Though it wasn’t his intention, Adebayo Oke-Lawal started a movement. At just 17 years old, Oke-Lawal penned an article titled Orange Boy, a candid and personal story that make a case for self-expression and individuality in Nigerian culture. After the piece was published, Oke-Lawal received an overwhelming response from his peers – and thus, Orange Culture was born.

His line serves as an extension of the conversation he started. His androgynous designs, which quickly garnered attention for their progressive sensibility, pose a challenge to hyper-masculinity. The vivid colors and bold silhouettes elicit an emotional reaction that presents an alternative to conservative fashion labels. Now, the Nigeria-based brand is ready to take the message beyond r home base. The first step? Introducing the collection to the American market, with a press preview hosted at the CFDA offices in SoHo last week.

In an exclusive interview, Oke-Lawal shares his vision for the brand and plans for “world domination.”

You’ve been designing since a very early age. What drew you to the fashion industry? 

I grew up around amazing culture within my family. My mother and her sisters would dress up and I would obsess over all the colors, and try to recommend what to wear even as a little kid. The major thing that drew me to fashion was that I felt out of place, and there was a lack of representation within the menswear industry in Nigeria . I started at a time when menswear was very gray! It was about suits, suits, and more suits – nothing particularly explorative or emotive. I wanted to create clothing for myself and for the people like me that desired more.

Why did you decide to launch Orange Culture? 

I started writing as a teenager and I wrote an article called “Orange Boy,” which was about being bullied for who I was and my beliefs because they weren’t in line with stereotypes . I urged people to push for their beliefs no matter how many people told them it didn’t matter.

It became a trending article and people started writing to me, so I thought about how I could create a voice for this body of people like myself. I merged my passion for creating with a story that explored emotionality and vulnerability within men, as well as the beauty in our culture in ways menswear had not. I worked and interned in everything possible to save up, and launched my brand alone in 2011.

How would you describe Orange Culture?

It’s an emotional, explorative celebration of vulnerability within men using the beauty of African culture in fashion.

What’s your fashion philosophy?

No color is gender-based.

What do you think sets you apart from other designers? 

It’s an innate expression. It’s based on what I feel and who I connect with and conversations I involve myself in. So therefore, no matter what the conversation is and how many times it’s been had, it’s a personal expression which is differentiated because of that personalization.

What’s the next step for the brand? 

Our plan is to internationalize… [sell] in as many parts of the world as possible. We get customers all over and are shipping worldwide. We want customers to be able to access the clothes physically in their countries as well and explore the brand.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 

World domination as one of the most important brands in menswear – with [sales points] and stores all over, and constant expansion of our team and production facility. Also, with an education system run within for boys aspiring to build their brands that do not have the funds to access such knowledge outside.