Destined for Style with Ugo Mozie

0:28We always recommend Shopify. At 18, what were you doing with your life? Ugo Mosier started a fashion line. Fashion designer, icon. We're going to talk about all the things that you don't know about the fashion industry. And then also some tips. Because getting started in fashion might be easier than you think. Buckle up. We're going to have a great conversation. Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you the iconic Mr. Ugo Mosier. Hugo, how you doing today, brother? Man, Mick, I am fantastic. I'm very honored and happy to be here with you today. Thank you so much for choosing me of all people to be with you and have this conversation.

1:15I'm very excited. Man, I'm the honored one. To have conversations with you in particular is, I don't even want to say bucket list because that doesn't even give it the credibility that it deserves. It's just I'm truly honored to spend this moment with you, man. And, you know, you do so much for for so many people and you have done so much. And at an early age, it was you, man. Like, you know, I like to ask the question about what you're because that thing that's driving you, that thing that you're for. So if I were to say, Fugo, man, like what's your because? Why do you keep doing the things that you do?

1:53Honestly, I would say my because is the way I'm able to influence and elevate and make people better, feel better from the inside out. That's because my gift has allowed me the ability to help people unlock their inner dreams, right? Unlock like their vision for themselves. And I think that the result, like when I'm able to make someone's wedding dreams or their concert dreams or their red carpet or magazine cover, like dreams come true. I think it is something very special. You know, I love the smile I put on people's faces and I love the way I make people feel good. I remember I did this, I was watching the interview I did when I was like 18 in New York, super young.

2:56And they asked me, what about like fashion that I like? And I remember I was like, I love the idea that I can make people feel good about themselves. Because when people feel good about themselves, they do good things. Like no one's ever gone out and hurt somebody because they were confident. And that really stuck to me even to this day. And I think that's because it's just the effect, the fact that I can make people feel better and look better. It's a dick thing, I must say. man you know you've often said that fashion called you right like not the other way around what inner voice or experience told you way back when that media culture and creativity would kind of be where you leave your mark on the world brother honestly i have to for sure say god because the inner voice is just like, it's louder than I can imagine.

3:57It's out of my control. Since I was a kid, I remember even as being in Nigeria, like at four, five years old. My aunts that I see now, they were like, they'll tell me like, even we always knew that you were going to be in Hollywood. We always knew you were going to be a star. I think there was a certain like, there's an energy. I feel like when you have a bigger purpose that's bigger than you, like you can't, the voice is too loud, right? When you're driven by something bigger than yourself, which I believe I am, it was innate. But even deeper than that, I discovered recently, about a year ago, I was in my great grandfather's house in our village in Nemo in Nigeria.

4:44and I was looking through it. I found this like family tree book that they made for him when he died. And with it, it had like our ancestors for like four generations back, it had like their names and their occupation and like, you know, just the, like who their kids were. And I was so shocked to see that I had like, I counted like eight or nine fashion designers. since the 17, 18, I'm like, whoa. So does that mean that this is in my DNA? Is it in my blood? Like, is fashion just like part of my lineage? And actually it is because just the fact that I had like, they were like, oh, you're great, great, great grand uncle, like fashion designer, designer.

5:38And I was just, it was really dope to just unlock that because it made it, it put it all in a perspective and also made me feel like what I do is part of my destiny. And I'm actually, you know, making my ancestors proud by carrying the torch that they lit centuries ago. I think you hit it on the head, man. Like you're fulfilling the destiny, right? You're creating the new legacy with the family, with the ancestors. And I know everyone's amazingly proud of what you are doing and have done. And, you know, did you know, did you think I'm going to be able to design for Beyonce and Diana Ross and all of these, these big names that are icons, right?

6:25Like, like, when did you, when did you get that first call and what was that first call like? Well, so I think that my, my trajectory was pretty beautiful. You know, I moved to New York City at 17, straight out of high school. I graduated early. And just being in New York so young at that time, like 2008, 2008, 2009, around that time was just a special electrifying time for artists and creatives, right? I think that my generation, we were the artists that really just created without any boundaries, right? That we were opening the doors and carving the way, like, you know, working with people like Virgil Abloh and Jerry Lorenzo and Luigi, like our generation of creators, like, didn't put, we didn't, we don't put boundaries or limits to the possibilities, right?

7:30I mean, I was 17 and I was working, well, interning, then assisting at Virgin Records. And in that space, I was exposed to so many amazing artists and just the relationship I was able to cultivate, like, let me know early, early, early ahead in my life that I was going to make a big impact in big spaces with very important people. And not because like, you know, I'm I'm interested in celebrities and fans or in and in these people. But it's like I just feel like I just know that what I have to offer and what I do is so elite and it's so precious. and it's so, it's, it's just, it's, it's made for people of, you know, the people that understand it are these kinds of people.

