The Arise Magazine Fashion Week Lagos runway trend verdict is in. You’ll be craving crimson, embracing the luxe touch of sequin and getting crafty with designers’ fantastic new prints. Long and lean is the runway silhouette du jour, be it a floor-grazing gown or a smart pencil skirt, these dynamic designers brought it all out.
Grab your notepad out – it’s time to know what to shop as we spot the strongest trends for you. From the bold colours to the soft white magic which took shape on the AMFW’s runways. we bring you who brought what and how to take these best trends from runway to reality.
1. GREAT LENGHTS
Meena’s figure hugging floor sweeper in blue keeps the feminine length from feeling fussy. A printed maxi dress is not for the fashion faint of heart, but Sunny Rose’s version is low-key enough to manage. The simplicity of House of Farrah’s elegant all white gown showed off a to-the-floor without overdoing it.
Meena
House of Farrah
Jewel by Lisa
Kluk CGDT
KLUK CDGT revolutionised evening wear, with this long skirt and dressy blouse as it can hold its own in a room full of gowns – could very well be a stylish woman from fashion’s past. knows what girls want to wear – ’90s silhouettes, but with the luxe touch we’re craving right now.
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2. CAPED CRUSADERS
Traditionally, a cape is a short sleeveless garment that drapes over the shoulders and fastens about the neck, which may or may not have slits in the front to enable the wearer’s arms to come through. A cloak is basically the same definition except that the garment is long (often floor length) and might have sleeves.
During the just concluded Arise Magazine Fashion Week, capes, coats and cloak were the name of the fashion game. Sunny Rose had us wondering, is it a coat or a cape? while Imane Ayissi’s touch of cashmere cloak defined confidence, the peekaboo zip/slit adding a touch of je ne sais quoi to the luxurious wrap. The designers all had their own variations of modern day updated coats, capes and cloaks as seen by Petrouman.
Sunny Rose
Imane Ayissi
Petrouman
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3. ALL THAT GLITTERS
Nearly every collection had at least one piece with a dusting of sequins (Adama Paris’s sequined ’50s inspired swimwear, Toju Foyeh and Koke’s gold sequined dress, House of Nwocha’s sequined crop top matched with velvet pants, Kluk CDGT’s and LDA’s long black sequin gown), proving that the love affair with sparkle is not ending any time soon. Designers at AMFW utilised the sparkles, most notably on floor length dresses which, accessorised right, would steal any show. One of my favorite things about these sparkles is their versatility, like a touch of shimmer, sequins and metallics can be worn for day or night and in varying levels of flash. Like most successful trends, these items can transition seamlessly from day to night and formal to casual.
Adama Paris
Lanre Da Silva-Ajayi
Gavin Rajah
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4. UNIQUE STATEMENT PRINTS
As far as prints go, Amede and VLR really demonstrated a keen eye for pattern in the mixed print fabrics of tie and dye, splash prints in bright patterns, while Koke’s large polka dots on stripes stood out, Kaveke’s broken glass, unique prints for menswear held court on the runway. From print and check to colour and texture, there’s plenty to inspire you, and Mai Atafo had it all.
Amede
Petrouman, Madam Wokie and Jil Couture’s offerings were bursting at the seams with eye-catching painterly clashing print and texture that highlight the female form in signature head-turning style.
Madam Wokie
I loved Paul Herve’s smouldering print pants and top with the touch of white on the long bolero. Incredible pieces if you’re ready to go bold and tribal. There was tribal influences on the runway from arrow prints to colorful, geometric stripes on skirts, dresses, cashmere sweaters, graphic as well as abstract prints which were super-bold prints.
Paul Herve
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5. PENCILLED IN
The pencil skirt is both practical and subtly edgy, perfectly suited for everyday wear. Its two-faced nature makes is an essential piece that, with a little mindful styling, can be reworked so that it can take you from day to night in a split-second. And the AMFW designers gave a real knack for gorgeous, completely wearable pencil skirts which gave the runways a good dose of discipline. Like Taibor Bacar and Madam Wokie’s feminine pencil skirts paired with sheer tops and tiny strapped tops – not so prim, but certainly very season appropriate especially in Nigeria.
