Who Wore What: The Deola Sagoe & Duro Olowu Edition

[Alek Wek in Deola Sagoe. Image via Haute Living]

Africa spotting is one of our favourite past times here at Shop Liquorice, and the WIE Ladies Night Cocktail Hour and Gala Dinner event this past Saturday is our latest playground. 

Cover Girl: Deola Sagoe//TW Magazine July/August 2011

In the past few weeks, the Deola Sagoe brand has slowly but surely crept back to the front and centre of our collective consciousness. 2011 kicked off with an appearance at the BET Honors Awards (Anika Noni Rose chose Deola Sagoe for the event), then came the formal launch of their polo and denim collection and the debut of Ori Oke (from the Japanese shibori and the Yoruba aso-oke) at Arise Africa Fashion Week in Lagos. Deola Sagoe also won a Lifetime Achievement Award at the event.

More recently, Deola Sagoe has been interviewed by Essence magazine and has been mentioned in a Financial Times article centred around luxury. She's also TW Magazine's July/August 2011 cover girl, and an effortlessly beautiful and accomplished one at that. Expect a closer look at her influences and what has kept her ticking non-stop for the last 22 years and counting.

- SLiq

Paying Attention: Financial Times//Emerging markets: Luxury goes local

This just in: Alice Ross of the Financial Times considers the choice many consumers in emerging markets are having to make between buying local and looking exclusively to the West. In recent times, we've noticed a number of African-owned brands position themselves for local relevance and global domination - the Jewel by Lisas and Deola Sagoes of this world are prime examples of this. The impact of their growth has been seen from red carpets in Nigeria to red carpets in the US, so there's clearly a renewed interest in supporting home brands in a way the continent hasn't experienced before.

Unsurprisingly, the women who wear Deola Sagoe are probably the same ones who wear Prada and Hermes, so there's an underlying and overt association of some of Nigeria's local brands (the big 5 readily come to mind: Deola Sagoe, Tiffany Amber, Jewel by Lisa, Ituen Basi, Lanre da Silva-Ajayi), with some of the most luxurious brands in the world. At this point in time, this is enough for us, especially since there was a time when "Buying Nigerian" (to borrow from Style House Files) wasn't boldly written on the cards. Of course, the Deola Sagoes of this world absolutely must concentrate on building and entrenching their brands to the highest possible standards, because in an increasingly global world, it's not enough to be a local favourite alone (except that's the aim, which we suspect it isn't). What happens when the Louis Vuittons of this world set up shop all over Africa? Will our local brands compete effectively on home soil and abroad if they don't make the best use of this down time? 

If and when Africa's luxury brands rise to the occasion, it won't be a question of Deola Sagoe versus Diane Von Furstenberg for Africans alone, it may very well be a question that fashion forward women all over the world may reasonably ask in the years to come. For us at Shop Liquorice, we don't want to have to choose, but increasingly, more and more of our money is going local. Is that the case for you? We'd love to read your thoughts.

Read the Financial Times article in its entirety here.

- SLiq

Look Book: Deola Sagoe F/W 2011 [Ori Oke]

Twenty-two years after the brand's inception in 1989, there's still a thread of inborn elegance and heritage that runs through Deola Sagoe's collections - Deola Sagoe is one of those few, rare brands that invoke a certain aura, mood and feeling, and a very certain, definite longing. The fashion house's Ori Oke F/W '11 collection look book is yet another stunning glimpse into the feverishly glamourous, highly coveted world of one of Africa's most creative, celebrated and consistent brands.

Look Here: Deola Sagoe @ Just Before Christmas

Who: Deola Sagoe

Where: Just Before Christmas event @ Deola Sagoe's boutique [Sun, Dec. 19, 2010]

Why: We love the mix of high and low - a Deola Sagoe military-style jacket from her Fall 2010 Above the Fray collection and a pair of skinny jeans from her popular polo and denim range. 3 snaps for simplicity and fabulousness!

XO

Photos of Deola Sagoe courtesy of Maestro Media

Who Wore What: Nneka Egbuna in Deola Sagoe @ the MTV MAMAs

Truth be told, Nneka's one artiste that consistently rocks Africa like there's no tomorrow. From her bright ankara scarves and skirts to her Kayobi and Africa is the Future tees to Jewel by Lisa and Tiffany Amber, Nneka has made quite a few stylish rounds in her career. We brought you her Vogue Germany feature earlier this year, for which she wore Deola Sagoe. And now, here she is again (above) wearing a piece from Deola Sagoe's Vintage collection at the MTV MAMAs. Organic and glamorous in one breath. Absolutely love -- do you?

