By Rita Okoye

There is so much beauty and class in keeping designs simple. Just like Coco Chanel once said, “Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance”.

Indeed, this is reflected in the 2020 design collections rolled out by the prestigious Moniuq design brand. The dynamic womenswear fashion brand, established by Monica Enechojo Obaje is dedicated to crafting classy styles that embody modern trends and vibrant colours.

Moniuq is aimed at redefining modern women’s apparel by emphasizing on the growing needs and identities of modern women.

The 2020 collection has therefore been released, having been carefully designed to offer ingenuity, providing numerous elegant options for women to grace various occasions, from corporate events and church services to court weddings and elegant receptions with these beautiful attires.

Given that her work is greatly influenced by her sister and the iconic Audrey Hepburn, Monica Enechojo’s 2020 collection is nothing short of the quality that her inspiration has set. This collection simply embodies a unique blend of femininity, finesse, and self-identity. Monica’s vision for Moniuq extends beyond mere fashion and each of the attires put out reflect this vision, allowing women to express their strength and beauty confidently.

She is passionate about elevating the African woman’s identity in the global fashion landscape. By blending traditional African components with modern philosophy of art, she challenges the regular perceptions of women’s fashion. Without further ado, let us examine some of the designs featured in the collection.

This classy-looking long-sleeved dress is made with spandex or cotton stretch fabric. This fabric is a great choice because it is made from elastic fibres and a weave structure, which ultimately makes it extremely lightweight, easy to wear, flexible and durable compared to other materials.

With this fabric choice, the designer does not need to worry about incorporating sleet into the dress design, since the fabric is stretchy and offers freedom of movement even when fitted or pencil-shaped. Based on what Moniuq stands to achieve with this collection, the choice of fabric is completely in sync.

Whatever style is sewn from such a quality cotton stretch fabric is guaranteed to comfort and enable the wearer to exude confidence, power and freedom; knowing fully well that they are safe from any clothes-related embarrassment for the period.

That being said, the dress features a round-neck cut with a back zip opening for ease of wearing. Held together by a meticulously folded piece of cloth, the two scalene triangle cuts at the chest area add a touch of elegance to the design. It is a fitted pencil dress, ensuring that the figure of the wearer will be well highlighted and defined, irrespective of their shape and size.

Also, this simple, yet elegant piece accentuates another opening incision at the entire thigh area, round to the back of the dress, to show some skin and create an impression of foxiness in the wears. The opening, like a woven basket, incorporates thin folded and linked fabric to add style to the overall design and create a space for ventilation in addition to the cuts in the chest area.

This design is absolutely gorgeous and matches the definition of simple and classy. It can be rocked as an official outfit in the corporate world and improved with a wide elastic tummy belt and a pair of heels. Although beautiful in itself, feel free to make this elegant dress yours by tweaking it to suit your fashion taste in case that outing needs a not-so-simple attire.

However, the joining and stitches of this piece are not entirely neat. Looking closely at the neck area and the shoulder, all through to the armpit area, some folds could have been avoided if the sewing had been done perfectly. Although this fabric is perfect for the concept behind the design, it can pose sewing challenges like fold creation if care is not taken. It is advised that specialized needles such as ballpoint needles or universal needles be used to avoid the folds.

Another technique that can be used is to sew using triple straight and zig-zag stitches. These would help prevent damage to the fabric, while also ensuring impeccable stitch.

Other than that, the finely curated piece, coupled with the brilliant choice of bold, eye-catching fabric colour and elegant delineation, the design is entirely a beauty to behold.
This two-piece outfit features a top and a pair of pants and trousers.

Taking both one after the other, the top is a turtle-necked semi-crop top made with a black crepe fabric. Moniuq has displayed a high level of creativity with this one. For those who would like to rock crop tops in a classy and elegant manner without having to expose their belly button or compromise on morals, Monuiq has done it again. Your wish has been granted by her ingenious design.

The top features a V-shaped tip at the front that covers the belly well enough while maintaining a straight line slightly above the waist at the back of the top. The top is further adorned with a full-length zip at the back, which plays the role of style addition as well as ease of wearing.

It also features painstakingly curated bishop sleeves that are characterised by the fullness and gather of the cuff. This not only evokes power and trends but also highlights the modern femininity that Monica is known to stand for in women.

Also, with the brilliant incorporation of the bishop sleeves that have grown popular amongst other statement sleeves in female fashion, Moniuq has displayed the ability to creatively and uniquely keep up with fashion trends. Wearers are confident in this top, leaving the balloon-like sleeves to do the talking about their power and extravagance. Celebrities home and abroad have rocked this style to red carpet events and movie premieres which further emphasizes the classiness of the style.

Monuiq’s customers can put this beau on and feel like a celebrity on a low key.
Perfectly paired with the gorgeous black top is this pair of beautiful brown Cheetah Jacquard high waist pant trousers, featuring a moderately wide leg. Excellently stitched, it contours the shape of the wearer and highlights their femininity.

Being high waist, the trouser features a wide band that further elevates the height of the pants upwards. It also features sleek pockets on both sides of the pants, radiating a style that enables the modern woman to show off her pride in her identity, womanhood and virtue.

This is undeniably a mature and infallible combination made by Moniuq. In a sheer simple work of art, the design is stylish, trendy, and comfortable; giving off elegance and classy without compromising on modesty.
Having risen through the ranks to be a known brand in Africa, with celebrities such as Mercy Johnson and Juliet Ibrahim rocking the Moniuq outfits; highlighting the brand’s ability to deliver fierce, foxy, and elegant looks that resonate with influential figures in the entertainment industry.

These are the sorts of designs expected of the fashion label having showcased its collections at prestigious fashion events, like African Fashion Week Nigeria, African Fashion Week Brazil, and Fashion Finest Africa. Moniuq is therefore counted on to grow in the trade of this fragile industry, much beyond brand expansion and customer acquisition; towards skilfully designing quality, sustainable and stylish attires that resonate with the modern women. The standards are high and so are customers’ expectations.

However, the bishop’s sleeves are somewhat too long and not perfectly carrying out its role. It is good, but perfection is the goal. While this work of art is not perfect, it is still a beautiful and elegant outfit that can be rocked with pencil sandal heels, moderately sized clutch and sunglasses. With these, your elegant look is complete in this attire that can be freely worn to any occasion including corporate events or casual outings.

With this 2020 collection of interesting designs, Moniuq reassures her firm standing in the women’s fashion sector as a beacon of empowerment and creativity. The brand does not only celebrate individual styles but also fosters a sense of community among women by encouraging them to embrace their identities and express themselves through fashion.

As Moniuq continues to grow, it remains committed to these values, ensuring that each design is a confirmation of women’s strength, elegance, and unique stories.

Although Moniuq has distinguished itself from competitors by employing vibrant colour palettes and innovative designs such as these 2020 collections, of a truth, there is a huge need for Moniuq to pay precise attention to detail, as this year’s collection falls short of the words of fashion icon Georgio Armani.

He believes that for a designer to create something exceptional, their mindset must be relentlessly focused on the smallest details. Kudos to Moniuq for nearly upholding such value within the fashion industry, giving customers one less thing to worry about when they rock her brand. However, near-perfect is not enough. Creating impeccable, classy and bespoke designs and tailoring is the goal.