MC Hunto (3:24)

Man. You know, you've often said that fashion called you, right? Like, not the other way around. What inner voice or experience told you way back when that media, culture and creativity would kind of be where you leave your mark on the world, brother?

Hugo Mozier (3:44)

Honestly, I have to for sure say God, because the inner voice is just like, it's louder than I can imagine. It's out of my control. Since I was a kid, I remember even just being in Nigeria, like, at four or five years old, my aunts that I see now, they were like, they'll tell me, like, even. We always knew that you were going to be in Hollywood. We always knew you were going to be a star. I think there was a certain, like, this energy. I feel like when you have a bigger purpose that's bigger than you, like, you can't. The voice is too loud, right? When you're driven by something bigger than yourself, which I believe I am, it was innate. But even deeper than that, I discovered recently. About a year ago, I was in my great grandfather's house in our village in Nemo in Nigeria, and I was looking through, I found this, like, family tree book that they made for him when he died. And with. It had like, our ancestors for like four generations back. It had like, their names and their occupation and like, you know, just the, the, like, who their kids were. And I was so shocked to see that I had like, I counted like eight or nine fashion designers since the 17, 1800. I'm like, Whoa. So does that mean that this is, this is in my DNA? Is it in my blood? Like, is fashion just, like, part of my lineage? And actually it is because just the fact that I had, like, they were like, oh, you're great, great, great grand uncle, like, fashion designer, design designer. And I was just, it was really dope to just unlock that because it made it, it put it all into perspective and also made me feel like what I, what I do is part of my destiny. And I'm actually, you know, making my ancestors proud by, by, by carrying the torch that they lit centuries ago.

MC Hunto (5:49)

I, I think you hit it on the head, man. Like, you're fulfilling the destiny, right? You're, you're, you're creating the new legacy with, with the family, with the ancestors. And I know everyone's amazingly proud of what you are doing and have done. And, you know, did, you know, did you think I'm going to be able to design for Beyonce and Diana Ross and all these. These big names that are icons, right?

Hugo Mozier (6:19)

Like.

MC Hunto (6:19)

Like, when did you. When did you get that first call and what was that first call like?

Hugo Mozier (6:27)

Well, so I. I think that my. My trajectory was pretty beautiful. You know, I moved to New York City at 17, straight out of high school. I graduated early. And just being in New York so young at that time, like, 2008, 2008, 2009, around that time was just a special electrifying time for artists and creatives, right? I think that my generation, we were the artists that really just created without any boundaries. Right? There we were. We were opening the doors and carving the way. Like, you know, working with people like Virgil Abloh and Jerry Lorenzo and Luigi. Like, our generation of creators, like, didn't put. We didn't. We don't put boundaries or limits to the possibilities, right? I mean, I was 17 and I was working well, interning, then assisting at Virgin Records. And in that space, I was exposed to so many amazing artists. And just the relationship that I was able to cultivate, like, let me know earlier, early, early ahead in my life, that I was going to make a big impact in big spaces with very important people. And not because, like, you know, I'm. I'm interested in celebrities and fans or in these people, but it's like, I just feel like I just know that what I have to offer and what I do is so elite and it's so precious. And it's so. It's. It's just. It's. It's made for people of, you know, the people that understand it are these kind of people. Like, when I remember when I. When I first worked with Stevie Wonder and like, that to me was, I think, the pivotal time for me because it allowed me to really just develop, like, real confidence. I'm like, if someone like this iconic, legendary, incredible human being can trust me to dress him and he can't even see. He doesn't. There's. There's no, there's no deeper level of trust than a blind person allowing you to trust them. I don't think it gets any deeper than that when it comes to, like, image and trust and just like. And we developed such a strong, beautiful relationship. And I think, like, from that point, that was the. That was it for me. After that, I was like, if Stevie can trust me to do my thing and look incredible. Like I, I know that my gift has been certified by God. Like I was like, that was my check. And you know, from then I realized that, you know, like the sky is really the limit. So when, obviously when I get these phone calls from incredible people to work with, it's always still such a blessing and I don't take it for granted one day. But it's also not, it's not shocking. It's not shocking to me that God is aligning me with the most powerful, influential human beings in the world because I believe that's the level of what my gift is.

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MC Hunto (10:08)

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MC Hunto (12:24)

Amen to that. And you're so humble, right? Like, you talked about graduating early, moving to New York and then going into some of the things. So, so I'm going to brag for you, bro. At 18, at 18, you co found Aston Mozier, like, talk to us a little bit about just that venture and how dope that was for. For the folks that don't know. Because I know when I was 18, man, like, I was, I was just trying to figure stuff out. You're over there starting companies, bro.