XO

Who Wore What: Arise Issue 11 Cover Girls in Deola Sagoe

Earlier this year, the May cover of Marie Claire South Africa featured 3 models all dressed in pieces from Deola Sagoe's Fall 2009 collection, Above the Fray. Now, after a significant hiatus (the last we heard from them was June!), Arise Magazine's 11th issue features a quartet of models all dressed in pieces from Deola Sagoe's S/S 2010 collection, Vintage:



Absolutely gorgeous! Can't wait to get our hands on a copy of Arise come Dec. 18. What to expect from Arise's "global fashion" issue? Fashion spreads shot "on location in Johannesburg, Paris, London and the Kenyan plains"! If that's not enough to get us all excited...

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Marie Claire South Africa May 2010 cover:

 Runway:

Look book:

Sigh. We truly can't get enough of Ms. Sagoe! Which cover do you prefer?

XO

SLiq TV: Deola Sagoe on CNN

We squealed rather loudly when we caught Deola Sagoe on CNN's "Nigeria's tailor-made fashion" story yesterday. What a woman, what a brand. Dear world, watch and learn :-)

XO

Who Wore What: Nneka in Deola Sagoe//German Vogue

[See larger version here.]

The very beautiful Nigerian/German songstress Nneka is in this month's German Vogue! Our German is more than a little shaky but we did make out that she's wearing a Deola Sagoe piece in her spread and we think it's the one below, as seen in Deola Sagoe's "Naija Rocks" Collection:

Love how it was styled - very earthy, natural and organic - and we're very excited about Deola Sagoe's Vogue debut! 

XO

Love: Deola Sagoe's Polos

If you've ever wanted a piece of Deola Sagoe and haven't quite known where to start, her new range of polos are the perfect entry point. Available in an array of colours (men and women) and with an affordable price tag of just over N15,000 for the ladies and N16,000 for the gents, here's a keeper you're bound to enjoy. We absolutely love the peek-a-boo red/white print and her fantamazing logo. Here's a closer look:

If you're in Lagos later today, head on down to a party Deola Sagoe's throwing in collaboration with the good folks at Canoe Magazine [more info. here]. There, amidst the canapes and fabulous company, you'll "meet" DS's new range of polos, tees and jeans.

The promo video below gives you a glimpse of what to expect:

Exciting times for Deola Sagoe! See our past posts on this brand here.

XO

Video and Logo from Deola Sagoe 2010

Screenshots by Shop Liquorice

Who Wore What: Deola Sagoe on the cover of Blaynista

We're rather late on this one but we stumbled on this Blaynista cover last night and had to share! For those who don't know, Blaynista (a lookbook magazine of sorts) is the brainchild of the folks behind The Blay Report and Africa Style Daily. Enjoyed seeing a Deola Sagoe piece on the June cover and several pieces in the mini online magazine. One of our favourite new designers, Boudoir d'Huitres also made an appearance or two. Well worth checking out here! Come this fall, you'll be able to shop Deola Sagoe online at myasho. However, if you're in New York, get your DS fix at Elizabeth Charles and shop Boudoir d'Huitres here!

XO

STYLE NOTES: Deola Sagoe//Nigeria [DAY 1, Africa Fashion Week, 2010]

There's no way to go about this without being dramatic: Deola Sagoe broke the faucet and rained down glamour. 

It was a staggering and stunning downpour at Deola Sagoe's show earlier today - an avalanche of influences from the swinging 60s, to a dash of victorian glamour and a perhaps subconscious dose of underwater inspiration. From dresses that mimicked the glorious metallic colors of fish and their dazzling scales re-invented as sequins and embellishments, we couldn't shake off the feeling of mermaid/otherworldly glamor. For a collection almost exclusively executed in the distinctly African aso-oke [traditionally woven cloth] as many of her past collections have been, this is an astounding testament to Deola Sagoe's ability to invent, re-invent and transcend. 

The emphasis on movement and shape alongside the most stunning design elements (sharp shoulders, embroidery, sheer panels) tied this collection up in a neat little bow and filed it in the 'extraordinary' compartment of our hearts and minds. A stunning and unbelievable sartorial and visual experience.

Here's a closer look at the most striking design elements:

A touch of the polka:

Magnificent floor-length frocks

Gorgeous multi-tone metallic looks that reminded us very much of colorful fish:

Mini metallica:

Lace and sheer panels:

A dose of black:

Shape and movement:

Victorian glamour, complete with lace and plaid:

Skater waists and sharp sleeves/shoulders:

The designer herself:

AMAZING.

See the entire collection here, courtesy of AFI.

XO

Press Release: Deola Sagoe to unveil "VINTAGE" at Africa Fashion Week tomorrow!

