Download our app
You can pay in cheques, transfer money, and do much more, all from your mobile.
Moving the needle
Gbemi Okunlola was just 11 years old when she made her first dress at home in London, unaware that she was sewing the seeds for a thriving future business. Alonuko sells beautiful bespoke bridal dresses and evening wear worldwide and is one of the winners of the Channel 4 and Lloyds Black In Business initiative.
Read time: 5 mins Added: 03/06/25
From childhood hobby to global fashion brand
Many entrepreneurial journeys start accidentally. As a child with a sewing machine at home and watching her mother create gowns, Gbemi Okunlola began making dresses for herself and realised she had a natural talent for it. As the years passed, friends and family asked her to make dresses for them too. She soon realised she could turn her passion into a business.
There was no big vision in those formative years. “I didn’t have a goal to reach a £1 million turnover or have a team of employees when I started out. It was only around three to four years ago after Alonuko’s first raise that I finally understood what scale was possible,” she reflects.
Overcoming a common hurdle
Growing a business from home into a global brand will always come with obstacles. Like other Black female entrepreneurs, Gbemi struggled to secure funding to fuel her growth plans. The Lloyds Black. British. In Business and Proud report in 2022 found that only three in ten Black business owners approach banks for finance (PDF, 5MB) due to fear of taking on debt, being rejected and not knowing which funding option to choose.
Black women in the UK are probably one of the most underrepresented people in business and receiving investment. The challenge of getting funding affected the growth rate of the business. We did a funding round in 2022, but that was all through friends and family. We’re currently raising a new round of funding to accelerate our global expansion and support marketing efforts - an area where we've achieved growth with zero spend to date.
Gbemi Okunlola Founder, AlonukoVisibility is important
Alonuko aims to make everyone feel seen and heard with something as important as their wedding dress. “Using a particular material and illusion tulles to match different skin tones has helped our brand grow by making people feel they’ve genuinely been considered, so when they try their dresses on, they appreciate it’s been made just for them,” Gbemi observes.
Representation is also essential through initiatives such as Black In Business because it lets others with an idea see what’s possible. “Entrepreneurs don’t always know how far they can go or what platforms they could be on, which can stop them from taking their first steps. Opportunities like this could encourage and motivate Black-owned businesses to put themselves forward,” she comments.
Making the most of fitting rewards
As well as securing £150,000 worth of TV advertising on Channel 4, each of the four winners also receive mentoring from senior executives at Channel 4 and Lloyds. Gbemi was delighted to learn that her mentor will be Samantha Hicks, Head of Sales Strategy at Channel 4. “A lot of brands in this space don’t last, so I’m looking forward to learning more about the strategies that drive long-term success, from refining our operations to strengthening our brand presence,” she enthuses.
Preparations are underway to put the foot down on the gas when Alonuko’s TV advert hit our screens. “The audience won’t be primarily brides-to-be who are looking to spend five figures on a dress, so it’s also about the visibility of our bridesmaid dresses and evening wear on our website to maximise the opportunities,” Gbemi says.
Getting dressed for overseas success
The business already has a strong customer base in the US, Africa and the UK. One vital difference that’s come to the fore is the price point of our wedding dresses stateside to here at home, with the US averaging around £9,000 compared to £6,500 in the UK.
Gbemi adapted to this by having products such as bridesmaid dresses available in the UK at a lower price point to cater for budgets, demand and the market. “Our main clientele in America is the Black American community, whereas here in the UK, it's a lot more varied. So even when it comes down to the models we have in the dresses and their body shapes, it speaks to the different cultures and backgrounds that are served here in the UK in comparison to the US,” she mentions.
One thing is for sure - there’s never been a lack of practical advice and support, but to grow, you need capital, and that’s been our biggest hurdle.
Gbemi Okunlola Founder, AlonukoGoing global with gowns
There are significant plans to cement the brand’s reputation in the current markets while also exploring new ones, including Angola (where demand is high) and adding pop-up stores to the US experience.
With many new lines coming for evening wear, Gbemi aims to turn Alonuko into an international brand. This strategy involves developing brand partnerships with other wedding businesses that share the same values.
With top-notch designs and a desire to make brides feel like a million dollars on their big day, Alonuko has all the threads in place for a successful future.
You can catch Alonuko’s TV advert from July onwards, exclusively on Channel 4.
Delivering game-changing advertising opportunities
Read more about the other Black In Business winners and what they hope to gain from the initiative.