Hugo Mozier (12:55)

I mean, honestly, at that point, we have bills to pay. Like we have. We had no choice. You start something or go clean somewhere. It wasn't, it wasn't too many options. But Aston Mozier was my first fashion brand that I founded with my best friend at the time, Quinn Astin. It was Quinn Astin, Ugo Mose. We actually, we moved from Houston together. We are, we are high school friends. Moved from Houston together to New York. And within our first year, we developed this collection, developed this brand, and we launched it during New York Fashion Week two years later. And that was for me, by launching, launching a brand at 18 during New York Fashion Week was such a special time because it was a, it was a time before the rise of streetwear and where like this, you know, like, there's a middle ground in fashion that exists today where like the young, young designers, aspiring designers, fresh designers are getting a voice in fashion. At that time, you either had Gucci and Dior and Louis Vuitton or you had Zara and H and M like, and like Uniqlo. There was, there wasn't many brands in between. Like, young, young people were not given the opportunity to operate on that scale. So for me, I created a brand that was something that I wanted to see at the time. You know, like, we wanted, we wanted stuff that, you know, one our peers can afford, stuff that was like, ahead of the trends. We created and launched it and it was so special because the response was, was phenomenal. You know, we were, we were in every publication you can imagine. You know, I thought the fashion World got like. That was my introduction, if you will. Like, my baptism into fashion was launching that brand, and we. We rocked it for a few years before we parted our ways. But that was honestly a very pivotal part of my foundation.

MC Hunto (15:01)

Fashion wholeheartedly. And it doesn't stop, man. Like, you're always creating, you're always being innovative, you're always looking at the future, but staying relevant in the present. Right. Which I think is really hard in the fashion world. I'd love to give you the floor, man, to talk about 11:16, a little bit, and the things that you have going on there and some of the cool things that are going to be coming out for the world to see and share.

Hugo Mozier (15:25)

Yes, indeed. So 1116, my baby is. I would say it's. It's a. A combination of, like, my life work, right? It's. It's a brand that I'm building. Well, that I'm launching in February, officially. But it is a African luxury lifestyle brand, right? It's beyond fashion and beyond clothing. It's about culture. It's about. It's about education. It's about informing the world on the reality of Africa. How I've seen it, how my peers see it, like, how we see it every day. You know, as a. As a immigrant that moved to America at the age of five, one of my biggest struggles as a child was the misconception on Africa, right? I would. My parents kept me very in touch and grounded. Like, we would spend summers and holidays in Nigeria, and I would come back from school. I mean, I'll come back to school, and the kids would be like, oh, what's it like? You know, like being in a place with all those flies and, like, being a place with, like, you know, with no water and having to just, like, this. The wildest things, the meanest things you can say and tell a kid. But, like, that never really shattered my pride. It didn't. It didn't make me embarrassed where I came from. If anything, it just encouraged me to just, like, want to prove to people, like, that's not what it is. Like, you guys have no clue. Like, actually, my house in Nigeria is bigger than my house in America. Like, we have maids and drivers, and we have, like, waterfalls and museums and everything you have here, we have there, too. And I think that, you know, through my. My career, you know, I. It became such a drive. My storytelling was being able to incorporate just, like, African culture and African legacy and heritage into the conversation. You know, whether I'm styling Justin Bieber or Travis Scott, like, you're going to see a touch of culture somewhere. So when it comes to 11:16, I. I'm building and creating a brand that encompasses all these things, right? We're collaborating with the most amazing artisans and craftsmen all over the continent of Africa to, you know, from beading in Kenya to cottons and fabrics from Morocco to just textiles from all over Nigeria and dyeing in the, the Kano diapits and making bronzes in Benin and, you know, getting beads from South Africa. Like, these are all the elements that are, you know, telling the story for 11:16. So when people, you know, see this brand when it's launched, like when they buy a piece of our garment, they're buying a piece of culture, a piece of history, you know, they're buying this story that hasn't really been told on this kind of forefront before. You know, I want to, you know, as a stylist for, for 10 plus years, you know, I've gone and shopped and worked with every brand under the sun. And one, you know, one thing that I, I did not see enough was people like us, you know, I not see enough African brands operating on a larger scale. You know, being in stores like Bergdorf and Neiman Marcus and Saks. Like, you're not seeing Made in Africa on the shelves, right? Like, they're not, they're not, they're not qualifying Made in Africa clothing as luxury at these places. And this is what is inspiring and driving 11 16, because we're changing the narrative and we're opening those doors and, you know, it's, it's. There's so many incredible African designers and artists and creators that I want to be able to use our platform to shine light onto.

