Billionaire celebrity stylist, trailblazer fashion designer, Jeremiah Ogbodo aka SwankyJerry is on the Forbes Africa 30 Under 30, 2020 class.
The 28 year old stylist is the chief creative officer of Swanky signatures and has been recognised as one of the 30 young entrepreneurs, leaders and changemakers across Africa challenging conventional wisdom and rewriting the rules for the next generation.
Swankjerry was recognised alongside Nigerian trailblazers DJ Cuppy, Eazi, Patoranking, Tracy Batta, Olajumoke Oduwole, Davies Okeowo, Maryam Gwadabe and Asisat Oshoala.
Read below what Forbes said about him:
Swanky Jerry, 28, Nigeria
Founder, Chief Creative Officer, Swanky Signatures
Industry: Fashion
Red carpets, glamor, lights, and cameras; this is the life of Jeremiah Ogbodo Ike, known as Swanky Jerry. Featuring gold shoes and a white and black agbada (a four-piece male attire) resembling the Versace print, Ogbodo’s dress code is as fitting as his nickname.
Swanky Jerry is a Nigerian celebrity fashion stylist who has dressed the likes of Pearl Thusi, Davido, Nyanda, Yemi Alade, Tiwa Savage, AKA, Sarkodie, and African presidents and first ladies. It was at the first-ever Global Citizen Festival in South Africa late 2018 when FORBES AFRICA first met with him accompanying D’Banj, who he styled, and who performed before the thousands present that day.
Swanky Jerry’s styling can be seen through the subtle blend of couture and African Ankara fabrics. His love for fashion started at a young age as he and his family traveled a lot from city to city.
We would usually have to wear the clothes of the locals of each city we visited, to blend in, and I absolutely loved it! Growing up within this lifestyle, I became more inspired by my surroundings and began to invest in Nigerian fashion magazines and people-watching at big events due to the elaborate fashion being paraded.
It was a bittersweet journey for me because although I had experienced one of the biggest losses in my life, the death of my father had practically pushed me into the amazing place I am today.
I found happiness and peace in creating and was virtually driven to turn my passion into a career in order to make money and fend for myself. And this was during a very difficult time as fashion styling, especially for me, wasn’t very popular or respected in Nigeria. However, I took the risk and I’m very grateful for where it has led me to today, he tells Forbes Africa.
After the death of his father, Ogbode socialized a lot as a coping mechanism. It was not long before he became known as that stylish guy.
He then launched his fashion and lifestyle brand, Swanky Signatures Styling, in 2012, and it has since grown to become one of the most popular and influential brands in the industry. Creative director, celebrity stylist, wardrobe stylist, designer, social influencer and consultant are just a few titles under his stylish belt.
He is also passionate about giving back and lending his hand to different charities and drawing attention to movements such as ‘Break the Silence’ and #WalkForLove. He has also been featured internationally by CNN.
An excited Jerry announced the recognition on his Instagram in a post that read:
“When your dreams are BIG, you will get a lot of NO’s, people will punish you, they will make you suffer, they will go any length to kill your dreams.
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