The B Word: Oyinkansola Dada
B is for… Looking the Business. Feeling your Best self. So Bad it’s good. B is for Browsing and Buying the looks from your favourite Brands. Being Bold and Bringing the most to every Browns ensemble.
Introducing a fresh series of the “The B Word”, in which a new group of our most Brilliant friends show us what they’re wearing and how they wear it (ie. do try this at home.)
For the next instalment of this series, we’re spotlighting multi-hyphenate gallerist, lawyer, and all-round trailblazer Oyinkansola Dada, who is changing the art world through DADA Gallery. Drawing style inspiration from her work as a gallerist, Oyinkansola has curated her favourite Browns pieces to inspire your ultimate holiday ensembles; showcased on the perfect backdrops during a recent trip to the beautiful city of Dakar.
Now, that’s enough from us… Scroll to hear from Oyinkansola herself on the season’s must-have resort wear pieces, how the art and fashion worlds collide, her friendship with Kenneth Ize, and more…
Full Name: Oyinkansola Dada
Location: London
Occupation(s): Founder of DADA Gallery and trainee solicitor
Handles: @oyinkandada, @thedadagallery, @lagosisburning
Three Words To Describe Your Style: Artsy, edgy, sexy
Favourite Designer: Martine Rose
You donned these looks on a recent trip to Dakar - could you tell us about what you got up to? What were some of your favourite moments?
I went to Dakar to see art and take some time to myself after a hectic few weeks with back-to-back exhibitions. The Dakar Biennale is currently on - being the first edition since the pandemic, it is especially important for the African art scene.
My favourite moment by far was walking through the show for the first time. It was so refreshing to see so many brilliant artists on display in a beautifully curated show in one of my favourite cities in the world.
I am also working on a new project connected to DADA Gallery so I did some shooting for that there. It was a great trip all round.
What drew you to this selection of brands?
I was drawn to the brands I chose because I felt they represented me the most. The Isa Boulder swimsuit is beautifully crafted and suits my skin tone really well; Louisa Ballou’s top is vibrant and sexy; whilst the Alexander McQueen skirt brings drama and whimsy.
These pieces together make a statement of self expression, especially being in the presence of so much beautiful art in a city that’s so full of culture. The look also has a demure element to it due to cultural sensitivity as Senegal is a predominantly muslim country.
Your style often features bright colours and prints - how do you feel when wearing them?
I love love love colour, especially during the summer. It’s very exciting and makes me feel very confident.
Describe your go-to holiday style?
Colourful, airy and comfortable. I particularly enjoy wearing different types of fabrics on holiday so very often I’ll pack some that I’ve bought on my travels (mostly within Africa) and from home in Lagos, Nigeria.
What is the most treasured item in your wardrobe?
My silver rings which I got in Dakar which I actually wear most days. They’re a consistent way of expressing who I am regardless of the season, and they remind me of home, no matter where I am.
What are your connections to fashion?
My connection to fashion is mainly that I love it as a tool of expression. I invest in fashion the same way I invest in art. I think the main driver in both fields is my attraction to beautiful things that evoke some sort of feeling within me. There’s so much to engage with and not enough hours in the day.
I’m super lucky to have a lot of talented friends in fashion and I really enjoy supporting and engaging with their work. I recently collaborated with a dear friend Kenneth Ize for his Paris Fashion Week show at Palais de Tokyo and it was amazing. One of the artists I represent, Bunmi Agusto, created some pieces using his woven fabrics and these were incorporated into the show. It was great to see two passions of mine come together!
How do the art and fashion worlds come together for you?
Aside from the show with Kenneth Ize, the worlds come together at an annual ballroom style event I put on in Lagos during the art and fashion season, called Lagos is Burning. Each year there's a theme related to art that each guest is called to respond to through their outfit and the best dressed wins a prize. It’s a great opportunity for designers to create more editorial style outfits and we always have a blast when each guest does their catwalk.
Tell us more about DADA Gallery?
DADA Gallery started as a blog called Polartics for African literature, culture and politics. I started out doing pop-up exhibitions in Lagos in 2019 and by 2020, it had evolved into a gallery. The mission is to introduce the most exciting contemporary Black artists to international audiences.
The roster consists of artists whose work sidesteps the traditional and tackles divisive themes of immigration, sexuality, gender and more. I hope the work I do with the gallery inspires more young people to collect art, especially by Black artists.
What do you love most about your career?
The journey with the gallery has allowed me to immerse myself at the heart of the African creative scene, and I love that I have worked with so many incredible artists from across Africa and its diaspora. It has also exposed me to different cultures and allows me to go on some very interesting travels.
In what ways do your two roles influence your personal style, both as a gallerist and lawyer?
I think my style is predominantly influenced by my role as a gallerist, in the way I work with colour, patterns and fabrics. My role as a lawyer influences me in the sense that I can explore multiple ways of being sexy and feeling confident through my clothes without doing it in the most obvious way.
What’s a standout moment or project in your professional life so far?
Being profiled by the Financial Times during Frieze Week 2021 and having my face on the cover of the paper. It was surreal!
Whose work is exciting you currently and why?
At the moment I really love Okiki Akinfe’s paintings. I’m quite drawn to the colour palettes she chooses, and I find abstractionism in young Black painters to be refreshing as there is so much figuration.
What’s next?
I am working on an exciting new publication! I can’t say too much about it yet but it’s something art and fashion related.
What are two things you can’t live without?
My rings and sunscreen.
Where in the world holds a fun memory for you?
Accra, all my favourite nights out have been there.
If you were a piece of clothing, what would you be?
A Chopova Lowena skirt - girly with an edge.
Tell us a secret?
I don’t know how to use TikTok.
What’s the B word that best describes you?
Busy. I am perpetually busy (I need to be saved from being busy).
Interview by Sophy Davis Russell
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