Fashion Review; Where Tradition and Modernity Meet
On this edition of Rising Fashion Designers, we will bring an intelligent fashion designer and her label to the limelight — Ayobami Ololade Ogunbiyi.
Ayobami Ololade Ogunbiyi is an admirable fashion designer whose love for crafts and journey in the fashion industry led to the establishment of the fashion label Lola Threads in 2019.
Lola Threads is a fast-rising brand inspired by age-old Nigerian crafts and a passion for weaving carbon-neutral materials. Each fashion piece is crafted as a dialogue between tradition and tomorrow, a perfect depiction of a fusion between ancient and modern.
Within their 6 years of running as a brand, they have been committed to elevating green innovation while pushing fashion to the next level. They have also released various collections, solo fits, and costumes, including the 2023 Darling collection, which we will be highlighting in this article.
Ayobami Ololade Ogunbiyi
The 2023 Darling collection is a timeless collection that contains three eccentric pieces that almost seem like a fairytale.
The first dress in the Lola Threads 2023 Darling collection is this beautiful piece. The lilac set is a two-piece tog made from a Chunky Tweedy Check Chenille fabric. The dress is also accompanied by several impressive designs.
The first thing you will notice after taking a look at this dress is the neckline. Due to how the top half is crafted like a jacket, it doesn’t bear the usual round, sweetheart, or V-neckline. Rather, in place of that is a notched suit collar that spreads out like a wing on the neck area. Expertly moving on to the next feature, the designer included a short sleeve. Though there is nothing different in the way it is sewn, an addition to the hem made it look distinctive, and this is the string shreds attached to the hem.
Some of the other remarkable features of this magnificent jacket are the two patch pockets at the top left and right sides. This facet gives the jacket a trendy look, making it fitting for modern fashion. The blouson is also cropped, stopping at the mid-waist line. To finish off the look, gold-plated shank buttons were added for binding or closing the dress, and then lastly, the same string shreds were added to the end of the blouse, creating a matching tone to the outfit.
Ayobami Ololade Ogunbiyi
The bottom of this set is a quaint skirt, which is also one of the major highlights of this piece. The way the skirt was sewn expresses some traditional history of African culture while still maintaining a modern style. We will tell you why we said this.
Masquerade customs in the West African part of Africa are an integral part of the culture. So, in making it, designers make use of string yarns or hay to give perfection to the look. Therefore, this holds some level of significance in African history. Now, bringing this idea into the making of this dress, the designer not only utilises mirroring these springs on the jacket but also all around the skirt, as you can see them in multiple drapes around the skirt. Aside from this fascinating inclusion, the skirt is also a high-waist midi skirt with two decorative flap pockets strategically positioned on the hip area of the skirt. For the finishing touch to the skirt, a back zipper of about 5 inches was added to the back of the skirt for firmness and a back middle slit for free movement.
The two-piece can be worn for all types of occasions because of its ability to function separately. This means that, depending on the way you style it, you can wear it for almost anything, but it would most likely appeal to formal activities or events. However, for other settings, you can put on the jacket with a camisole and a type of pants like cargo or jeans, or different types of skirts like denim skirts, etc.
The set is an intelligent introduction to the collection. The unique designs are stand-out worthy, and the attention to detail is impeccable. However, the string drapes are a lot and can seem like a distraction designer to the full look. This will help to elevate the overall look of the attire.
The next outfit in the collection is power-packed. It is a bold three-piece attire that is highly detailed with designs, yet it is a simple and classy wear.
The first garment in the set is a fancy Kimono created with two fabrics — Hole Rope Lace Fabric And A Plain Peach Orange Fabric. This jacket is so different because it somehow looks like a knitted and sewn combination when, in actuality, it’s only because of the materials used to create it, and we find that distinctive edge appealing. Aside from this, the sleeve on the jacket is also very interesting. It’s a combination of two types of sleeves, known as the flutter sleeve and the long sleeve. The flutter sleeve is a crafting made out of several pleated stitches, while the long sleeve took a different tone by being ruched.
The second piece is a bustier top made from the same Plain Peach Orange Fabric. It’s a cropped bustier that comes with a sweetheart neckline, two neat dart lines at the front, and an invisible back zipper for closure. On the lower bodice are floor-sweeping wide-leg straight pants with two inseam pockets by the sides and a zipper to secure the fit to the body.
As said earlier, the set is power-packed. However, the ruched effect added to the long sleeve seems a bit too much, seeing as there is an upper sleeve in the form of a flutter. If it can’t be completely removed, then reducing it would most likely make the appearance balanced.
The closing statement to this collection is also a two-piece marvel made out of a peach brown crepe fabric. The upper part of the fit, which is the blouse, started with a Puritan collar. This type of collar is usually characterised by square flaps in the front and back of the dress. Following the collar is the long sleeve with a remarkable touch. The sleeve has pleating and gathers done on half of each of the sides of the sleeve.
Next in line to the blouse is the best part of the attire, the tennis skirt. Like most tennis skirts, this piece is a pleated skirt that gives room for body breathability. However, this skirt began like it was panning out into a straight skirt with a band from the mid-waist area, but it took a turn from the waistline and poured into a flared pleated maxi skirt with buckle loops, two on the front and back. Lastly, the zippers were placed at the back of both the top and skirt.
While this piece is spectacular, there are two modifications made to it to make it a classic. Though there is nothing wrong with the length of the skirt, cutting it down to a midi skirt would look more alluring. Also, the pleating on the sleeve seems a bit too much, so a reduction of it would also suffice.
Ultimately, we believe that Lola Threads did an outstanding job with these three attires. There seemed to be a balanced flow, right from the ideating to the detailed designs and even down to the premium fabrics used to make the designs. We admire the effort and skill poured into making this collection a success, and we anticipate seeing more fashion statements come from the brand and the designer.
