Finding Inspiration With Erika Dalya Massaquoi, Founder & CEO Of The OULA Company
WRITTEN BY ANNIE BLOJ // CULTURE & STYLE EDITOR
PHOTOGRAPHED BY ESTHER LEE LEACH
MAKEUP BY AMY DICKERSON FOR LIVE LOVE LASH // CLOTHING: THE OULA COMPANY
Erika, welcome to Denver! We are so glad that you have decided to bring your energy and talents to our city. As I was researching your story, I was struck by the vast and varied experience you have in the arts. With a Ph.D. in Cinema Studies from New York University Tisch School of the Arts, having held professorships at The New School, NYU, FIT (Assistant Dean), then onto Curatorial positions at the Museum of Moving Image, The Whitney, and the Seattle Art Museum, I am fascinated by your path to founding your fashion brand The OULA Company.
Annie Bloj: You clearly have a love of the arts. How did you identify this passion at an early age?
Erika Dalya Massaquoi: I knew I was an artist around the age of five. I was quiet and curious and something inside me just "knew." I looked at the world through a unique lens and threw myself wholeheartedly into all things art and design: literature, dance, fashion, fine art, theater—my parents were awesome about it. As long as I did well in school academically, they supported my various creative pursuits. My mom would let me stay up late to watch film noir movies on public television. I was just that "arty" kid who had a cool taste in music, cinema, and clothes. Every week I looked forward to watching "Style with Elsa Klench" on CNN. Eventually, I attended a performing arts high school and was a theater major. While I was attending college, the goal was to become a playwright, and then I started making experimental videos and organizing film festivals and eventually became a contemporary art curator. I love the collaborative spirit of working with artists.
AB: With a background and career in film, art, culture, and fashion, can you connect the dots for us on how each interest is parallel to each other and how they shaped your choices?
EDM: For me, it's a very organic way of being—I am just a hybrid, and I instinctively understand how to create a "mood." I think mise-en-scène is really my gift. I understand visual presentation and how to create a "look" and a "feel." I'm A "Jane of all Trades" when it comes to art and design. Many teachers and professors along the way tried to discourage my natural inclination to "cut-and-mix"—in the 80s and 90s (in academia anyway), there was such emphasis on an "area of concentration." It really has been in the past two decades, with the proliferation of digital media, that there is a true celebration of artists who have dexterity with a variety of media. At my core, I'm an intellectual—I'm a "forever student" and am always interested in the current period's zeitgeist—it's important to be present in the times you are in. With any new endeavor, I just dive in deep and create a breadth and depth of knowledge and then translate that into something environmental or tactile that the world can emotionally connect to, learn from and enjoy.
AB: What inspired you to start your collection, The OULA Company, and what is the brand's ethos?
EDM: I founded OULA in 2015. The goal was to create heirloom-worthy womenswear with an aesthetic based on the tunics, day dresses, and caftans my mother wore in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. My mom was an artist and activist and was very much inspired by the Black Arts Movement. She was naturally stylish, and when I was a little girl, she wore bold colors, dynamic prints, dramatic skirts, head-wraps, and beautiful jewelry. I began wearing her clothes and perfume in junior high school! OULA means "will and determination," and it's a variation of my great-grandmother Lula's name.
AB: Your design ethos is inspired by the Black Is Beautiful movement. How does that come to life in your garments, and what power do we exercise through our sense of style and self-expression?
EDM: From a political and style perspective, I was very much influenced by the Black Is Beautiful movement, which reached its peak in the 70s when I was a kid. I leverage the feel of this moment for contemporary audiences with OULA. There are lots of cultural touchpoints that we exercise on a daily basis to curate our sense of style: the iconic beauty of natural hair; the proclamation of our African ancestry; the opulent beauty and self-worth you feel when you wear Ankara (African Wax Fabric)—it culminates into the cultural autonomy of being unapologetically fabulous. When you wear OULA, you are beyond chic. That said, OULA customers of all races and ethnicities feel this liberating empowerment when they wear our garments—the joy is infectious. And, for me, OULA is the living embodiment of black joy. It's a priority for me to create and contribute to iconography that celebrates what I refer to as "the lived experience of the black" from a place of optimism, happiness, and pleasure. Our future and present are more nuanced than the narratives of suffering and survival. OULA celebrates self-compassion, self-care, empathy for our precious planet, and fighting for a clean future.
AB: The educational path you've chosen, as well as your professional choices in higher education, public policy, media, museums, and fashion design, all require a critical eye. How did you develop this attribute?
EDM: I developed this critical eye from three decades of experience working as an art and design professional. I have been on multiple sides of the equation as an artist, a student, and academic dean of Art & Design. I am always thinking about what we learn and how we learn it—I have a master's in Social Science and am just intrigued by human behavior. Also, I believe my work as an artist is service orientated, so it was essential for me to launch OULA as an art and design vehicle that would operate as a catalyst for economic development. Hence, I work with local master sewers and learn so much from these workers' artisanship who have spent decades honing their craft. I also purchase my textiles from reputable curators and dealers to support their growing businesses. Other significant means of support are the customers who consciously seek out women and black-owned businesses to buy from. We are grateful for the support of buyers who search for fashion brands like mine whose pieces are hand-crafted and sewn—who appreciate hand-stitched finishing and french seams. These everyday brand ambassadors are in our corner, and we recognize the strength of their support.
AB: The OULA Company was recently chosen to be a part of the BLACK FOUNDERS center stage pop up the flagship Nordstrom in New York City and online. Can you tell us how this came together and what this means for your brand?
EDM: An executive at Nordstrom learned about my brand and pitched it to another executive in charge of women's merchandising, who pitched it to a buyers team. I presented OULA to the buyers, and the rest is history. The business was ready to meet the opportunity of gaining a wider audience—now, more customers can explore and be inspired by OULA. I am certain we will exceed expectations because the garments are beautifully crafted. They are works of art and heritage treasures meant to last a lifetime. The goal is that whether you see the dresses and tops online or in person, you will be utterly delighted. Each piece should communicate its chicness easily—if not, I have not done my job as a designer. I want customers to have a high-quality experience, whether in-store or receiving a box of joy in the mail.
AB: Erika, it was a joy meeting you and seeing you in your element during this photoshoot. I am thrilled that you have come to Denver to share your style, energy, creative spirit, and passion with our creative community. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for you and The OULA company as you continue to grow and explore your interests and share them with us and the world.
The Oula Company: @theoulacompany
Photographer: @estherleeleach
Writer: @theblojreport
Makeup: @amy_dickerson_grote for @livelovelash