By Adedapo Adesanya
When you think of exceptional Nigerian fashion entrepreneurs, Ugonna Bryant Iriele has to cross your mind. His creativity has manifested itself in the design and execution of his luxury fashion brand Lykos Gonna which is becoming the toast of Los Angeles.
The designer comes from a family of means and is parented by Dr Clifford Ifeanyi Iriele from Awo Idmeili, and Chinelo Virginia Iriele, (Iloanya) Eziawa both from the eastern region of Nigeria. The designer has been able to make a name for himself in the highly competitive world of streetwear and high fashion.
Ugonna Bryant Irele is a middle child with two siblings, an older brother Brendan Obinna Iriele and a younger sister Belinda Uchenna Iriele.
He credits his parents for playing a significant part in his career trajectory.
According to the design genius, “they always provided support, be it religiously, financially or emotionally. I consider myself blessed to have them in my life. I come from a family of overachievers, and because of this, nothing less is expected from me. That is why I aim for the best in whatever I do.”
This go-getter spirit is evident in Ugonna’s dealings as he has managed to balance a number of other interests alongside his clothing line including engineering.
Describing the founding of Lykos Gonna, he states that; “I wanted to create something for us, something we can call our own without fear of rejection. We don’t have to beg to partake in society. We know we are good at whatever we do, and we come from a background of leaders and rulers. We don’t accept mediocrity. We aim for the best.
“As an African-American creative, inclusivity is always a concern so for him “it is a great deal to see people like me recognized for what they are most passionate about. It shows that whatever I couldn’t do on my own can be done by someone else. It’s accepted because that’s why we are here. Everyone is born with a unique gift and abilities. I also see it as a motivation to work harder and stay dedicated to my craft.”
Lykos Gonna is definitely a brand to admire and Ugonna doesn’t want to be limited to just collaborations within the fashion industry as he is reportedly open to multiple partnerships ranging from Tech companies, transportation, botany or culinary.
