Lesley Mobo:Landing the London dream

When Lesley Mobo was a child growing up in Kalibo, Aklan, his parents didn’t buy him any toys to play with. Psychologists and the Social Welfare may raise hackles on child deprivation, but Lesley Mobo will just laugh off the indiction. After all, it was this childhood deprivation that brought him to the realization of what would become his lifetime passion. For the young Lesley Mobo, the lack of GI Joe action figures, Hotwheels, and Lego blocks nudged into motion an already copious imagination. Lesley became architect of his playtime, designing his own cars, drafting buildings, coming up with frameworks for boats, and designing shoes. Years later this childhood obsession would bring him thousands of miles away from Aklan to chic fashion central London where people recognize that a Lego-less youth can translate into a well-received London Fashion Week debut and a plum position as senior designer for British superstore Harrods.

When Lesley Mobo presented his designs at London Fashion Week last February, it wasn’t only the Filipino press who proudly took notice. The London fashion force and international press applauded the newcomer’s collection as strong and imaginative (Charlie Porter of London’s The Guardian). British Vogue’s Alexandra Shulman included Mobo’s name along with three other young designers as the future of British fashion in her review for The Daily Telegraph. A week later, Mobo received an inspiring congratulatory e-mail from Conde Nast’s Sarah Harris.

The London Fashion Week end show, participated by the MA students of Central Saint Martins, was to become the first of an annual event that showcases the emerging talents to the British public. Mobo’s collection entitled "Obesity in North Pole" reflects the urban attitude that permeates his signature style. Puffy silhouettes on distressed fabric make up the general look. Details such as buckles, zippers, buttons, and pockets grow all the pieces – on the sleeve, a jacket lapel, the waist, down the thigh, across the back. The designs, describe The Guardian’s Charlie Porter, "made up in imagination what it lacked in wearability."

To an up-and-coming designer, wearability sometimes has to be sacrificed in order to come up with an eye-catcher. The growth of fashion relies on talented creators pushing for the unwearable to achieve a sense of conventionality. Mobo’s talent seeks to promote this growth. The first piece he ever designed was a garment made of sea urchin (probably a tribute to the Biology studies he completed at Far Eastern University prior to realizing his designing dreams) for a competition here in the Philippines. The judges then disqualified Mobo’s entry. He revived the creation a few years later as part of his collection to finish his BA studies in Fashion Womenswear at London’s Central Saint Martins. This time, the unusual creation earned approbation for the artistic audacity and the possibilities it represented.

Mobo’s designs are so fashion-forward that they have even tweaked the attention of John Galliano, one of the boldest designers of today. The latter offered Mobo a job with his design team but was declined. Mobo, on a high after finishing his BA degree with first honors, wanted to move on to a masteral degree with Louise Wilson, course director of MA in Fashion and credited for producing London’s "new generation" designers such as Jonathan Saunders, Jens Laugesen, Miki Fukai, Alistair Carr, Eley Kishimoto, Rafael Lopez, Sophia Kokosalaki and more.

The decision paid off. Under Wilson’s tutelage, Mobo was able to work as assistant designer for Clements Ribeiro and Cacharel, presented a design project for Chloe by defiant designer Phoebe Philo, and was able to exhibit in different shows. One of these shows, the "Fashion and Motion" exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum led to the job with Harrods. Elizabeth Wilson, one of the top honchos in the classy store, liked Mobo’s work and advised him to bring his portfolio to Harrods the next day. Soon, Mobo began designing part-time for the store’s Jasmine di Milo label.

Now on a full-time status with Harrods since graduating (with distinction) from his masters this year, Mobo continues to prove his worth. Just recently he was granted the Emilio Pucci Award, presented by Princess Corsini of Firenzi, for his contribution in raising funds for a charity called Associazioni Per La Bambini Del Lebrossi Di Calcutta. Plans for the future pervade his thoughts: a trip back home to Manila later this year to grace a show to be produced by fast friend Ariel Lozada, and a business prospect with two friends to come up with a boutique and a house label to be called Fable in two years’ time.

All this for a child who never had any toys to play with.

The Philippine STAR: Most memorable experience at Saint Martins?

