“I’ve always had a strong identity,” says Kemi Gbadebo. The 23-year-old is at FLANNELS HQ, where her brand is about to launch with an exclusive collection. Kemi started her namesake brand in deepest, darkest lockdown, sitting at her parent's kitchen table. And since then? She’s been busy. Her debut collection sold out in ten minutes, and the hype just kept building.

Then, she was asked to appear on BBC’s The Drop, the hit streetwear competition hosted by the likes of singer Miguel and fashion designer Marc Jacques Burton. Not only did she appear on the show, but she won the contest, establishing herself as a one-to-watch in the streetwear game.

Amidst all this, she’s collaborated with the likes of The North Face and Adidas, spoken at The Houses of Parliament about responsible fashion, and somehow found the time to graduate from university.

To celebrate the launch of Gbadebo at FLANNELS and her exclusive new collection, Kemi sat down with us to talk responsible fashion, her experience on The Drop and what she hopes will be her legacy. It’s time to get to know Kemi Gbadebo.

Gbadebo has come a long way since Kemi started out in her parent's kitchen in 2020. “I didn’t start with the intention of it being a sustainable brand or maintaining the name Gbadebo. I wanted to make clothes because I lacked stimulus in lockdown”. She started with her own wardrobe: ripping apart and riffing off the clothes she already had. “It wasn’t like I was trying to make anything to suit a certain market or aesthetic,” she explains. “It was very organic.”

You can see that DIY spirit in Gbadebo’s designs today. But part of the catalyst for Gbadebo’s success? The Drop. It “was a great experience, in terms of being a launch pad for my brand and helping me understand more about business and my brand,” she explains. “I’ve always had a strong identity, but when it came to the business side, it was still a hobby for me.” The show pushed her out of her comfort zone, she explains: “It got me writing business plans and figuring out the future. I was living in the moment beforehand.”

The Drop nurtured, fostered and developed a sense of community for Kemi and the other contestants. “I met my best mates,” she tells me “After the show, me and Missy [a fellow The Drop contestant] moved in with each other, Ola [another contestant] shot my campaign for FLANNELS. Connecting with these people, helping each other, moving forward… it’s built a family for me and my brand.” And the show’s judges, Miguel, Marc Jacques Burton and designer Blondey, were integral to her development as a designer. “With these big names, you’d expect after the show finishes for them to disappear,” but this was far from what happened. “Miguel’s been consistent with me. He’s still popping up and asking how things are going; if I need help or asking to see designs.” Her gratitude for the experience is clear. “I owe a lot to the process,” she says.

And to say Kemi is humble, would be an understatement. When it came to winning The Drop? “I literally did not expect it at all,” she says. “It’s one of my favourite memories, ever.” “When I did the final show, and we all did the catwalk, I remember looking at everything I’d created and thinking, ‘I never ever thought that I could achieve something like this.’”

Her love for fashion runs deep, going way back to her childhood: “When we were younger, we used to have a dressing-up box. It was this huge wooden trunk, we used to play with it all the time.” Clothes, design, and having fun with fashion have been part of Kemi’s life from an early age. “I don’t know if it’s because we were a bit broke when we were younger, or whether my mum found it funny, but she used to make all our outfits. They were so good, but they were so bad.” She recalls a donkey costume her mum once made for her: “It was the worst outfit you’ve ever seen in your life, but my mum was so proud of it. I loved it”.

As for her influences? “I love ‘90s hip-hop streetwear. American brands, like Timberland, Levi’s and Tommy Hilfiger. I was so inspired by the way they used to work with artists, but also the way artists would make every brand theirs.” As always, the inspiration goes deeper than just clothes. This era of style? “It was natural. Girls would be wearing afros and have everything baggy; they looked modest, but they could still look sexy. I think that’s what I resonate with. I want to show that you can dress androgynous and look sexy.” What does she want people to get from Gbadebo? “Come into your own, express your style and breathe new life into ‘90s streetwear. Make it bold, make it fun again”.

