To move Nigeria’s fashion industry forward, necessarily, there has to be a lot more design innovation and versatility even in ready-to-wear collections. The Phunk Afrique Spring/Summer 2012 collection had us wondering what exactly the label was thinking this season. The global fashion reference and nod to the 1970s glam and color sophistication was present but that is about where it all ended. There was nothing, per se, creative or versatile about the collection.
Every Phunk Afrique woman had long floor length dress shapes that were nice but we have seen so many times on many Nigerian women from fellow designers; at many of the fashion and music events spread across the city. We wanted to see more originality. With the 70s glam and elegance present in the collection, we felt the Phunk Afrique woman would surely want to be emancipated i.e. free from looking like every other Nigerian socialite at an event. Not so?
Also, is the Phunk Afrique woman empowered i.e. does she have a job? What exactly is she expected to rock to her job from the ready-to-wear collection? The same long dresses and long weaves but different color and prints? We think not. Is she married to a rich wealthy man so that all she does is attend events? If that is the case, then we definitely need more diversity in dress lengths, shapes and clearly defined design details, among other things. A mesh of fictional yet functional dose of reality would have been helpful in this collection.
Beside the need to show something that was very different from what every one has been doing, we acknowledge the strong design hand of Phunk Afrique. Clothes were well constructed. The labels fabric choices and colors we think will make for head turning movements when the Phunk Afrique woman walks into a room. Next season, we would like to see the label push the envelope and come with a little more versatility and creativity.
Our best seller and guaranteed hit from the collection, is the high waisted purple floor length skirt matched with the floral long sleeve
blouse. Yum!
-Uduak Oduok
Photocredit: Persnickety & Kola Oshalusi
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The critic is purely honest yet not losing sight of the colour brilliance and elegant use of the fabrics.They simply spell royalty.
hey, i love d way u criticize, like a true fashion reporter unlike ohters who fall for anything which comes their way. i also wondered d same when i saw this collection – where is d creativity?