LESLEY MOBO: I‘ve got loads! My first memorable experience was when I was locked inside the building of Saint Martins. I was so obsessed and focused on my toiles that I didn’t realize that it was already late. I ended up calling the emergency helpline. Second memorable experience was when I was awarded the prestigious "Colin Barnes Prize" for Fashion Illustration by Saint Martins. The third memorable, probably the most memorable of all, was when I did our BA Saint Martins press show. It was extra special because I had my parents with me. For the first time, they saw the reason for my working hard. Before the show my mother helped by giving sandwiches and drinks to the models backstage. I saw them later in the show and they even attended my graduation. That was really hardcore melodrama but at least I proved to them that this is where I belong: the industry of frou-frou!

Is it hard working for the British? Do you feel that you’re being treated differently being Asian/Filipino?

Having the opportunity to work for the British society and culture, or I would say consumer, has been an immense realization in achieving my goal as a designer. As with any other job or even goal in life, I put 110 percent hard work in continuously improving myself. I must say it has paid off. London is a hodgepodge of different races and cultures. Being Asian, and proudly Filipino, has contributed to this continuum. In effect, I am not being treated differently. Rather I am seen as an exciting and vibrant element within the team. I can openly voice out my ideas and opinions of what I know will work and how to move on from the last one. The good thing about working in the British fashion industry is that we solve and discuss problems and differences in a very constructive way rather than the traditional bitching.

Who are your designing heroes?

Mighty Vivienne Westwood and a family friend called Colin Fournier who designed this ambitious and influential contemporary museum for modern art in Graz, Austria called "Kunsthaus."

Who have been your design influences?

I would say photographer Guy Bourdin, artist Salvador Dali, and David Hockney have influenced me since I was a kid.

How do you strike a balance between creativity and wearability?

I have always thought that there is a complexity in keeping an edge on the ever-changing fashion world. To make my designs wearable, I focus on making them comfortable. At work we only deal with things that are wearable, then we always try to inject, even in a simple shirt, a piece of our brains in terms of interesting details like pockets, prints, or a more interesting fit.

Who do you dream of working for?

It would be a challenge to work for Balmain. It is a very traditional and established French house which needs (in my personal opinion) a facelift, an edgy and contemporary injection – at the moment it is a Sleeping Beauty. The company recently filed for the French equivalent of debt protection. They’ve been struggling to maintain sales since Oscar dela Renta left two years ago. Laurent Mercier took over after dela Renta’s departure but left after his debut collection. Sales fell by more than half last year to £7.7 million from £16.7 million. I think Frenchman Charles Lebourg is taking the job now.

What to you is the biggest fashion crime?

Having a copy of Collezione magazine or any of that sort in a design studio

 What is a designing must?

A pair of Wilkinson extra sharp serrated shears and a good and comfy pair of Adidas trainers.

Whom would you like to wear your clothes?

The mother of alternative rock 'n' roll Patti Smith, and "the mother of all tortured women," artist Tracy Emin.

What inspires you?

It is the world I grew up in, the world that I am living in now and the world that I dream of that inspire me.

What classic piece of clothing would you like to reinvent or re-work?

The traditional English trench coat and the traditional Savile Row double-breasted men’s tailored pinstripe jacket.

What do you do in your free time?

I usually spend a lot of my free time in the countryside. I often go to Suffolk to rest – I like the feeling of nature and isolation.

Where do you live in London?

I live in North London. It’s the perfect place for me to live, as I love the village-like setting. It’s only a short walk from Hampstead Heath, which has this scenery straight out of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

Who or what keeps you grounded?

My family, especially my niece back home. She reminds me of myself when I was four years old. We both make our own toys rather than having ready-made ones.

Are you abreast of Philippine fashion? Who of the local designers do you admire?

I definitely admire all the veteran fashion designers back home. Hats off. I thank them for their existence. It was their designs that made me curious about fashion. With the younger ones, I tend to admire my friends’ work. I admire Jojie Lloren and Dennis Lustico.

What do you miss most about the Philippines?

I miss my family. I miss Aklan. I love swimming so I miss the sea. All that shebang.