Lesley Mobo facts for kids

Lesley Mobo is a talented fashion designer from the Philippines. He is known for his amazing designs and is based in London.

Lesley Mobo's Journey in Fashion

Lesley Mobo has worked in major fashion cities like Paris and London. He grew up in the Philippines. Later, he moved to London to study fashion design.

Early Education and Awards

Before fashion, Lesley earned a university degree in Biology. He even had a scholarship offer for medical school. But he chose to follow his passion for fashion design instead. In 2002, he graduated from Central Saint Martins with top honors in Fashion. His final collection was called "Maniac." It was supported by Cerruti 1881, which let him use fancy fabrics from Italy.

He also won the Colin Barnes Award for fashion drawing. He was nominated for a fashion award by the Chartered Society of Designers. His work was shown at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The BBC News even featured his designs.

Starting His Career

In 2002, Lesley was interviewed by famous designer John Galliano. He also helped other designers like Clements Ribeiro and Cacharel. The owner of Harrods department store, Mohammed Al Fayed, noticed Lesley. Lesley then joined Harrods in London as a designer. He helped create a new lifestyle brand for the store.

Leading a Fashion Label

In 2003, Lesley became the Head Designer for the Jasmine Di Milo label. He worked closely with the design team and Jasmine Al Fayed. He helped the brand grow a lot. They showed their new collections every season during Paris Fashion Week. Their shows were held at grand places like the Hôtel Ritz Paris and Villa Windsor. The brand became very popular worldwide.

Advanced Studies and Global Recognition

In 2004, Lesley earned a Master's degree in Fashion from Central Saint Martin's. He studied with the famous professor Louise Wilson. His Master's collection, "Obesity in the North Pole," was shown at London Fashion Week. It was also displayed in Florence, Italy, where he won the Emilio Pucci Award.

He also won the International Diesel Award in Trieste. Important people like Renzo Rosso of Diesel and Raf Simons were impressed by his work. The same year, he was invited to speak at the Oxford Union at University of Oxford. He presented his "Obesity in the North Pole" collection to students there.

In 2005, he designed a special collection for Diesel. It was called Lesley Mobo by Diesel. These clothes were made with a special fiber called Ingeo. They sold out quickly in major Diesel stores around the world.

Collaborations and New Ventures

Lesley also designed men's underwear for Absolut Label 1879 Collection in 2005. This was a collaboration with Absolut Vodka from Sweden.

In 2008, the University of the Arts London asked him to join their advisory panel for the London College of Fashion. He was also honored to be part of the Bravo festival in the Philippines. This festival celebrated Filipino artists. He showed his Matavenero Collection there. In the same year, he created his own underwear line for men and women. He partnered with Bench, a fast-growing brand in Asia.

Expanding His Brand

In 2009, Lesley started selling his MOBO womenswear line in Paris. His clothes were shown at the Musée du Louvre. They were also featured in Italian Vogue magazine. His brand is now sold in many countries. These include Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Greece, Spain, Germany, Italy, France, Russia, and several countries in the Middle East.

After leaving Harrods, Lesley was asked by L'Wren Scott to lead her global design team in 2011. He helped improve her fashion brand and increase sales.

Television and Major Shows

On March 25, 2012, Lesley Mobo was announced as the final judge for Project Runway Philippines Season 3. This episode was very popular.

On October 29, 2012, he held a huge fashion show in South East Asia. It took place at the Mall of Asia Arena. He presented a 45-piece collection for Cignal Digital TV and TV5. These are big TV providers in the region.

Consulting and Popular Designs

From 2012 to 2015, Lesley worked as a consultant for many fashion brands. These included luxury and high street brands in the UK and Asia. From 2013 to 2015, he designed a T-shirt line called "MOBO Lesley Mobo" for the Japanese brand Uniqlo. The "Feel The Sea" concept T-shirts were for women, men, girls, kids, and babies. They became one of Uniqlo's best-selling lines for four years.

In 2014, Lesley was listed in the 6th edition of Who's Who in Fashion. This book is published by Bloomsbury Publishing.

In early 2015, it was announced that Lesley would launch a new underwear collection and a perfume line. He partnered with Suyen Corporation and Bench for this. These products are mainly sold in Asia and the Middle East.

In 2015, he was hired by Touker Suleyman to lead the design for Ghost. Ghost is a UK fashion label. Lesley also designed the "Salma dress" for the James Bond movie "Spectre." The actress Léa Seydoux wore this dress. It was ranked as one of the best Bond girl fashion moments by American and British Vogue magazines.

School of Fashion

On August 8, 2018, Lesley Mobo opened the School of Fashion. He partnered with Meridian International Business, Arts and Technology College (MINT College). The school also offers scholarships through the Red Charity Gala. This is a yearly fashion event in the Philippines.

Lesley Mobo Chocolates

In 2020, during the pandemic, Lesley created special limited edition chocolates. They were called "Si Aida, Is Lorna, Is Fe." He worked with the Filipino chocolate brand Auro and Chef Victor Magsaysay. This was a tribute to the islands. The chocolates were sold in the Philippines, Taiwan, Bahrain, Australia, and Japan. The money raised helped Auro's programs to support Filipino farmers.

Other Works and Appearances

Lesley Mobo has worked with many famous brands and people. These include Uniqlo, Diesel, Absolut Vodka, Zandra Rhodes, Bench Asia, Harrods, and Ghost London. He has also presented designs for Donna Karan and Phoebe Philo.

His designs have been shown in many exhibitions. These include the Asian Fashion Grand Prix in Osaka and the Fashion in Motion at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Many famous people have worn Lesley Mobo's designs. These include the Queen of Morocco, the First Lady of the Philippines, and celebrities like Léa Seydoux, Rihanna, Anne Hathaway, Lady Gaga, Madonna, and Angelina Jolie.

Lesley Mobo's work has also been featured in many books and magazines. Some of these include Fifty by Diesel, Generation Mode, Vogue Italia, Teen Vogue USA, and Vanity Fair. His designs have also appeared in major newspapers like The Times and The Guardian in the UK.