The Founder Of Kílẹ̀ńtàr Is Redefining Luxury Fashion With African Craftsmanship

You never know when inspiration might hit. For Michelle Adepoju, lightning struck during a post-college trip in Western Africa. As a teen Adepoju, who was raised in the UK. in a Nigerian immigrant family, liked to craft new clothes from thrift store finds. During her African trek, Adepoju realized she could turn her hobby into a business. She merged contemporary designs with traditional African techniques like weaving to create her brand Kílẹ̀ńtàr in 2019. Kílẹ̀ńtàr sells luxury statement pieces from gowns to swimwear to jewelry. “When we think of luxury, it's usually Chanel or Hermès,” says Adepoju. We are putting African craftsmanship on the map for luxury fashion.” The brand has dressed celebrities including Tracee Ellis Ross, Naomi Osaka, and Victoria Monét. Adepoju debuted her designs at New York Fashion Week in 2024.

Subscribe to FORBES: youtube.com/user/Forbes?sub_confirmation=1

Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:

account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&…

Stay Connected
Forbes newsletters: newsletters.editorial.forbes.com/
Forbes on Facebook: fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: forbes.com/

Forbes covers the intersection of entrepreneurship, wealth, technology, business and lifestyle with a focus on people and success.