Photo Diary: Arise Made in Africa Real Style

Arise Magazine's Made in Africa event may have come and gone, but it's not too late to join us on a stylish excursion as we highlight the real style on display, with pictures courtesy of Seye at Rocks and Roses (she's the gorgeous lady in the ikat jacket below), and words and collages by Shop Liquorice. Enjoy.

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).

NYFW Spring 2012 - Jewel by Lisa Made in Africa RTW Runway Review

Total looks: 18


When Jewel by Lisa entered the scene in 2005, few could have predicted embellished tiered skirts would usher in one of Africa's most recognized and loved brands. With that love at an all-time high, JBL seems to have taken the liberty to chart new courses - a welcome, fruitful soul-searching indeed - but what does this mean for JBL enthusiasts who may be accustomed to a certain way?

While the JBL label takes its global appeal very seriously, it was surprising to see a first of its kind return to roots for Spring 2012, with vintage photographs (JD Okhai's in particular) and Nigeria in the 60s influencing silhouettes and mood. Think of this new direction as a sampling platter of a modern take on heritage and tradition, taking JBL on a new journey with lace (she tries it on for size, it seems, and it's a perfect fit - more, please), traditional menswear silhouettes common in Western Nigeria, with more than a pit stop in a colonial heritage of safari chic, and an array of custom prints, ranging from the abstract 'dancing women' (a moment of pure genius) to a joyful array of candy colours.

NYFW Spring 2012 - Lanre da Silva-Ajayi Made in Africa Runway Review

Total looks: 16

Lanre da Silva-Ajayi's pieces always seem to have an effortless innate, elegance about them, and for her showing at Arise, LDA stepped boldly into that core, using luxurious lace as a base, an embellishment, and as colorful layers invoking the sense of an alluring, wild bloom and delicate flapping butterflies. Strong, bold colours were combined with mastery,  enhancing - not drowning - clean lines and silhouettes. 

A visual treat ensued, as a pink lace skirt was highlighted by yellow undertones and paired with a satin blouse spruced with an embellished white lace bib, alongside a see-through neon green lace blouse, and layered purple lace shorts. For all the deft use colour, black seemed to lurk and eventually infiltrate, showing up as a belt, hem, and then a full-blown blouse. A light powder pink was combined with white and covered in petals and stones, giving the illusion of a creeping bloom contained and turned into a lampshade in one look and a strong bouquet shoulder in another. This was very LDA - art, class, construction (not unlike Italian architecture she used as a reference point this season), and we wished she stayed in this moment a little longer.

NYFW Spring 2012 - Pierre Antoine Vettorello Made in Africa RTW Runway Review

Total looks: 10

One might be forgiven for expecting an excursion to flighty places with Pierre Antoine Vettorello, and one might be forgiven for coming away with mixed feelings. After an electrifying show at Arise Magazine Fashion Week in Lagos, after which he was awarded the Most Innovative Designer of the year award, we - perhaps wrongly - equated Pierre with an avant-garde aesthetic; a certain high art, borderline theatrical quality that his pieces at New York didn't seem to fully embrace.

Jaws burst out of satin blouses when Pierre was at his finest, silhouettes were simple and not far-reaching enough when he started to stray. Case in point: short, swingy skirts and short shorts - pretty, but that's not what we come to Pierre for.

The colour palette was rich in deep blue and maroon, with gorgeous prints emerging along the way, but not fully explored in this 10-piece collection. Highlights include a suede armour-like jacket, elaborate venus fly trap hats, and a cropped sleeveless suede jacket with two frontal pockets, while other pieces ranged from a silver jacket to a belted romper. 

Granted, Pierre is fiercely talented, but perhaps this New York showcase was premature and tame. It is possible to find a balance between art and commercial success, and there's every sense that Pierre Antoine Vettorello may need to rediscover that balance.

- SLiq

Images: Getty Images via Bella Naija

NYFW Spring 2012 - Bunmi Koko Made in Africa Runway Review

Total looks: 11

Bunmi Koko comes with a confidence that doesn't need to announce itself or brag but isn't bashful either - the level of work and thought that goes into each collection, from planning to execution is always evident in the final product. Whether the inspiration is geishas, masquerades, or the alluring sirens of Greek mythology as it was for Spring 2012, the result always bears the stamp of expert, sure hands.

It began with a sleeveless slip-like dress in a very light orange and rounded off with a full blown Bunmi Koko production - floor length, sculpted, origami bodice, sheer skirt, midnight blue, yellow highlights; a truly extraordinary piece of work, competing with only an origami jacket with a beige inset belted with rope for our full attention. A vaguely nautical theme pervaded in the sampling of aqua and cool blues and pleated prints mimicking the surface of water, while the pairing of a layered, pleated yellow skirt and a sheer yellow blouse with stunning breakaway flaps was heartbreakingly perfect.