8:27Like when I remember when I, when I first worked with Stevie Wonder and like that to me was, I think such a pivotal time for me because it allowed me to really just develop like real confidence i'm like if someone like this iconic legendary incredible human being can trust me to dress him and he can't even see he doesn't there's there's no there's no deeper level of trust than a blind person allowing you to dress them i don't think it gets any deeper than that when it comes to like image and trust and just like and we developed such a strong beautiful relationship and I think like from that point that was the that was it for me after that I was like if Stevie can trust me to do my thing and look incredible like I I know that my gift has been certified by God like I was like that was my check and you know from then I realized that you know, like the sky is really the limit.

9:37So when, obviously when I get these phone calls from incredible people to work with, it's always still such a blessing and I don't take it for granted one day, but it's also not, it's not shocking. It's not shocking to me that God is aligning me with the most powerful, influential human beings in the world, because I believe that's the level of what my gift is. Amen to that, brother. Amen to that. And you're so humble, right? Like you talked about graduating early, moving to New York and then going into some of the things. So, so I'm going to brag for you, bro. At 18, you co-found Aston Mosier.

10:23Like talk to us a little bit about just that venture and how dope that was for, for the folks that don't know, because I know When I was 18, man, like I was I was just trying to figure stuff out. You're over there starting companies, bro. I mean, honestly, at that point, we have bills to pay. We have no choice. You start something or go clean somewhere. It wasn't it wasn't too many options. But Aston Mosier was my first fashion brand that I founded with my best friend of the time. Quinn Aston. Those Quinn Aston Ugo Mosier. We actually, we moved from Houston together. We are high school friends.

11:03Moved from Houston together to New York. And within our first year, we developed this collection, developed this brand, and we launched it during New York Fashion Week two years later. And that was for me by launching, launching a brand at 18 during New York Fashion Week was such a special time because it was a it was a time before the rise of street wear and wear like this, you know, like there's a middle ground in fashion that exists today where like the young, young designers, aspiring designers, fresh designers are getting a voice in fashion. At that time, you either had Gucci and Dior and Louis Vuitton or you had Zara and H &M and Uniglo.

11:54There wasn't many brands in between. Young people were not given the opportunity to operate on that scale. So for me, I created a brand that was something that I wanted to see at the time. You know, like we wanted we wanted stuff that, you know, one, our peers can afford stuff that was like ahead of the trends. We created it and launched it. And it was so special because the response was it was phenomenal. You know, we were we were in every publication you can imagine. You know, the fashion world got like that was my introduction, if you will. Like my baptism into fashion was launching that brand and we we rocked it for a few years before we parted our ways.

12:39But that was honestly a very pivotal part of my foundation of fashion. Wholeheartedly. And it doesn't stop, man. Like you're always creating. You're always being innovative. You're always looking at the future, but staying relevant in the present. Right. Which I think is really hard in the fashion world. So I'd love to give you the floor, man, to talk about 1116 a little bit and the things that you have going on there and some of the cool things that are going to be coming out for the world to see and share. Yes, indeed. So 1116, my baby is, I would say it's a combination of my life work, right?

13:19It's a brand that I'm building, well, that I'm launching in February officially, but it is a African luxury lifestyle brand. Right. It's beyond fashion and beyond clothing. It's about culture. It's about it's about education. It's about informing the world on the reality of Africa, how I've seen it, how my peers see it, like how we see it every day. You know, as a as a immigrant that moved to America at the age of five, one of my biggest struggles as a child was the misconception on Africa. Right. I would my parents kept me very in touch and grounded. Like we would spend summers and holidays in Nigeria and I'd come back from school.

14:18I mean, I'll come back to school and the kids would be like, oh, what's it like, you know, like being in a place with all those flies and like being in a place with like, you know, with no water and having to just like this, the wildest things, the meanest things you can say and tell a kid. but like that never really shattered my pride. It didn't, it didn't make me embarrassed where I came from. If anything, it just encouraged me to just like want to prove to people like that's not what it is. Like you guys have no clue. Like actually my house in Nigeria is bigger than my house in America. Like we have maids and drivers and we have like waterfalls and museums and Everything you have here, we have there too.

15:06And I think that, you know, through my career, you know, it became such a drive. My storytelling was being able to incorporate just like African culture and African legacy and heritage into the conversation. You know, whether I'm styling Justin Bieber or Travis Scott, like you're going to see a touch of culture somewhere. So when it comes to 1116, I'm building and creating a brand that encompasses all these things, right? We're collaborating with the most amazing artisans and craftsmen all over the continent of Africa to, you know, from beading in Kenya to cottons and fabrics from Morocco to just textiles from all over Nigeria and dyeing in the Kano.

