For more than three decades, Odio Mimonet has been a steady presence in African fashion, shaped by culture, conviction and a belief that clothing is a form of identity. The brand was founded by Odio Oseni, whose earliest memories of the name come from childhood, when she would walk around the house signing it. It was only later that the name became a label, yet the early act of writing it down already showed how art and imagination would shape her life.
Odio’s love of art and drawing was a constant from a young age. She was particularly inspired by the impressionist movement and by Claude Monet, and the idea of combining her own name with the French phrase “moi et moi,” meaning “me and myself,” led to the name Mimonet. Odio became the first part of the name and the rest followed naturally. She wanted to make clothes for people like her, and the desire to create and to dress her own community was something she embraced from the start.
Looking back at her early years, she describes the culture of Nigeria as the most influential factor. The sights, sounds and smells of the market, the fabrics and the people, and the daily movement of life were constant sources of inspiration. She also felt a strong desire to bring her ethnicity to the forefront. She wanted her work to reflect Africa, not only through fabric and design, but through identity and presence. At the same time, she recognised the influence of Western culture, particularly through education and exposure to the wider world. Her aim was to create a balance between both influences, combining African culture with a global outlook.
Despite the changes in fashion and the evolving nature of design, certain values have remained central to Odio Mimonet. Modesty is one of these values. The brand seeks to celebrate femininity through elegance and sensuality,
The Odio Mimonet woman, in Odio Oseni’s view, is culturally inclusive and confident. She is often seen as a traveller, someone who appreciates different cultures and brings her own culture with her wherever she goes. This sense of cultural exchange is at the heart of the brand, which continues to evolve while remaining grounded in its origins.
As the brand looks towards a future beyond its founder, legacy has become as important as design. In this interview Odio speake to Funke Babs-Kufeji about the evolution of Odio Mimonet in over 30 years, the instinct that guides its creative direction, and the continuing role of culture in shaping its identity.
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What first led you to create Odio Mimonet 30 years ago?
Odio Mimonet was formed much longer than 30 years ago, as a kid and teenager I will walk around the house and sign the name Odio Mimonet and Mimonet formed by my love for art which I’m sure everyone knows my love for art and I loved the impressionist artist and so, Claude Monet was my favourite at that point and so Moi et Moi as in me and myself in translation and so it was Mimonet and Odio being my first name and that was how it was conceptualized.
I always wanted to draw and I wanted to make clothes for people like me and as a kid, it was something I embraced and loved.
When you look back at your early years as a designer, what experiences shaped you the most?
The experience that shaped me most will most likely be our culture, our smells going to the market, I used go and be inspired by fabric, I used to be inspired by the people and even hustle & bustle of who we are as Nigerians inspired me a lot then but I guess my greatest inspiration was the fact that I want to bring my ethnicity to the forefront, this was thirty years ago, I wanted who we are as African to reflect in our pieces because I wanted to wear me, I wanted to wear us, I wanted to wear Africa, I wanted to wear who we were our culture, but maybe in a Westernized way because obviously we had westernized influences as well, we had western influences because maybe like most people we had educational parallels and so, in the international world we live today we wanted to mix and to be reflective of both.
Over three decades, what core ideas have remained central to Odio Mimonet?
I think for us, the core ideas and value that have remained within Odio Mimonet is modesty. The femininity of the woman is embraced by her elegance and her sensuality rather than being over-revealing and so we have always kept that value.
Next is our sizing which has always been something we’ve kept different from other international brands.
Because we are who we are and we’re made in God’s image and just like every other person in the 7billion people in the world are all made in God’s image. I believe that our sizing should reflect that as well. I’m more generously built. We are taller people and we are not so slight like the anglophone countries and so these values have remained in our pieces and our pieces are also a reflection of our culture, so we always have a Juxtapose of culture in all our pieces.
If we take a voyage with our piece, in your mind’s eye, the Odio Mimonet woman is a woman that is very culturally inclusive and is that woman that is perhaps a world traveller and understands the value of appreciating every other person’s culture for what they are and so we are very culturally inclusive and since we are who we are as Africans it is also infused in everything else.
At what point did you begin to feel that Odio Mimonet had a lasting place in your life and work?
I think at its best, this asks at what point did I believe that Odio Mimonet will last. My dream is for Odio Mimonet to outlive me, my dream is that Odio Mimonet to be multi-generational because I believe like any art work or piece it should not die with the author and I also believe it has the ability to transcend, it has the ability to cross generations because it continuously evolves and I think that’s where we are today, evolving and growing.
