Orange Culture references a story Oke-Lawal wrote in his youth, titled The Orange Boy. It was about his experiences growing up in Nigeria. “I went to an all-boys school and experienced a lot of aggravation because of how I represented myself,” says the designer. “I’d be talking and be told to talk louder and talk like a man. It was always that aggravation towards me just because of the way I represented myself. I was being bullied a lot”. These experiences made him think about masculinity as a sense of individuality. “Whatever society called me to be wasn’t who I wanted to be and that’s fine,” he says.

For the designer, orange was a colour that was unique enough to embrace and explore the ideas of individuality and diversity that he wanted to represent. He wanted it to push against the idea of toxic masculinity. His first collection was met with intense criticism. He recalls how a person told him he would go to hell, because of dressing a man in a red suit. He could have given up on fashion design but what motivates him is the existing stereotypes. He believes that one should question things. “Fashion can be used for social change...it can be used to create conversations,” says Oke-Lawal.

Oke-Lawal founded Orange Culture in 2011, after having worked with several Nigerian designers, to turn his unique vision of fashion into reality. Since starting the label, the self-taught Lagos-based designer has pushed his brand forward to become one of Nigerian fashion’s biggest names. Orange Culture is more a movement than a clothing line, targeting a creative class of men who like colorful print fabrics and contemporary urban street wear. The label is also attracting women who have taken over the brand, giving an androgynous twist on Oke-Lawal’s designs. The garments answer to just about anyone who's interested in telling a story with the way they present themselves.