Phillip Oki is making a statement with his brand of clothing, reminding us that he didn’t just get lucky on his entrepreneurial journey.
The 19-year-old designer and entrepreneur hailing from the United Kingdom caught up with Five:22 Culture to chat about his creative journey, faith and brand of everyday wear called Lukble that reminds us we’re not lucky, but blessed.
How did the idea for the Lukble brand come about?
I used to have another clothing brand and I really enjoyed doing it. So when I decided to do it on my own, I felt like I wanted it to glorify God in some way as nothing else matters in this world.
How would you describe the style of Lukble and what’s your inspiration?
Everyday wear. My inspiration was that I wanted to portray that we are where we are by God’s grace.
What has been one of the most rewarding parts of the Lukble journey so far?
The most rewarding part is, the support from people as I never once asked anyone to share or support. So it’s nice to know people believe in the vision.
What is one of the challenges that you face as a creative and how does your faith help you overcome it?
It’s been smooth sailing so far by God’s grace. The biggest challenge was trying to find an original idea which took a lot of brainstorming and a lot of self-criticism.
What has your faith journey been like?
I was raised in a church all my life, but like the average kid, it’s like I only went because my parents forced me to go. It was almost as if Christianity became a culture to me just going along with the flow with no relationship with Him. I even went through a stage where I questioned everything. I had to take a step back and see the Gospel. With all other religions you work for salvation but Christianity, it’s a gift to us. It wasn’t until I left home to University where it all changed to the point where I was choosing to go church, to pray to really be in His presence and to actually surround myself with like-minded Christians to fellowship, with grow with etc. Iron sharpens iron. I started just really delving into the word.
Has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted your brand or creative process?
COVID-19 impacted my brand because my manufacturer was shut down. However, this setback turned into a blessing, giving me a whole new supplier which was amazing. As I was trying to help someone else find a new supplier, they gave me a supplier instead.
We are living in tough times. What is something that encourages you that you can share with someone reading this?
No matter what’s going on in this world, good or bad, just remember life here is temporary and have your eyes focused above. 2 Corinthians 4:18 says we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Is there anything else that you would like to share with Five:22 Culture, other creatives that visit the site or people who love artistic expression?
Don’t expect anything from anyone as man will let you down, but instead put your faith in God.
How can we continue to support what you’re doing?
Keep sharing, retweeting, following and posting. Thank you for all the support so far.
You can keep up with Phillip and his clothing line on Twitter >>> Instagram >>> Website
your blog is amazing!
Thank you so much!