MC Hunto (19:46)

I love that, man. I love that. I'm so proud of you for that. You know, when I introed you and talked about how bold you are, how innovative you are, like, that's the representation of that. And so again, I just want to thank you for the things that you do, man. It means the world to me for sure.

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MC Hunto (22:26)

That'S aspiring to be a creative, a designer, a stylist and all that, man, like, what's, what's one piece of advice you'd give them to get started.

Hugo Mozier (22:35)

For the creator that's trying to get into fashion or design, into the style space, I would say that your strongest weapon is your perspective, your personal perspective. Right. Like, it's so easy to be influenced and inspired by the magazines and advertisements and the Runway shows and this and that. But what's going to set you apart and what's going to get you hired and booked is going to be your point of view and your personal perspective. And this comes from digging within. What do you like, what's your story? Right, right. Like, what part of your childhood, your upbringing, your, you know, your experiences can you bring to create this aesthetic? So, yeah, that's it. Because at the end of the day, when you think about your favorite anything, whether it's a. Whether they're an athlete or a musician or an actor, like, what you love most about Them is that they're them we love most about them is their personality, right? And it's about like their unique individuality. Like we're in a world where it's so easy to be the same. It's so easy to blend in. It's so easy to know I follow a trend. But what's going to make you stand out, get hired, make a name for yourself is your perspective.

MC Hunto (24:12)

Mm, that's deep, man. As and to me that also translates into other industries, right? Like your perspective is what, where it really matters for leaders. I talk about that all the time. Like it's gotta be you. You've gotta be authentic. Because if not, the world has enough copycats, right? Copycat copycats don't make it past 15 minutes, brother.

Hugo Mozier (24:33)

So you, right, you get spotted a mile away, right? Inauthenticity can be spotted a mile away. And again, like you said, it goes across the board everywhere, right? Every, every industry, you know, every industry from food to hospitality, right? Like what you like about a place is the uniqueness. What makes you come back is that you're finding something there that you can't find other places. So if you're here selling the same T shirts that John, Jane and Bob are selling, like now it's a, it's a matter of who's selling the cheapest, right? It's not about like coming to you for your quality or what. I'm coming to you because either you're the cheapest or you know, and that to me is not, that's not really creating, that's not really designing. You know, there's one by being in, being in fashion, right? Like there's, there's people that are in fashion strictly for, you know, the commerce and you know, for, for, for the business side. And there's people that are in fashion that are actually designing and creating and then there's people that are meeting in the middle. And I think that I'm meeting in the middle because in order for me to operate and grow and scale, like the creative and the art is one thing, but my team is so important, right? Like the people that I have around me on a day to day, like my, my from my assistants to my project managers to my creative director is my art directors, like everybody around me is what really makes this ship and this engine move.

MC Hunto (26:14)

I love that, brother.

Hugo Mozier (26:15)

So the. Yeah, I guess I'll add, I'll add to that. That's another, another advice I would give to upcoming creatives is building the right team, right? Like building the right team you cannot do it by yourself. Whether you're a painter or like, whatever you are. Like, you need people around you that believe in your vision, that can push you, that can tell you the truth, and that can just keep you in mind for opportunities.

MC Hunto (26:43)

Amen. Amen. It's all about the team, man. It's all about the team. Well, Ugo, man, I know you're so busy. I know you have a lot going on. I'm honored that you took some time with us out of this busy schedule that you have, man. Where can people find and follow you again? I'm just going to say Google them. Google them and you'll see everything. But where do you want people to connect with you?

Hugo Mozier (27:05)

The honor was mine. It was such a great, great time speaking to you, MC man. You guys can find me on Instagram at ugomozier or ugomose.com and you can also find the brand at 11:16. I love it spelled out. 11:16 written out.

MC Hunto (27:28)

There we go. I'll make sure I have links to all of that in the show notes and descriptions. Ugo, man, again, this. This meant the world to me to spend some time with an icon again. I know how humble you are, but, bro, you are that icon. And so keep. Keep being that. You are now the shoulders that people are standing on, man. So. So keep doing what you do.

Hugo Mozier (27:49)

Ah, much love, man. I hold that with so much gratitude.

MC Hunto (27:55)

You got it. And for all the viewers and listeners, remember your because is your superpower. Go unleash it.

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Hugo Mozier (28:21)

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MC Hunto (28:38)

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