MAKI OH PRESENTS "EVERYTHING IN PROPORTION"
ABOUT MAKI OH [By Amaka Osakwe]: "Aroused by a strong sense of identity and African culture, the brand creates alluring conversational pieces that fuse traditional techniques with detailed construction."
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There's hardly a day that goes by that we don't make a new Africa-related discovery. Our latest "find" comes from a word-of-mouth recommendation - a good friend attended a fashion presentation in Lagos recently and wouldn't stop gushing. So we decided to pay attention.
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[photo courtesy of flickr user versartile]
Maki Oh's F/W 2010 12-piece debut collection draws its strength from a fusion of art and tradition, resulting in bold, crafted pieces that are a unique and refreshing take on traditional fabrics like indigo cloth [popularly called "aaro" <ah-row>] common among the Yoruba people of western Nigeria. Modern design elements are infused with cultural undertones - draping, silk and sheer detailing co-exist alongside aso-oke [woven cloth], adire [traditional tie-and-dye] without the slightest hint that they don't belong together.
[photo courtesy of flickr use versartile]
According to Maki Oh, the collection successfully captures the concept of "coming of age" because it captures "self-discovery through a gradual systematic cloaking and adornment in the ornamental sensuality of womanhood, as seen in the rites of passage around the continent...[including] the progressive rituals of the dipo ceremony of rural Ghana..." This is a collection that's bound to engage those among us with a penchant for history and even those among us who simply have an abiding love for all things beautiful.
Here's a closer look at the pieces:
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[photo courtesy of flickr use versartile]
According to Maki Oh, the collection successfully captures the concept of "coming of age" because it captures "self-discovery through a gradual systematic cloaking and adornment in the ornamental sensuality of womanhood, as seen in the rites of passage around the continent...[including] the progressive rituals of the dipo ceremony of rural Ghana..." This is a collection that's bound to engage those among us with a penchant for history and even those among us who simply have an abiding love for all things beautiful.
Here's a closer look at the pieces:
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a. Loose harem-style pants [aso-oke in the first look and indigo cloth in the second] with tapered cuffs. The indigo pants are particularly charming paired with a top fashioned from "hand-cut and stitched calabash pieces."
b. Indigo and other shades of blue vie with sheer tops for attention. The circle motifs seen extensively throughout this collection speak to "the partial nudity of the initiates throughout the dipo ceremony."
c. Dresses feature the predominant colors in this collection - beige and blue. The sheer panels and motifs that adorn the beige dresses are extraordinary.
d. Jumpsuits with clinched waists and varying necklines. The piece on the extreme right is to-die-for.
Absolutely brilliant and definitely on our list of out-of-Africa/Nigeria brands to watch. How impressed are you on a scale of 1-10?
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Connect with Maki Oh:
Website: maki-oh.com
Mobile: +234 704 267 6744
E-mail: info@maki-oh.com
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1 comment:
WOW LOOOVE this collection!! Naija fashion is really stepping up! Lovely collection!
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