BUDDING: Fashion Stylist Edition 

The Architects of Aesthetics. Styling is more than clothes. Its intention. Its identity. It’s storytelling.. 

Before the music video, the campaign, the premiere, the press run, there’s a stylist crafting the image the world gets to see. Transforming raw ideas into mood boards and mood boards into moments that leave everyone asking, “Who styled this?”

In Nigeria’s creative scene, stylists occupy a pivotal position at the intersection of identity and storytelling. They shape how culture looks when it enters a room and how it’s remembered after the cameras stop rolling—an invisible hand defining how we see some of our favourite personalities on screen.

This month, BUDDING steps behind the scenes to spotlight the creatives who make the fashion magic we applaud; the ones sourcing pieces at 2 AM, fixing wardrobe malfunctions minutes before showtime, and shaping the confidence artists carry when they step into the spotlight.

This edition celebrates five stylists defining Nigerian fashion from behind the scenes. They’re telling stories with fabric, elevating artists, building aesthetics, and pushing confidence into the spotlight.

Let’s meet them.

Fadlullah: Styling With Story at the Center

For Fadlullah, styling isn’t just about clothes: it’s storytelling. It’s wanting to tell a person’s visual story, showing how they want to be portrayed, what each outfit represents, and how it can be visually interpreted.

He never thought he would end up styling people. He simply loved fashion, a love he picked up from his dad. He just wanted to collect pieces, wear them occasionally, or admire them from afar. 

That was the plan… until 2022, when his passion found its direction. His first official styling project was with Taves. One job turned into another, and soon, he was building looks that weren’t just stylish but meaningful.

One of which was Taves’ Grammy outfit, which was inspired by the artist’s love for birds. He also crafted his looks for Paris Fashion Week and IYLMIBS Agave campaign, where he led both styling and creative direction.  Another big step was styling Darkoo, a moment that made the journey feel even more real.

Every project matters deeply to him. Anxiety is something he deals with, so seeing each look completed and loved feels both fulfilling and grounding. His aesthetic? Intentional. Story-first. A balance between excitement and simplicity. He loves that “wow” reaction, but even more, he wants the person he styles to feel confident in how they show up.

Right now, he’s still learning every day, sharpening his craft, and slowly expanding into design.

Outside of Styling, he loves travelling, binge-watching shows, and listening to music. Music plays a huge role in his creative process. 

For nostalgia’s sake, he’d love to style Wizkid, Dave, Wande Coal, or Asa someday 

Fun fact: He’s not a fan of taking pictures, and he was very close to joining the U.S. Navy.

Oladoyin Obisesan: Turning Self-Expression Into a Profession

For Oladoyin Obisesan, pka Doyinpepper, fashion has always been a language; one she’s been fluent in since childhood. Long before she ever called herself a stylist, she was already crafting a personal identity through clothing, choosing to dress differently from everyone else around her.

What began as self-expression slowly opened doors. That individuality followed her through school, shaping her unique style as a brand and laying the foundation for who she would eventually become.

Even though fashion has always been there, she fully stepped into the profession just last year. And since then, she has collaborated with several artists, creatives, and emerging brands, including Tullipio, Wear Tehilla, DC Luxury, Kommunity Flex, Threadplug, and more. Each project has helped shape her growing presence in the industry.

Online, she appears expressive, energetic, and confident. In person? She’s a little shy.

She knows she’s not yet where she wants to be, but she’s grateful for how far she has come and for the ability to build a career out of what she loves.

Someone she would like to style one day is Divine Ikubor (Rema).

PapitheStylist: Mastering Peace, Creating Masterpieces

Popularly known as PapitheStylist, Joseph Igwekezie is a Lagos-based fashion stylist with a unique eye for detail and a flair for statement looks.

Before stepping behind the scenes as a fashion stylist, he built his foundation in the fashion industry as a model and commercial actor since 2015, featuring in campaigns for Zenith Bank, BBN, Puma, and several music videos. That experience in front of the camera sharpened his understanding of what great styling can do: elevate presence, amplify personality, and tell a story without a single word spoken.

In 2022, he transitioned fully into styling, driven by his passion for fashion and the art of self-expression. 