[Screen capture by Shop Liquorice]

One small problem - this collection featured only eleven pieces and while we wished we could've seen more, we have to admit that it also seemed fully complete. Pieces seemed more fluid and relaxed - uncharacteristic of Bunmi Koko's previous collections with strong angular sleeves on statement dresses and jackets - but still very confident, from a pintucked sleeveless blouse paired with pleated palazzo pants, to swim wear, and the most extraordinary sheer, cropped top held up with a silver bra paired with a free silk below-the-knee skirt.

Some pieces may have been a little too relaxed, but the mastery that held the collection together, and the details - from sheer nude sleeves, to rope belts and chunky rope necklaces - were robust and spellbinding. Bunmi Olaye is a gifted story teller and as the collection moved from yellow to blue, reminding us of the strong alluring pull of Greek sirens and the eventual drowning and destruction of their targets, it may not be too farfetched to say Bunmi Koko blew this one out of the water.

- SLiq

Photos: Getty Images via Bella Naija

NYFW Spring 2012 - Tsemaye Binitie Made in Africa RTW Runway Review

Total looks: 17


For Tsemaye Binitie's Spring 2012 collection, clean lines may touch on a minimalist sensibility, but what also emerges is a strong eye for detail (sheer insets in white pants and a pink jacket, for instance) and a mixed bag of pieces that lend themselves to multiple uses. What Binitie lacks (by no means an adverse 'lack') in pomp, he makes up for in practicality rooted in a quiet but increasingly confident creativity.

There was a gradual build-up from more simple (requisite maxi skirts, pants and simple dresses) to more visually engaging pieces - one standout layered pink dress broke through the pack, as did a red carpet ready white lace dress with organza sleeves and an elaborate feather hem - a luxurious blend of elements expertly tackled. Pieces were at once covered up and revealing with the use of sheer overlays and lace, but it was details like a floaty train on a floor length gray dress, and the use of billowy vents on seemingly plain pieces that gave the collection movement and charm. Unfortunately, little of this is captured in the runway photographs - great emphasis is placed on frontal shots while the real action happened behind. Exposed zips were prevalent, as were thigh high slits that amped up the sultriness. Custom Tsemaye Binitie leather belts adorned with crystals kept the focus on the waistline.

Colours graduated from white to pink and gold, with black and grey detours (as seen in jersey on the back of a prim belted white leotard - again, a missing detail in runway shots), with pieces showing a remarkable range from a pink embellished blouse, to a knockout floor length dress in pink and red jewel tones, and a short and sweet little white dress. Admittedly, some pieces were not strong or Tsemaye enough (a short gold dress comes to mind), but the majority of pieces were re-assuring enough that Tsemanye is a strong rising star  - easily the breakout star of the evening.

From choice of fabric to construction, execution and a stunning point of view (seen here and in previous collections), there's hardly any doubt in our minds that this two-year old brand has much to contribute to the future of luxury in Africa and beyond.

- SLiq

Photos: Getty Images via Bella Naija

NYFW Spring 2012 - Asibelua Made In Africa RTW Runway Review

Total looks: 20

Accepting the mantle for re-defining African fashion on the global stage where Africa is sometimes relegated to wild prints and safaris, is Asibelua. It's what, in one sense, several African designers have quietly accepted to do, but Asibelua has  been bold about embracing the opportunity and taking on the challenge as a specific and guiding end goal.

For Spring, Asibelua takes the ancient art of tie and dye and injects it with movement and modernity through the use of silk, retaining its traditional sensibilities through colour choice (deep indigo and purple, chocolate brown) but sprucing it up with a graphic, contemporary quality. Audacious (but ultimately well-played) pattern play erupted, like interlocked splitting amoeba cells dotted with brown showing up as roomy blazers, dresses and a pencil skirt, resulting in a refreshingly comprehensive - and cohesive - range of options.

Black, white and yellow checks and plaids gave the illusion of iridescence and vanishing dots, a blue tunic referenced Zebra print without being blindingly obvious, and tame leopard-inspired print jackets and tops said Africa where others might have screamed. Sporty chic seeped through via pedal pushers, but a delightful melange of dresses (and one floaty tie-and-dye caftan) ranging from chic belted sheaths to expertly arranged panels and contrasts stole the spotlight. Pants were sharp and bold, and tops came in tube, airy blouses and camisoles, further breaking pieces up before tying them together with belts. The overall mood exuded chicness and occupied the small space between restraint and total freedom - hems were below the knee in some looks, above in others, and necklines ranged from round to dipped vs.

With the array of colours (such as a dominant orange and turquoise motif in a wax print-like motif, and yellow highlights throughout, showing up predominantly as belts) and the remarkable range of options, from a floor length plaid skirt to a tie dye cardigan, Asibelua has proven a clear point in tackling multiple elements with skill - Africa can influence in a practical way and the balance between traditional and contemporary can reference both elements equally without drowning one out. A remarkably intelligent runway debut with a strong, clear voice and direction.

- SLiq