nunu meets: Oleata
OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, WE’LL BE INTERVIEWING A HANDFUL OF INSPIRING INDIVIDUALS, STARTING IN LONDON. THESE INTERVIEWS WON’T BE LONG READS, JUST A LITTLE 5-10 MINUTE DOSE OF DAILY STORYTELLING THAT PERHAPS, MIGHT SPARK SOME CREATIVITY, THOUGHT OR SELF-REFLECTION. WE HAVE LEARNED SOMETHING FROM EACH INDIVIDUAL AND CAN NOT WAIT TO SHARE THEIR STORIES WITH YOU.
Hey, my name Oleata, also known as Lee, Lily or half slim as my dad likes to call me, but we won’t go into that for need/ want of space & time!
I’m a model, fashion designer and fashion stylist born and raised and living in London. With a love for the arts, you will mostly likely always find my hands in something creative. I am not one to restrict myself to one lane of work - currently I'm delving into the world of performance art, photography, and art direction.
nunu: What was your moment of manifestation — when did you realise, this is what I want from life and this is how I’m going to do it?
Oleata: I don’t think I have ever had one specific moment of manifestation, but more a series of small, consecutive moments that have built up and led me to the decisions I have made and where I am now.
From a very young age, I learnt how to communicate with people, discover what I like and express myself through a variety of different creative mediums. I have always loved to perform, to create, share stories, learn from and work with others, so it makes sense to be following the path I am on now. I will say that I always knew I wanted to be a model, but it was more a matter of priority, confidence and belief in turning that one idea into my reality, over the other paths I had already taken and tried out.
Another key decision I made is that each of my creative paths and outlets had to support and complement one another. As a designer, model and stylist, each of these jobs go hand in hand! So if I were ever limited to just choosing one career, I could still fulfil them all by combining them into one.
Whether I am on set in front of the camera, or behind the camera, I like to be in control of the image, or at least in control of the delivery of the final outcome, the final result and impact the image will leave on the viewer.
nunu: How have you stayed authentic throughout this journey?
Oleata: Throughout my career, I have always been open to learning and discovering new things. I interned everywhere, explored different industries, grabbed every opportunity that came my way and never shied away from stepping into unknown territory.
I believe this has helped me stay authentic, as I have never put a limit on my career prospects and capabilities. I have always challenged my beliefs of what I think I want, against the other possibilities of what is, or what could be out there. I have also remained true to my core and never measured my desires, against anyone else but myself. Through the process of elimination, the more I explored and tried out different things, the more I was able to discover what sectors of the fashion industry I liked and didn’t like, and eventually find where I felt most comfortable being me.
nunu: & finally, what are you most excited about doing this year?
Oleata: This year I am most excited about stepping into all things ME! Sounds so cliche, but I am really excited to further challenge my beliefs and ideas, increase my skills and combine creative mediums that will allow me to connect and communicate with my audience and community, on a deeper level that I have never done before. I am also launching a new brand which is equally as exciting and will allow me to achieve and channel all of the above for sure!
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