Since then, he’s worked with some of Nigeria’s biggest names, including Odumodu, Bella Shmurda, Timini, Fola, Zinoleesky, Oxlade, Joeboy, and many more.

His aesthetic? Bad and boogie. (Simple yet statement-making, Colorful yet refined.)

Papi’s work reflects his belief that to create a masterpiece, one must first master peace. 

Fun fact, if he wasn’t a stylist, he would have been a soldier. When he’s not styling, he enjoys sleeping, hitting the gym, and staying inspired by the endless drive to stand out. 

He’d like to style ASAP Rocky someday

BLVCKSUN: Where Vision Meets Bold Expression

For Onwuemeli Gloria, popularly known as BLVCKSUN, Styling wasn’t part of the original plan; it was fashion design. She has always loved how clothes make her feel, how expressive she becomes while creating and bringing her ideas to life.

Styling came later, not through theory, but through experience. She got introduced to it on the job, curiosity followed, and passion took over.

As she puts it:

“I got inspired by it, and it caught my attention, and I just had to try it. There’s this popular saying that goes, ‘if it’s not for you, it won’t flourish.’”

Styling flourished. And ever since she stepped into the industry, it has been an amazing ride, one she’s grateful for, especially for the knowledge and creative growth it continues to bring.

The moment everything started to feel real was when she had her first editorial project, which was featured in an international magazine called PLATFORMME. That win made everything click.

Today, she works as a stylist/creative director for TARIQ, someone who believed in her craft early and has given her space to be expressive with her ideas. That trust fuels her bold concepts and keeps her pushing boundaries.

For her, watching a lot of cartoons helps her learn color theory. She’s also a big music lover, and outside of styling, she’s an artist who loves to paint and draw.

Outside styling, she’s an artist who loves to paint and draw. She watches a lot of cartoons, which helps her learn color theory, and she’s also a big music lover.

She’d love to style Ayra Starr, Asake, Rema, Zendaya, and Lewis Hamilton someday.

Fun fact: As a child, she never lost a dancing competition. Every time she stepped on stage, she won.

BLVCKSUN is proof that sometimes the path chooses you first. And when it does? You run with it and shine.

Solomon Uka: From Selling Fits to Styling

Before becoming a stylist, Solomon Uka was selling clothes, mostly fashion pieces for men, in a small setup that quickly became a meeting point for other stylists. They would come around to buy pieces or pull outfits for shoots, and every now and then, they’d ask him to assist. Little tasks. Small contributions. But those moments planted the seed.

And one day, the realization hit:

“Wait… I can actually do this myself.”

Styling was supposed to be something on the side, a little addition to the main hustle. But slowly, quietly… it took over. And the journey since then has been intriguing, unpredictable, and full of lessons. He has met amazing people, weird people, and everyone in between. Styling taught him patience, communication, and how to see from other people’s perspectives.

Now, it’s no longer just about clothes. It’s about connection. It’s about how a look can speak louder than the person wearing it.

He’s already added strong work to his portfolio from Orange Cover Magazine with 49th Street (styling Minz, Ayo Maff, and others) to EJOYÁ Project and Semzi’s Project, both handled solo. He also styled Llona for his recent tour, and he just wrapped up a bold new editorial he can’t wait for the world to see.

Fun fact: Two years ago, he dropped out of school after breaking his knee, and hasn’t gone back since. 

Who he’d love to style someday: Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, Victony, and Wizkid, but he’s letting the journey unfold naturally.

To Those Still Telling Stories through every look

You may not be on the stage, but you set the scene.

You shape how culture enters a room, and how it’s remembered when the cameras stop rolling.

Every detail you obsess over becomes confidence for someone else.
Every fitting, every reference, every last-minute fix matters.

This industry is still growing, still finding its feet, still discovering how powerful it can be.

But you? You’re already building the future, one look at a time.

Keep styling the story. Keep crafting the moment before the moment happens.

And if you’re reading this, with ideas waiting on mood boards,
Maybe it’s time they stepped into the spotlight, too. 

Because someone’s “iconic moment” is waiting for your touch.

If you’d like to feature on the next edition of BUDDING, shoot us a pitch here: diycollective@gmail.com