Taibor Bacar
Laquan Smith
Ladies, it is time to slip into something that is the best of both worlds, something that’s both sexy and tame and the pencil skirt has a reputation for being the prudish alternative to the mini skirt, the wardrobe mainstay of high school librarians and secretaries, but when worn correctly, the pencil skirt instantly transforms into a chic and versatile item that can even act as the statement piece of an entire look, depending on color and texture. How can you ignore the pencil skirt’s hip-hugging shape, which tapers down at the bottom to showcase a girl’s most enviable curves in just the right way? It shows the perfect amount of leg, not too little and not too much.
Kiki Kamanu
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6. BOLD AND BRIGHT
Colour blocking and contrasting was the top of 2011 fashion trends and as expected, it still is a top trend in 2012. Bright, bold, and happy colours made strong statements in all their opulent glory and rocked and ruled the runways at the AMFW . And although the runway shows may have ended, fashionistas everywhere are still thinking about the silhouettes, colors and inspiration designers played with using colour blocking trend.
Re Bahia re-introduced us to the pulp and we’re sure glad to remember it. Mustafa Hassanali’s runway show was as colourful as a rose garden of many colours. The bright and bold colours are here to stay.
Re Bahia
Bestow Elan
Amrapali
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7. SIDE SLITS
Of course pencil skirts wasn’t the only sexy trend to make itself known this season, and it just might be time to spice up your underwear drawer, ‘cause a sexy side slit (or seventeen slits) is back! Slits and slashes sauntered down runway after runway, so it seems only fitting that they would sashay into your wardrobe too. (No seriously, ladies. This look requires a no-granny-panty clause.). From skirts to dresses to flared, pleated and nearly see-through black skirts – this trend is a big one. Re Bahia and House of Farrah utilised the slit in its various forms, but lest you think is was all about flowing femininity, Re Bahia spared no modesty. You can give your skirt a sexy look with slits in the sides. This is a great way to refresh an old skirt, or to spice up a drab one.
House of Farrah
Re Bahia
Lanre Da Silva-Ajayi
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8. ALL WHITE ANGELS
There was predominantly a medley of ethereal whites all loosely pieced together and draped especially by Kluk CDGT, no wonder they won AMFW womenswear designers of the year. . While Sunny Rose managed to offer the structure of a crisp white angelic dress, Amine Bendriouch’s kaftan-like dresses added an unexpected flow to menswear…
Kinabuti’s prim and proper long-sleeved, floor-length white jumpsuit introduced the confident woman with barely-there sex appeal. And Romero Bryan tiered frock with its chic pastoral feel exuded a sweet softness.
Kinabuti
Romero Bryan
Sunny Rose
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9. SHEER GENIUS
Designers made ample use of sheer fabric insets, panels and layers on the runway. Inspired by the elements, Kluk CDGT sent out slip dresses, Jini Collection and Karolyne Ashley free tops in storm colours, Ejiro Amos Tafari layers of gauze over the tights, and dresses draped in cloud-like whirls of tulle. Adama Paris’s darkly romantic sheer paired with candied jeweled skirt or high waist pants can make you look tres chic. While Meena’s black ingenious sheer black piece paired with the black pants gives off a vintage vamp vibe.
Ejiro Amos Tafari
Karolyne Ashley
Christie Brown
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10. VELVET REVOLVER
Prints aren’t the only thing getting the all-over treatment this season, It was like everyone did velvet. The AMFW runways was chock full of George Constanza-approved velvets in an array of dark, sombre colors at shows like House of Nwocha, Christie Brown and Funlayo Deri. It seems it is now socially acceptable to drape oneself in velvet as designers were showing their own takes on the lush looks. While velvet hasn’t entirely faded out in years past, it returned in full force on the AMFW 2012 runways. Dresses were the most common velvet garment although most designers had a touch of sheer pieces of their velvet ensemble.
House of Nwocha’s velvet offering is far more regal and ornate and how beautiful is this voluminous mini? Velvet ensemble was more fluid and youthful, revolving our perception of the old-school fabric on its head.
House of Nwocha
Funlayo Deri
Mataano
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