How has your approach to design changed from your early years to today?
Our approach to design has evolved. It has changed and because we have had a diffusional range called MiMi by Odio which is more functional and less artistic.
We also have the Voyage by Odio Mimonet line which is more artistic and less common place and I think as we go along in life; life itself has become less functional more Avangard and our designs have reflected that throughout our existence.
What were the most difficult moments in building Odio Mimonet, and what did they teach you?
I think every experience or every challenge must end with a solution and I think when we have challenges, it is built in us so that we may have solutions; and you are able to pass on that to your customer as well.
I think our greatest challenge in Nigeria as we speak so to speak is human equity and I think as we continue to mature and continue to pass it on from generation to generation, you find out that every generation we come across as they grow younger change and we have to adapt ways to teach them so that the translation of the work is not lost.
How did you decide when to try something new and when to stay with what felt right?
I think when to try something new is always gut instinct right!
I think that’s what a lot of design is about “GUT” and just always making sure to keep to the ethos of the brand, and an Odio Mimonet piece of 20 years ago still carries the same and similar ethos.
Which Odio Mimonet work feels most personal to you, and why?
I’m not sure I can say one item has worked with me personally, No. I think like children, you really can’t choose your best or your favourite sometimes they speak to you through experiences, sometimes they speak to you through colours, sometimes they speak to you through successes.
I think every design that is birthed, sometimes comes with its own experiences and in its own ways, and we must wait and see how it grows and I think my most definite design so to speak is our adaptation of the masculine Agbada which we started about 8, 9,10 years ago.
This adaptation of the masculine Agbada for the woman is so beautiful and I have seen how that has evolved in design all around us and even in the brand. That I think, is something that makes me quite proud, that makes the brand quite proud because it resonates with all of us.
How has your personal background influenced the way you think about sound design?
The design process for us is influenced by things we see around, fabric, textures, scenery. Also tune into ideas from concepts maybe nostalgic or futuristic at the time.
In what ways has culture influenced your work over the past 30 years?
I think culture is everything and how culture influenced the brand can be seen in our range of designs and fabrics through the years – culture is everything! It’s a representation of perhaps all the underlining and under wires that make you and that make me.
So, I think it’s everything; that it influences the brand hugely, but also the current culture of being universally travelled individuals and being a part of a strong global village has also influenced this and I think that will still influence us for many years because – not only are we all functional world travellers we are all part functional people that live in a global village.
We all bring our culture to the table and I think we try to do that in Odio Mimonet everyday interplay in our designs.
13. How would you like Odio Mimonet to be remembered?
I would like Odio Mimonet to be remembered as the Nigerian- African global fashion house that honors the collective African culture, femininity, and mastery of Africa craft.
A brand that respects the woman’s elegance and sensuality, her history beyond the narrative of womanhood as we recently started a menswear and we’ll like to be known for that.
I want it to be remembered as works that had meaning, art that became identity, pieces that travelled across generations, and across timelines, while remaining grounded in who we are as African.
What advice would you offer to designers who are just beginning their careers?
I’m not always sure about giving advice, because every journey is deeply personal. However, for younger generations who are grounded in their values and clear about the impact they wish to make through fashion, I would say this: walk at your own pace, whatever that pace maybe. Take steps that align with your truth. Design is a journey of both the heart and the hand.
For startup designers, my first piece of advice is to master the craft of storytelling through art. In Nigeria, and indeed globally, what sets a brand apart is the marriage of a unique cultural narrative with impeccable finishing. Don’t be in a hurry to create a trend; take your time to understand how garments are built. Precision creates the foundation for luxury.
Respect your business. You are in the business of fashion, you are an artist, yes, but for growth, you must be a student of business. Understand your production costs, value your artisans, and build systems for your operations. Creativity gets you noticed but having very good structure keeps your doors open.
As you mark 30 years, what are you most hopeful about for the future?
My personal hope, perhaps even my prayer, is for continuity. Continuity of the brand’s core values, expressed through our designs, while allowing for evolved perspectives and the inclusion of younger African voices.
I hope for a versatility of backgrounds and experiences that resonate with Odio Mimonet’s vision for itself and for its story.
Above all, I am hopeful that the brand continues to serve as a thoughtful curation of African culture, creativity, and identity, carried forward with integrity into the future.I hope that Odio Mimonet to be one of the foremost African owned global brands, elevating our consumers globally and whenever people mention other foreign brands, I look forward to Odio Mimonet being the first 5 names on every lips.