Music, art and pop culture have had a massive influence on Kemi. “When I look at Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, TLC, these artists and how they dressed really shape the way I design now,” she explains. “When you listen to old-school R&B you’ve got Nelly in a t-shirt down to his knees, singing outside Kelly Rowland’s window. Texting on Excel. That’s the culture I want to emulate; I want my brand to be inclusive and exude everything that the ‘90s era encompassed.”

And these stars have influenced who Kemi is inspired by today. “There’s two people I’d love to see in my clothes. One would be J. Cole. His whole aesthetic is the embodiment of hip-hop in the ‘90s.” The other? “Teyna Taylor. She’s really her own.” For Kemi, Taylor’s style goes against the male gaze: she styles herself in baggy clothes with ultra-short hair. Both Teyna Taylor and J. Cole. represent a new era of streetwear, just like Gbadebo does.

The brand may have only been founded three years ago, but in that time, Kemi has developed a unique style and aesthetic. The brand has a contemporary sensibility that we associate with present-day streetwear, while retaining classic hallmarks of ‘90s style. “Streetwear’s changed so much over time,” Kemi explains. “In the ‘90s, it was oversized, denim and tracksuits. Now, streetwear can be formal or casual. It’s so broad now, but I think that’s a good thing. I love the juxtaposition of the silhouettes.” Gbadebo fits into this ever-changing landscape of streetwear.

Kemi founded her brand in lockdown. And yes, the process was as insane as it sounds. “It was crazy,” she remembers. “I took over my parent's dining room.” Her mum put up a post on Facebook, asking people to drop off their old clothes. “We’d get bags upon bags upon bags dropped at the front door. My mum made me keep them in the garage for a week because of COVID. I had cuttings everywhere…” And it escalated, quickly. “I started making things out of boredom essentially and posting them on my Instagram”. Almost instantly, people started reaching out, wanting to buy what she was making. Kemi then released her debut collection, and it sold out in ten minutes. Her second? It sold out in an hour.

At the root of Gbadebo is a passion for responsible fashion, and a desire to do things differently. “We want to champion sustainability in every way. From material to distribution, seeing how we can be as sustainable as can be,” she explains. What does this really mean, I ask? “Obviously, it’s such a massive umbrella word. There’s a lot of challenges in scaling up a sustainable business, it has not been easy. But by picking apart each individual aspect of the value chain, I’ve been able to try and ensure we’re making eco-conscious decisions in every way.”

To achieve this, Gbadebo sources and manufacturers locally in the UK, and a key part of their responsible practice is working with deadstock materials, upcycling, and recycling old garments. “I love thinking about the story behind the garment,” Kemi explains. With every Gbadebo piece, there’s a story, and that story changes. This is fashion in a state of flux. “I can create my own narrative. It adds beauty and art into the piece”.

Kemi believes transparency and education are key pillars of responsibility. “It’s important for people to understand, see where your clothes are going, where they came from or who’s affected by them,” she explains. Kemi is designing with longevity in mind. “I want to change the role of a designer,” she explains. “If you’re creating something, you’re responsible for that”.

As Gbadebo continues to evolve, Kemi wants to create a culture and a lifestyle with her brand. She wants people to live Gbadebo, rather than consume it. It makes a lot of sense: speaking to her, it’s clear how integral community is to the Gbadeo brand. From her mother making her clothes and introducing Kemi to fashion, to her experience cultivating a world and a network on The Drop, it’s reflected in the energy of the brand. To Kemi, community is “one of the staples of sustainability”.

At only 23-years-old, Kemi has achieved an insane amount, and it’s clear that this is a brand that’s only going to get bigger. And leave a serious legacy behind. The word legacy is a heavy one, but, like all things, it’s one Kemi is more than prepared for. “I want to be seen as the thought-leader of my generation,” she says. “I have so much faith that this is where I’m gonna be. I have no doubt in my mind that this is what we’re gonna be seen as, and that this is the legacy we’re gonna leave behind. I don’t know if it's delusion,” she laughs. But given what she’s achieved already? It feels more like good sense than delusion. There are few guarantees in the world of fashion, but one thing is for sure: you can expect big things from Kemi Gbadebo.