You don’t have to look far on the Florida A&M campus to find unique brands and businesses that have been created by students.
Moni Fagbamiye, a second-year pre-architecture major from Atlanta, is one of many young entrepreneurs on campus who have made power moves and put her brand on the map.
Fagbamiye is the founder and CEO of Awaru, a black-owned clothing line that “caters to the flown.”
She launched her brand in July 2020 to catalyze an outlet for her creative ideas.
The Awaru fashion line is heavily influenced by creative expression and the brand name is derived from the Yoruba meaning of art. Fagbamiye says this alone has influenced her brand vision.
“I’ve always been into art, so the whole trajectory of Awaru has been influenced by my belief in the power of an artistic mind,” Fagbamiye said.
Fagbamiye prides its brand on its boundless creativity and innovation distinct from any other clothing line. She likes to design outside the norm and create clothes that make a statement when worn.
“Aworan is not like any other brand. I like to design and create pieces outside the box, everything you see is unorthodox and special,” Fagbamiye said.
Fagbamiye’s brand has recently reached new heights after showing its first fashion premiere in Atlanta in August with its co-director, Yao Banash. Numerous models from all over the city gathered for the show of her new pieces and the celebration of black creatives as it relates to their influence in the fashion community.
Rachel Robertson, a freelance model and FAMU student, was a model in Fagbamiye’s recent show. She described her experience working alongside Figamaye as real fun and was impressed by her ability to take charge while maintaining her composure.
“It was so much fun to be around other models who were cool people, and I really enjoyed the outfit I got to wear,” Robertson said. “Moni is like a car. She ran an entire show staying calm. That’s definitely the element of it.”
Olamie Fagbamiye, Moni’s brother and CEO of Orun Collections, was both a designer and collaborator in her latest show. He expressed his pride in Moni and her ability to bring such a creative show to life and blend family with business.
“Being her brother and appearing on the show was an honor,” said Olamie Fagbamiye. “I have communicated with Moni in the past to separate the business from the family, because it doesn’t always work out, but for her to be able to do it; even though I expected her to do well, I was still very proud.”
Fagbamiye captioned one of her recent Instagram posts dedicated to the show, saying, “First ATL, then the world.”
The world can expect Awaru to release a FAMU collection and host more fashion shows in New York and Atlanta in the coming months.
