About
Born in a small town outside Enugu, Nigeria, Ugo Mozie moved to the United States at the age of four, carrying with him a deep reverence for the storytelling traditions, textures, and artistry of his homeland. Today he is one of the most sought-after couturiers, celebrity image directors, and filmmakers working at the intersection of fashion, culture, and purpose.
His mission is to educate, elevate, and inspire the world using entertainment, sustainability, and his African story as the foundation. Every garment he designs, every look he curates, and every frame he captures is rooted in a singular belief: that fashion is storytelling, and the best stories honor where you come from while imagining where you can go.
Styling Icons
Ugo currently styles Maluma, Stevie Wonder, Jon Batiste, and Jeremy Pope and has worked with an extraordinary roster of global icons including Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Justin Bieber, Celine Dion, Travis Scott, Naomi Campbell, Diana Ross, Jackie Chan, Burna Boy, Shaboozey, and Blue Ivy Carter.
His styling work has defined some of the most talked-about fashion moments in recent memory. He dressed Diana Ross for the 2025 Met Gala in a custom silver-embellished gown from her own archive, elevated with an 18-foot feathered train and a dramatic hat co-designed with Mozie—the ensemble embroidered with the names of her children and grandchildren. He styled Jeremy Pope in an iconic 5,000-metre silk chiffon Balmain cape at the 2023 Met Gala and a daring Tanner Fletcher look for the 2024 edition. At the 2026 Grammy Awards, he dressed both Jon Batiste—in custom looks featuring over 100,000 Swarovski crystals, African gemstones, and Colombian emeralds—and Leon Thomas in collaboration with Zac Posen.
Eleven Sixteen
In 2025, Ugo launched Eleven Sixteen, his own fashion house, with a debut in Lagos. The brand fuses traditional Nigerian textiles—Aso Oke, Adire, and hand-woven fabrics—with deconstructed contemporary silhouettes, featuring signature symbolisms drawn from Benin bronzes and cowrie shells. Eleven Sixteen was soft-launched with a custom design for Diana Ross at the Met Gala, followed by two custom two-piece outfits for Blue Ivy Carter on the Cowboy Carter Tour, and a custom green suit for Lena Waithe at the Wicked premiere. The brand manages every step of production in-house in Africa, from growing cotton and weaving fabrics to cutting and sewing garments.
Changing the Narrative
As a fashion expert, Ugo has spoken on numerous panels and conferences—including Oxford Talks—where he focuses on how to change the global narrative of fashion and African culture. In 2014, he was appointed U.S. P.R. Director to designer Vivienne Westwood. He serves as Fashion Editor at 360 Magazine and Ghubar Magazine, and has been recognized as a Fashion Trust Arabia finalist.
For Ugo, changing the narrative means proving that African design belongs on the same stage as any European fashion house. Whether it’s sourcing fabrics directly from local artisans, championing “Made in Africa” luxury, or putting African creatives in rooms they’ve historically been excluded from, his work is a deliberate act of cultural reclamation. He believes that when the world sees Africa through the lens of its art, fashion, and storytelling—rather than outdated stereotypes—everything shifts.
“Fashion is storytelling,” Mozie has said. “It’s about honoring where you come from while imagining where you can go.” This philosophy drives every collaboration, every collection, and every conversation he enters—from styling global icons to mentoring the next generation of African designers.
WANA — We Are New Africa
Throughout all his endeavors, Ugo constantly works on his sustainability and education projects in Africa through his nonprofit WANA (We Are New Africa), co-founded in 2017. WANA is dedicated to incubating and spotlighting young African creatives—providing the tools, platforms, and mentorship they need to reach their dreams. The organization has built a film school in Uganda, a sports center in Lagos in partnership with ESPN, Beyond Sports, and Slum2School, adopted two orphanages in Nigeria, and is constructing clean water stations in impoverished communities across the continent.
Faithful. Determined. Savage.