NYFW Spring 2012 -KLUK CGDT Made in Africa RTW Runway Review

Total looks: 15

KLUK CGDT's pieces usually run the whole gamut - chic tailored jackets, haute couture dresses, and a certain romantic air of lightness and softness. For Arise's Made in Africa collective, softness was the mood of choice, with layered, voluminous sheer dresses sweeping the runway, helped along by delicately embroidered hems and an entourage of fluffy feathers on a cropped jacket - a truly exquisite piece.

Veering away from what they do so well and into the territory of lace, was unexpected - at times it served them well (a sculpted satin blouse with black tulle skirt covered in lace flowers was spectacular), other times the lace seemed to detract from the experience. Nonetheless, it was the see-through tulles that pervaded the show, tastefully revealing undergarments, with embroidered lace and flowers adorning necklines and hemlines, infusing them with additional layers of detail and colour. Pinks and nudes were memorable highlights, with a other pieces delving into darker territory (deep blues and blacks).

Separates were also strong, with an emphasis on pairing more delicate features with the more sturdy - an asymmetric tulle dress was paired with pants, and a tulle skirt was paired with a blouse. Floor length dresses in midnight blue and soft lilac were adorned with zig-zag sheer panels and plunging backs, and in one case what seemed to be a furry raccoon tail. A darling dress with poet sleeves and a ruff collar was beautiful and delicate at once but interrupted with a little too much lace embroidery, as a few other looks were with oversized, chunky jewelry that competed with the pieces instead of complementing them. The pieces that were left alone mostly uninterrupted in their natural state of elegance seemed to work best. In all, Kluk CGDT showed a softer, more delicate side of fashion coming from the African continent, injecting evening wear with a bit of cheek, spunk, and elegance.

- SLiq

Photos: Bella Naija via Getty Images