Ini Sebastian Ikpe, “The Style Dealer,” is a leading celebrity stylist and image consultant who has masterfully crafted his dynamic career by building a network of firebrand clients alongside key relationships with legacy media brands. Ikpe’s keen eye for fine tailoring that captures an immaculate fit, alongside his focus on collaborative styling partnerships, has helped him emerge as one of the fashion industry’s premier styling talents in 2023 and beyond. 

 

Ikpe’s early forays into fashion began in 2010, styling himself during his first career as a personal banker in Philadelphia. After purchasing business suits from Ebay, Ikpe invested in tailoring to achieve a custom fit with creative detailing – a sure standout amidst the muted investment banking landscape long plagued by monotonous, uninspired garb. From there Ikpe, who was quickly being recognized locally as “The Style Dealer,” leveraged the power of social media to capture the attention of his first clients, several NFL players via his popular Instagram page, SuitGrid, a menswear styling page that amassed 250k+ followers. The next several years saw Ikpe working diligently to cultivate strong relationships and collaboration; as his influence and network expanded, it became evident his passion was taking flight. By 2014 the account received numerous influencer accolades and partnerships for fashion and menswear brands such as GQ, Uniqlo, Armani Exchange, Timex, Common Projects, and Ralph Lauren. A mere year later in 2015, Ikpe recognized the unique opportunity and pivoted, turning styling into a full-fledged career.

 

Over the course of his career, Ikpe has styled numerous athletes and celebrities including Adekunle Gold, David Guetta, Laz Alonso, Jordan Matthews, Uchenna Nwosu, Eric Murray, and Francis Ngannou. His work has been featured in Vogue, Coveteur, and EBONY. He has been highly sought after for partnerships with prominent brands such as K-Swiss, Todd & Gunn, Gillette, and Coach, along with a host of others. Nothing has been more impactful and personally rewarding, however, as the relationships he’s fostered with Black-owned brands such as Visionary Society, Garcon Couture, Geechie, Overlook Frames, and Tier NYC to bring awareness to complex issues and empower change. Recognized for his skillful use of social media and videography to create original content that is visually stimulating and culturally impactful, in more recent years Ikpe has expanded into image consulting and creative storytelling. He has hosted numerous episodes of the “League Fits” YouTube series by Slam Magazine and created the TV series “Style Sold Separately,” with Super Bowl champions Rodney McLeod and Malcolm Jenkins. Looking ahead to the future, Ikpe is venturing into fashion design with the launch of his upcoming menswear line, Abasi.

 

A native son of Nigeria who was born and raised in West Philadelphia, Ikpe is proudly HBCU-made from The Lincoln University where he joined Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Fueled by his love for fashion, Ikpe can be found enjoying a Gin and Tonic on a scenic rooftop plotting his next move.

​