At just 18 years old, Gbemi Okunola spent over 100 hours teaching herself how to sew. What started as a passion project soon turned into a business when she officially launched Alonuko Bridals in 2015. With £15,000 she had saved from sewing custom pieces for clients, Gbemi took the leap into fashion entrepreneurship. She later crowdfunded an additional £15,000, bringing her startup capital to £30,000.
The journey started small but steady. Gbemi had always been inspired by her mother, who made dresses at home, and she followed in her footsteps. As a teenager, she repurposed thrifted fabrics to design dresses for herself, later turning that skill into a business when a friend introduced her to her first paying customer. From there, she took deposits to buy materials and began making custom dresses. The real turning point came when her sister got married, and Gbemi made her first-ever wedding dress. That experience solidified her passion for bridal fashion and marked the beginning of what would become a globally recognised brand.
Starting wasn’t without its challenges, but Gbemi had an advantage: a bit of a following from her appearance on The Young Apprentice. That exposure helped her attract an audience to her first-ever fashion show, which had an impressive 400 attendees. The initial £30,000 she raised went directly into production, model payments, event organisation, and marketing.
While Alonuko Bridals grew at a steady pace, the moment that catapulted Gbemi’s business into international recognition came in 2022. Actress Danielle Brooks wore a custom Alonuko wedding dress featuring an illusion net that perfectly matched her skin tone, something that was rarely seen at the time, especially for darker-skinned brides. The internet went wild. The dress not only shattered the long-held belief that Black women had limited bridalwear options, but it also proved that plus-sized brides could have couture-level, perfectly tailored wedding gowns.
That viral moment changed everything. A typical Alonuko wedding dress sells for around £9,000, but Danielle Brooks’ gown was priced at £15,000. The buzz around the dress opened doors to the U.S. market, where 70% of Alonuko’s current sales now come from, while 25% come from the UK and the remaining 5% from other parts of the world. To nurture this newfound demand, Gbemi and her team started hosting sample sale and bridal showcases four times a year. The goal? Convert social media followers into real, paying customers.
Financially, the early days were tough. In its first year, Alonuko made just £20,000 in revenue. By 2021, the brand had pivoted from fully bespoke designs to a made-to-order model, significantly increasing efficiency and profitability. That year, revenue hit £150,000, and with a double-progression growth model in place, things took off. In 2021, Gbemi also secured £250,000 in funding from friends and family, a decision she says she wouldn’t have made earlier in her business journey, as it would have been too risky. But at the right moment, it was exactly what she needed to scale. In 2024, Alonuko generated £1.4 million in revenue with under 150 dresses sold. Now, the brand has its sights set on an even bigger milestone: £3.5 million in revenue by 2025.
Gbemi understands that success in the luxury bridal industry isn’t just about selling dresses, it’s about building a community. She believes that brides need to feel like they are part of something special to justify investing thousands in a gown. That emotional connection is what keeps Alonuko thriving.
As Alonuko continues to grow, Gbemi faces new challenges: hiring the right team, maintaining customer engagement, and constantly innovating to stay ahead. But if the past 10 years have taught her anything, it’s that every challenge is just another mountain to climb. And for Gbemi Okunola, the view from the top keeps getting better.
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All photos from Alukonu on Instagram
