Glam Africa: The Revolutionary Edition (2019)

just being ourselves. That's something I want to be a part of,
I want to mentor people out there and here as well. I want
to help people to grow into themselves. I still meet people
who see me playing basketball and they're like, 'man, I
wish I could've done something like that'. When I go back
to Nigeria, I'd love to see more of the younger generation
taking charge of who they are and who they want to be."
In September, Ovie launched his debut clothing collection,
in collaboration with fashion brand ASOS. Unveiled at the
#NationalOvieDay celebrations during London Fashion
"Never apologise for
being who you are"
Week, the ASOS x OVIE collection featured a diverse range
of pieces, some of which incorporated artwork from Ovie's
"biggest role model", his dad. "I look up to my dad more
than anyone outside of my house. He’s very real to me. It’s
huge to have that sort of relationship with my dad." Like his
father, Ovie sees immense value in the arts, creativity and
self-expression. As part of the six-figure father-son clothing
deal, Ray Soko granted ASOS exclusive access to more than
four decades-worth of his artwork, including an expansive
collection of paintings and sketches inspired by his West
African upbringing. "My dad is an artist so he's not exactly
in those traditional boxes either," Ovie reflects. "Fully diving
into a profession or something that’s outside of the norm can
be a huge risk, but my dad has always just told me to shoot
for the top."
On set, the light flashes for the thousandth time, and letting
out a sigh, the photographer declares the shoot over. The
evening ends with cheers and hugs, and after all those
hours, Ovie's spirits are still as high as when he first walked
through the door. We could have spent days speaking to
Ovie, but the short time we spent with him has left us with
a lot of insight into his upbringing, his outlook on life and,
of course, his hopes and aspirations for the future. Whether
he's onscreen or off, Ovie's fun-loving, quirky and courteous
nature follows him everywhere he goes. With his passion,
drive and the right people in his corner, the sky is really the
limit in terms of what he could go on to achieve.
So what message does Ovie hope we take away from his
growing success story. “It's simple”, he says. “Just be yourself.
Don't follow anyone else. Figure out who you are, first
off, and never apologise for being who you are. Don’t be
concerned with trying to be like someone else because you'll
never be able to do that as well as just being yourself."
BLACK SUIT
by River Island @riverisland
POCKET SQUARE
by Moss Bros @mossbros
COIN PENDANT & TRIPLE GOLD DIAMOND CUFF
by Illion Jewelry @illionjewelry
62