HOT OUT THERE
Published in ARISE
For her debut collection, Nigerian designer Amaka Osakwe has drawn her inspiration from traditional African fabrics, prints and customs.
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One hazy Lagos afternoon, 12 tall, handsome women stand statue-like in a bright white space, perspiring gently. Each one wears an outfit that simultaneously covers and reveals – heavily embellished sheer tops are worn with adire hot pants or mini skirts, voluminous jumpsuits and harem pants are made from antique silks and aso-oke, and body-hugging jersey dresses are overlaid with chiffon and printed with symbols suggestive of the intimate female form beneath. Welcome to Maki Oh’s debut fashion presentation.
Nigerian designer Amaka Osakwe studied at the Arts University College in Bournemouth, UK before heading home to launch her label for autumn/winter 2010/11. Inspired by the dipo rights of passage ceremony of rural Ghana, during which the girls taking part are partially naked and ornately adorned, Osakwe has played with cloaking and ornamentation using traditional African fabrics.
“The collection is a coming of age through contemporary African fashion,” she explains. “I’ve explored local handmade fabrics and also looked at the draping of men’s traditional trousers.” Within the layers of textiles linger meanings related to belonging, notions of beauty and identity, which give this capsule collection a maturity beyond Osakwe’s 24 years.
“Next season I’m going to concentrate on more wearable pieces,” she says, smiling, as her models make an elegant exit. “This time around I’ve been inspired by love, or more accurately, the lack of it!”
maki-oh.com
Words Helen Jennings
Photography Jan Lehner
Styling Chukwunwike Obi