Our friends at Style House Files continue to build their #Buy Nigerian initiative, slowly but surely. An initiative we here at LadybrilleNigeria wholeheartedly support. This week, Omoyemi Akerele and the Style House team reach out to designers and style mavens to discuss why designers should have seasonal collections. Read an excerpt below, visit SHF and join the conversation.
“Arieta Mujay, PR Manager of River Island and fashion editor of River Island magazine. River Island has sponsored events like Graduate Fashion Week, which gave fashion icons like Alexander McQueen, Giles Deacon and Matthew Williamson a platform to present their work
‘Depending on the climate, it is important and essential to have seasonal collections. For example if you live in the tropics, there are times of the year when the temperature is at its hottest and other times when its milder. If you live in European or American climates where there is a winter season, there is no way one would be able to wear what they had on in summer and vice versa. As a result, it’s integral that designers make collections relevant to each season. There is also a season where fashion is in transistion (a lull in-between S/S and Autumn/Winter) which gives an indication of what the trends will be for the season ahead. (The Resort collection which occurs just as winter is fading and just before spring arrives.)
Nigerian designers like Jewel by Lisa and Deola Sagoe set out from the beginning to become international brands and as such catered to an international market. They understood from the get go, who and what their demographic were, as well as their aesthetic. So even when they haven’t designed with seasons in mind, they have considered the elements and designed accordingly, for e.g. they don’t make winter coats but always have jackets and macs in their collections. Emerging Nigerian designers should and need to design with their aesthetic in mind. We may not have winter but it is rather chilly (Harmattan) from December to Febuary, so incorporating a light weight jacket, jumper or cardigan into their collections wouldn’t hurt. I don’t think they need to design clothes for a season they don’t have (e.g. A/W) but they need to be aware that if they want to become international designers and show collections internationally, they have to cater for that market or they have just wasted their time. Reason being, their clothes won’t be seen by the key people in the fashion media which will result in no coverage and from my experience this ultimately leads to little or no sales.’ www.riverisland.com”
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