[Click image to enlarge or click here, scroll to the bottom, and click "VINTAGE"]

As we wait with bated breath for Deola Sagoe to unleash her genius on the world at Africa Fashion Week tomorrow, we couldn't help but do a little snooping around to bring you a sneak peek of sorts. We now know it's going to be a nod to eras gone by, paying homage to the "rhythm of the swinging sixties" with the "glitzy glitter of sequins" and, of course, aso-oke. Needless to say, Deola Sagoe will more than likely bring down the house and we'll give you front row seats to the experience.

See the schedule for Africa Fashion Week 2010 here and stay tuned for photos and reviews.

XO

Who Wore What: Lydia Hearst in Deola Sagoe

Be careful what you wish for 'cause you just might get it :-) Just the other day, we were squealing and breakdancing over seeing Kelis in Jewel by Lisa. We're extra pleased to see model, philanthropist, activist, designer, writer, actress and fashion muse (good Lord!) Lydia Hearst rocking Deola Sagoe at E! Entertainment's 20th Birthday celebration just two days ago! She wears a signature aso-oke Deola Sagoe piece we spotted before on Nigerian-American model Nnenna Agba in an Arise Magazine spread. Needless to say, we're super proud and eagerly anticipating the grand unveiling of Deola's plan for world domination! Remember spotting Alek Wek in Deola Sagoe the other day? Slowly but surely, guys, and Shop Liquorice will continue to give you front row seats to the  Deola Sagoe experience!

XO

Many thanks to Deola Sagoe's PR team for the heads-up on this one :-)

LOOKBOOK: Deola Sagoe F/W 2010

We paid Deola Sagoe's new site a visit a few weeks ago and happened on her Fall/Winter 2010 Lookbook, featuring pieces from her "Above the Fray" show at New York Fashion Week a few weeks ago.

Deola Sagoe and her team are truly doing it and doing it well. Visit the site here and click the link at the bottom right to view the lookbook. Lookbooks can certainly give clothes a different feel and we're that much more in love.

Enjoy!

XO

ARISE MAGAZINE AFRICAN FASHION COLLECTIVE III: DEOLA SAGOE (PHOTOS)

DEOLA SAGOE (NIGERIA)

[PLEASE ENJOY THE PHOTOS FROM THE SHOW WHILE WE WORK ON PUTTING OUR NOTES UP IN A FEW HOURS. PLEASE CHECK BACK FOR EXCLUSIVE BACKSTAGE PHOTOS, COURTESY OF OUR FRIENDS AT DEOLA SAGOE.]

Who Wore What: Alek Wek in Deola Sagoe

We just saw these photos of Alek Wek promoting RED's new collaboration with Diptique candles and thought, "hmmmm, she has to be wearing Deola Sagoe!":

Who else brings aso-oke to life like DS? On top of that, we remembered the first issue [The Africa Issue] of Arise magazine and the fact that Alek Wek wore the same dress in her spread:

The combination of gold and blue aso-oke and the slightly clinched waist, shape and length of this dress  make it utter perfection. And who better to wear it than Alek Wek? Sigh. Really and truly, this has been one of the best weeks to blog ever. We're still counting down to the Arise Magazine African Collective III show on Saturday...and we really hope wherever Deola Sagoe is, she knows Alek Wek was out and about yesterday doing her justic.

XO

Countdown to the Arise Magazine African Collective III: 6 days to go

6 DAYS TO GO!!!!!

Several weeks before the buzz, we filled our readers in on the possibility of a Deola Sagoe showing at Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week. We later confirmed that she'd be part of Arise Magazine's African Collective III on Saturday, February 13 [under a week to go!]. 

WHAT TO EXPECT:

As the countdown begins, here's what we already know about the show. The bulk of our information is about Deola Sagoe because we've been contacted by her super efficient PR team and there has been quite a bit of buzz about her on the web. We'll do more research on the other brands and keep you informed:

o o o

THE SHOW

[The magical worlds of Nigerian novelist Ben Okri's novels are the inspiration behind the set design]

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*The line-up of designers: Deola Sagoe [Nigeria], Black Coffee [South Africa], Loin Cloth and Ashes [Tanzania]

*Time: 8pm

*Venue: The Tents

*Show Producer: Jan Malan [South Africa]

*Set design: Inspired by the magical worlds of Nigerian author Ben Okri's novels

Read Arise Magazine's Press Release here

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Here's more specific information about DEOLA SAGOE's segment:

*Theme: Above the Fray 

*On Feb. 16, Deola Sagoe will host a Collection Activation, Viewing and Press Event:

For more details and to RSVP, please contact Catherine at The R'ajwa Company [catherine@r-ajwa.com]. If you can make it, this is absolutely the place to be!!

We'll say it again - DEOLA SAGOE IS ON TOP OF HER GAME. Be sure to take a look at her fantastic new website if you haven't already.

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Have we missed anything? Let us know! Team SLiq can't wait! Can you?

XO