16:01dye pits and making bronzes in Benin and, you know, getting beads from South Africa. Like these are all the elements that are, you know, telling a story for 1116. So when people, you know, see this brand when it's launched, like when they buy a piece of our garment, they're buying a piece of culture, a piece of history. You know, they're buying the story that hasn't really been told on this kind of forefront before. You know, I want to, you know, as a stylist for for 10 plus years, you know, I've gone and shopped and worked with every brand under the sun. And one, you know, one thing that I did not see enough was people like us.

16:46You know, I not see enough African brands operating on a larger scale. You know, being in stores like Bergdorf and Neiman Marcus and Saks, like you're not seeing made in Africa on the shelves. Right. Like they're not they're not they're not qualifying made in Africa clothing as luxury at these places. And this is what is inspiring and driving 1116 because we're changing the narrative and we're opening those doors. And, you know, it's it's there's so many incredible African designers and artists and creators that I want to be able to use our platform to shine light onto. I love that, man. I love that.

17:30I'm so proud of you for that. You know, when I intro'd you and talked about how bold you are, how innovative you are, like that's the representation of that. And so, again, I just want to thank you for the things that you do, man. And it means the world to me for sure. For the viewer or listener that's aspiring to be a creative, a designer, a stylist and all that. What's one piece of advice you'd give them to get started? For the creator that's trying to get into fashion or design, into the style space, I would say that your strongest weapon is your perspective, your personal perspective, right?

18:18Like it's so easy to be influenced and inspired by the magazines and advertisements and the runway shows and this and that. But what's going to set you apart and what's going to get you hired and booked is going to be your point of view and your personal perspective. And this comes from digging within. What do you like? Like what what's your story? Right. Like what part of your childhood, your upbringing, your, you know, your experiences can you bring to create this aesthetic? so yeah that's it because at the end of the day when you think about your favorite anything whether it's a whether they're an athlete or a musician or an actor like what you love most about them is that they're them we love most about them is their personality right and it's about like their uniqueness their individuality like we're in a world where it's so easy to be the same it's so easy to blend in.

19:25It's so easy to know, I follow a trend, but what's going to make you stand out, get hired, make a name for yourself is your perspective. That's deep, man. And to me, that also translates into other industries, right? Like your perspective is what, what really matters for leaders. I talk about that all the time. Like it's gotta be you. You've got to be authentic because if not, the world has enough copycats, right? Copycats don't make it past 15 minutes, brother. So we are you, right? You can spot it a mile away. Inauthentic, you can be spotted a mile away. And again, like you said, it goes across the board everywhere, right?

20:10Every industry, you know, every industry from food to hospitality, right? Like what you like about a place is the uniqueness what makes you come back is that you're finding something there that you can't find other places so if you're here selling the same t-shirts that john jane and bob are selling like now it's a it's a matter of who's selling the cheapest right it's not about like coming to you for your quality or what's about i'm coming to you because either you're the cheapest or you know and that to me is not that's not really creating that's not really designing you know there's one by being in being in fashion right like there's there's people that are in fashion strictly for you know the commerce and you know for for for the business side and there's people that are in fashion that are actually designing and creating and then there's people that are meeting in the middle and i think that i'm meeting in the middle because in order for me to operate and grow and scale like the the creative and the art is one thing but my team is so important right like the people that I have around me on a day-to-day like my my from my assistants to my project managers to my creative directors my art directors like everybody around me is what really makes the ship and this engine move.

21:39I love that brother. So the, yeah, I guess I'll add, I'll add to that. That's another, another advice I would give to upcoming creatives is building the right team, right? Like building the right team, but you cannot do it by yourself, whether you're a painter or like whatever you are, like you need people around you that believe in your vision that can push you, that can tell you the truth and that can just keep you in mind for opportunities. Amen. Amen. It's all about the team, man. It's all about the team. Well, Ugo, man, I know you're so busy. I know you have a lot going on. I'm honored that you took some time with us out of this busy schedule that you have, man.

22:21Where can people find and follow you? Again, I'm just going to say Google them. Google them and you'll see everything. But where do you want people to connect with you? the honor was mine it was such a great great time speaking to you make man you guys can find me on instagram at ugo mosier or ugo mosier.com and you can also find the brand at at 11 16 i love it spelled out 11 16 written out there we go i'll make sure i have links to all of that in the show notes and descriptions. Ugo, man, again, this meant the world to me to spend some time with an icon. Again, I know how humble you are, but bro, you are that icon.

23:07And so keep being that. You are now the shoulders that people are standing on, man. So keep doing what you do. Ah, much love, man. I hold that with so much gratitude. Honor. You got it. And for all the viewers and listeners, remember, your because is your superpower. Go unleash it. You've been plugged into Mick Unplugged. Don't just listen, take action. Rate and subscribe. Follow me on social and get the full experience at MickHuntOfficial.com. Keep building, keep leading, and most importantly, keep dominating.