PORTFOLIO
Zara Okonkwo
Creative Director
PROFILE
Creative Director shaping brand identities for music labels, fashion houses, and cultural institutions. 7 years across Lagos and London. Currently leading creative at independent agency Kindred & Co. Recent work for Boiler Room, Skepta, and the V&A Africa Fashion exhibition. Believes great brand work happens at the intersection of subculture and craft.
EXPERIENCE
Creative Director
Kindred & Co · London, UK
Apr 2022 — Present
- Lead creative across 25+ projects annually with team of 6 designers and 3 strategists, billing average £35k per engagement
- Directed identity system for V&A Africa Fashion exhibition — winner of D&AD Wood Pencil 2023 and Brand Impact Award
- Built agency reputation in music + culture vertical — clients now include Boiler Room, NTS Radio, Skepta's SK Music, and three Universal Music sub-labels
Senior Designer
Pentagram London · London, UK
Aug 2019 — Mar 2022
- Worked on Daniel Weil's team across cultural institution rebrands including Tate Modern wayfinding refresh and Royal Opera House digital identity
- Selected for Pentagram's emerging talent showcase 2021 — featured in Eye Magazine and It's Nice That
- Mentored 2 junior designers through to associate level
Brand Designer
Studio Lagos · Lagos, Nigeria
Jul 2017 — Jul 2019
- Co-founded studio with 2 partners — built portfolio across Nigerian fashion brands (Kenneth Ize, Orange Culture) and Lagos cultural events
- Selected for Lagos Design Week 2018 emerging studios cohort
- Designed identity for Lagos Photo Festival 2019 — used across all festival surfaces
EDUCATION
MA Communication Design
Royal College of Art · London, UK
2015 — 2017
BA Graphic Design
Yaba College of Technology · Lagos, Nigeria
2011 — 2015
SKILLS
LANGUAGES
English
Native
Yorùbá
Native
French
Conversational
AWARDS
D&AD Wood Pencil — Brand Identity
2023
Brand Impact Award — Cultural Sector
2023
Pentagram Emerging Talent
2021
Lagos Design Week Selected Studio
2018