Its not often one gets to meet inspirational young talent. This i have found in the form of Osaze Osanyande a young Nigerian t-shirt designer and an acclaimed artist inspired by 21st century interpretations of African art. I was privileged to talk to the young lady about her new collection and what inspires her, this is how it went.

Tell me a bit about yourself and what Mr king is about-

I’m a simple little hobbit trying to make beautiful great things Mr King was borne out of the concept of “art on a t-shirt”.. i could make a piece on canvas and only one person would enjoy it…why not do it in different colors let 6 other people enjoy it! t-shirts are so underestimated in fashion and it’s time we started respecting them a bit more.

How and when did Mr king start?

I’ve always drawn and painted and did little presents for my friends and family. after graduating in 2006, i decided to explore my artistic side and settled on making tees! the response was phenomenal and with encouragement and perseverance, it’s continued to grow.

Mr king?? how did you come up with that name?

Oh I have been getting that question a lot. We are channeling the mentality of a king; regal, worldly and confident. I am proud of where we i come from, and excited about exploring future possibilities and taking and learning from everything life throws at us. In line of that i thought the name of my fashion line should outline those qualities

What exactly is ‘razzness’, its a word a lot of young nigerian tend to use these days ? Razzness is the opposite of cool. there are two types; razz razz and cool razz. razzistic razzness is when u try too hard to be “cool” and end up being a bad imitation of cool. Cool razz is being thoroughly down to earth with little illusions of grandeur, as u can tell, I’m just rambling…..

There are so many designers out there right now, what sets you apart from the herd?

Herd!! what herd? I would say that Mr King stands out due to the quality of the designs and garments. they are fun and witty with a social conscience

What designers inspire you??

I am inspired by a broad range of artists; poets, designers, painters, musicians… Vivienne Westwood, spoken word artist Ayo, Zero 7, David Hockney, young people taking their destinies into their hands, list is endless…

Tell us about your new collection-

It is inspired by Africa’s fallen heroes that i feel are not recognized enough and almost forgotten. it has some proper comic moments and bits of iRep

Where can you designs be purchased-

Of the website www.mrkingapparel.com, White Label Clothing 53 Church street, Manchester, M4 1PD. White Label Clothing, The
Corn Exchange, Leeds, LS1 7BR.

You have got a fashion show and exhibition coming up, can you elaborate on that?

I am really excited about it!! it’s a fashion show showcasing the 2008 collection and art exhibition. this is in line with Mr King’s concept of art on a tee and an opportunity to collaborate with other artists and exhibit all of our works in a highly visible space. There will be drinks, music and a chance to network with young professionals in fashion, art and business.

Is the show open to the public?

Hell yeah!! the exhibition on Brick Lane (London) and is open from 1pm to 4.30pm with free admission to introduce an eclectic mix of fresh African talent interpreting themselves in the context of their heritage and living in diaspora. The Mr King fashion show and private viewing of the exhibition is also open to all but you have to email info@mrkingapparel.com to get an invite posted out to you.

Finally..anything you would like to share with Afriville readers?

Be happy and grab life and i am a strong believer in the power of collaboration so in the words of Onyeka Owenu one love, keep us together!

Written by Tinu Ade-Philips.

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