigger than most of us understand and it’s why he’s achieved what he’s achieved.

INTERVIEW: Jonifa Ewanga - @jonitrill
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Raissa Coulibaly - @therealraissa
PHOTOGRAPHER AND RETOUCHER: Satori Cascoe  - @toricascoe
LIGHTING AND PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT: Alex José - @alexjose.photo
STYLIST: Anastasia Busch - @ana.sta.sia
FASHION ASSISTANT: Tele Awo - @teleolaaa
HAIRSTYLIST: Lucy Muyanga using Babyliss Pro - @thehair.co 
MUA: Jumoke Ajayi using Danessa Myricks and Charlotte Tillbury - @jmksignaturemakeup