Lela and Mosi

Lela is a contemporary character-led design brand established in East London by designer Rayo Balogun in 2009. The idea was born when a proud father of a beautiful newborn baby girl went out looking for something special to buy for his little princess. He came across a few items of merchandise for young girls with animated characters on them, none of which represented his daughter. After making this discovery he went home to his wife and expressed his disappointment. So, using her creative flair they set out on a journey to develop a character that beautiful brown girls can relate to. The name Lela is of Swahili origin, meaning ‘black beauty.’ Our aim is for Lela to be an inspiration to children from all walks of life, encouraging them to feel good about themselves.