OULA

Interviewing fashion designers is one of my favorite writing assignments. I always approach interviews as just having a conversation with someone new. And since I’m not someone who goes into an interview with an agenda - the interesting parts always come from the conversation just veering off into unexpected directions - we end up talking about everything from what inspires them and how they approach designing a collection to what industry issues they find most pressing right now. It ends up always being a rewarding experience for me (hopefully for them too!).

So, I was extremely pleased that after months of trying to get a regional publication to cover her, I was (finally!) asked to write a profile on fashion designer Erika Dalya Massaquoi and her brand OULA for this month’s issue of Denver Life Magazine. Erika and I first met about a year ago and started off by trading stories about our time living and working in NYC. But when I learned about her company OULA and how she works with African wax fabric crafting retro-inspired silhouettes for all women I was intrigued and became set on finding a way to get her story out to a wider audience. Please check out the story below or - better yet - pick up this month’s issue of Denver Life and discover why OULA is a brand you should know about. -xo