LAGOS FASHION & DESIGN WEEK DAY 2 || A CRITICAL VIEW

Day two of fashion week had a new story to tell, it made me wonder if all the adire's and aso oke's were kept mainly for day one.

Though there were some similarities in designs that cut across from the previous day.

orange culture

house of marie

I arrived a bit late at the show missing the opening act orange culture and house of marie.

I tried to locate a good sit during Chechi Arinze's show but it still caught my eye. It was a collection filled with gorgeous hair pieces and nicely lined up almost bridal looking pieces, the fashion focus designers of this day had more to offer and I was a bit happy about that.

Iola was next and going from being a stylist to being a designer can be both tricky and challenging but she did have something to offer, not super different as it reminded so much of the ready to wear designers that we have come to love and accept, but in general it was a well put together collection  using prints in blue and white tones while using beautiful fringe earrings in the colour yellow to create a pop.

Vedel's was a collection of beautiful dresses, very feminine, delicate and flirty in design. her choice colours were pink and black as well. I didn't like the fascinators she used because i felt she could have made hers to complete the looks perfectly but her designs, the use of tulle, lace and the detail on her collars and shoulders were well done.

Wanger Ayu 's was a beautiful display of the colour blue as well but in the royal blue shade, using frills, prints and textures that said something more than usual about the colour. The structured pieces that ranged from work (corporate) wear  to two pieces and dresses can be said to be commercial. 

she rounded the collection up with a beautiful evening gown in blue as well with frill bottom detail that kept everyone somewhat speechless.

Orente Ayaba had something to say about lagos, has her fabric prints carried its name and its borderline not all but the ones that caught my eye, she used colours like blues, whites and yellows to tell her story, she had something to say even though it wasn't loud enough.

Menswear designer Josh Samuels was up and he presented what he believed is a  classical suit collection as Jidenna's Classic man was playing, however I wasn't thrilled that he believed adding two extra bright coloured buttons to a double breasted jacket was class. I didn't like that the models didn't look as sharp as they should and that the suit and ties didn't sit well. I'm all for the nice shirts beneath the suit but I totally hated that the buttons they took the shine away from the outfit because minus them what we had were beautiful suits in very rich colours.

Akpos Okudu as always been that girl that knows her stuff, a portharcout based designer who has earned a name even in Lagos. She showed a well curated collection in pastel Pink made of embellished lace. The first look was breathtaking, a delicate jumpsuit with a tiny strap holding the cup all the way to the back and that moved gently to more similar pieces with the same story. I loved the big sleeves and off shoulder merge in one of the pieces.

However I would have wished she switched up the fabric a bit and used more textures as well and that she finished each piece properly as there were thread flying all around the place. Hers was a good collection but a poorly finished one.

Fayrous original winner's Meddlelane showcased their collection next and I enjoyed watching designs that were in line with there previous collection.

The high collared neck, the sash, the capes and the man shorts. I loved the flare male pants and the singlet tops for men as well and the pop of colours that they served us. However the choice of some of the fabrics could have been better but this was such a beautiful collection.

Moofa designs were enchanting as she played with fabrics as well as prints and served us a good collection with a few worthy pieces and some butterflies.

However she made some wrong choices in terms of fabrics. I didn't like her last dress as well she could have chosen a nicer piece to close the show.

Onalaja was the designer that finally made me feel like I was at fashion week, it was everything from the designs to the colours to the tailoring. Her collection seemed to be inspired by the breast cancer month yet it was such a breath of fresh air, her simple yet clean lined cuts were everything. I also like how they graduated from plain pieces to print pieces and how she played with basics like shirts and full skirts and off shoulder and boob dresses. Her skirts moved gracefully on the models like waves and everyone in the hall including guys could envision themselves or someone they love in those pieces. She is a designer that definitely deserved to be at the show as she closed the show with the most simple yet delicately tailored most elegant wedding dress worthy pink slip dress that even marilyn monroe would come alive just to be seen in the burlesque inspired piece.

Gozel green deviated from their clean minimal lines to a collection they called "Marching to kilimanjaro" I wish I could ask them what inspired this collection and maybe I will. It had similarity in aesthetics with maxivive as they also plaid with the trouser details on dresses and blouses. I respect that the collection was well themed and curated and nicely depicted all they wanted to say. I loved the colours, fabrics and textures and how they plaid with the denim pieces as denim in Nigeria is yet to be explored. Their expertise can be seen as they had some nicely cut sleeves and tops.

I loved that their style and aesthetic  might be undergoing a change but that their tailoring still remains top notch.

Ejiro Amos Tafiri is one of those designers that you love and hate. Her show started with her trying to choke us or maybe incense her enemies to death whichever applies.

Sitting down and asking one's self as a designer what people are yet to be doing and what route they are yet to be taking is very important and I'm so sure that is what she did prior to designing this collection.

She played with textures and fabrics and cuts and designs. She introduces a new double sleeve trend and switched up the Agbada trend from last season by adding more volume to the sleeve for the females. That cyan jumpsuit took me to fashion heaven and back as she used colour block in a new but minimalistic way. She also served us the x factor neckline as well in two beautiful jumpsuit closing the show with some bridal pieces in cream and pink.

Ruffles, volumes and frills were a very dominant part of her collection. All together it was a collection that understood what it was to be Nigerian, the different people who live here and how conservative we have to be and how stylish we are.

Loza Maleombho is the designer I looked forward to seeing the most, she had always been one of my favourite as she is very artsy, creative and detailed with her pieces. Her footwear was simply breathtaking as well. I was a bit disappointed that she showed an old collection as I'm a avid follower of her work, I have seen this on her site but I loved how she brought her home to us here in Nigeria, asking the models to dance and move to the beat and music and the models for the first time seemed to love that so much.

Loza's pieces from the off shoulder tops to the fringed detail sleeves and skirts, criss cross backs and the cut outs and scallop on the pieces kept everyone excited and kept me as love struck as I have always been with her art and pieces.

Maki Oh is a fashion force and one of the biggest exports out of Nigeria and africa as a whole and she deserves every hype she gets. You can talk textures and talk laces but only a few people know how to truly put it together. She is one of them. The laser cut patterned black fabrics mix with a few others like Adire's, laces, cottons and fringes translated into nice pieces.

Her pieces were ever so feminine with slits and plunging necklines all over the runway. The scallops on the tops, skirts and the sheer fabrics would make anyone feel sexy.

Then came that gold number, metallic gold, shiny with long flare sleeves. All the off shoulder pieces kept me wishing for more and that hausa inspired blouse had a lot to say about how thoughtful she is.

All I would say is, this is Maki Oh and whether it's keeping everyone awake with that Aro Dan fashion video or keeping everyone following the models around the room just to catch a more conscious glance of her piece no one can do it better than her and so far no one did.

All in all it was a good day two, I got a customised phone case for free at the sterling bank 'Just in Case' stand and I also got to spend some quality time with friends so I'm glad about that and it was so much more in terms of designs than day one's show.