By Rita Okoye

In recent years, the fashion industry has seen a significant shift with new and exciting trends emerging. Designers are constantly exploring creative ideas, pushing boundaries, and experimenting with bold colours, cuts, and patterns.

Fashion today is heavily influenced by a mix of modern styles like low-rise jeans, crop tops, and shiny, playful accessories from the early 2000s.

People are drawn to unique, statement pieces that express individuality, with oversized clothing, vibrant prints, and gender-neutral designs becoming more popular.

Fashion has now become a powerful form of self-expression, culture, and creativity. It carries with it, personal identity, social norms, and historical trends.

Globally, fashion started through various eras, from traditional attire rooted in local customs to modern-day classy ensembles and streetwear. This reflects societal changes and cultural movements. It’s a constantly progressing industry, driven by innovation, art, and the desire to shape personal and collective identities.

In Nigeria, fashion plays a deeply significant role, reflecting the country’s rich cultural diversity and history. Nigerian fashion is an appealing mix of traditional attire and contemporary designs, with textiles such as Ankara, Aso Oke, and Adire holding strong cultural significance.

Over the years, Nigeria has become a fashion hub in Africa, with designers like Stella Osuju blending indigenous influences with global trends. This blend has given rise to a flourishing fashion industry known for its creativity, bold patterns, and colourful fabrics, making Nigerian fashion influential on both the African and international stages. The Nigerian fashion scene celebrates heritage, while also embracing modernity, making it a dynamic and ever-growing sector.

In 2019, a bold dream took shape in Nigeria when emerging designer Stella Chidimma Osuju launched Sassy Muse. What started as a leap of faith, with a vision of crafting unique fashion pieces, soon blossomed into something extraordinary. Stella’s first collection exceeded expectations, marking the beginning of a fashion brand destined to leave its imprint on the industry. From those humble beginnings, Sassy Muse quickly grew, fuelled by a passion for innovation, cultural celebration, and inclusivity.

Sassy Muse was born from a groundbreaking idea to create African-inspired clothing for people of all backgrounds. For too long, African fashion has been seen through a narrow lens, associated primarily with black people and traditional designs. But Stella believed that the vibrant colours and bold patterns of African fabrics, particularly Ankara, held universal beauty.

She saw potential in blending these rich, cultural designs with modern influences, creating pieces that speak to every race, uniting them through styles. Through her vision, Sassy Muse challenges conventions, showcasing that African fashion transcends borders and can celebrate the beauty of diversity.

Drawing deeply from her Nigerian heritage, Stella brings the soul of Africa to every design, but she doesn’t stop there, her creations are a fusion of history and the modern day. Stella honours the roots of African fashion while pushing it forward, blending time-honoured traditions with contemporary styles. This fusion breathes new life into African fashion, making it a bold step into the future of fashion.
Her contribution to the fashion industry lies in its advocacy for slow fashion and sustainability.

Each garment is well-handcrafted, with an emphasis on quality and individuality, rather than mass production. Through every piece, you could see her commitment to zero waste, ensuring that nothing goes to waste in the pursuit of beauty.

Stella’s dream is to see people of all races and colours adorned in Sassy Muse creations, each piece making them feel confident, empowered, and beautifully unique. Her contribution to fashion is not just in the designs themselves, but in her belief that fashion is for everyone and that beauty knows no boundaries. Through Sassy Muse, the world is invited to explore African fashion in a new light, with a fresh perspective and an open heart.

Her 2020 collection is a good start to making an impact in the industry. Having a look at one of the designs one can tell she knows her onions. The outfit is a bold and vibrant combination that catches the eye. The yellow top, with its puffed sleeves, adds a soft yet structured look to the ensemble, the bright colour creates a cheerful and energetic vibe, making the top stand out.

Paired perfectly with the trousers, the Ankara fabric used for the trousers showcases a mix of blue, green, and yellow with shapes of different kinds, all swirling together in circular patterns giving the entire dress an awesome look. The material of the trousers is clearly Ankara and it is known for its comfort and cultural significance. This choice of fabric adds both texture and life to the look, making the outfit truly unique.

Sassy Muse has truly done wonders to this beauty of a dress by blending traditional African textiles with modern styles. It shows good skill. The outfit is a celebration of individuality, showcasing the brand’s ability to make bold fashion statements with elegance.
The colour combination brings light to the entire beauty of the dress, with the solid yellow blouse balancing the detailed patterns on the trousers.

It creates a beautiful contrast that feels rooted in tradition. The ruffle detail on the side of the trousers adds an extra layer of flair and movement, making the outfit dynamic.
But here’s a quick tip that could be icing on the cake; she could experiment with a more fitted sleeve or different neckline on the blouse to create a sleeker, more balanced silhouette with the flared trousers.

However, this does not take away from the overall beauty of the outfit.
The beauty of Sassy Muse’s creations is shown in her thoughtful use of African fabrics with that of Europeans. The result is clothing that not only celebrates diversity but also empowers people to embrace their unique style.
Her dresses are garments that are statements pieces of individuality and the power of cultural fusion.
Another wonderful style was put down by Sassy Muse.
It is made from a bright teal, green and black Ankara fabric. The look is bold and well-captivating. The patterns are full of swirling shapes that add excitement and uniqueness, showing off the Sassy Muse’s creativity.
The green colour and design on the Ankara with different shapes gave the dress a beautiful look portraying the real style of Nigeria culture and identity.
The puffed sleeves give the outfit a dramatic and stylish touch, making it stand. These sleeves remind us of an Igbo mother’s puffed white blouse worn to August meetings. It adds a unique twist to the outfit and brings attention to the upper body, while the straight-leg trousers give the lower half a neat and smooth finish.
This contrast between the puffy top and slim-fit trousers creates a nice balance, showing the designer’s skill in creating interesting shapes and looks.
The teal and black colours are a perfect combination; bright and refreshing. The black adds sharpness to the patterns, making the designs really awesome. It’s a colour choice that feels both bold and classy, ideal for someone who wants to make a statement but also keep it simple, showcasing the true beauty of Africans.
Stella has done an amazing job here. This outfit is a stylish innovation.
But, can it be better? Yes, it can. One recommendation would be to add a belt or some waist detail to make the outfit even more flattering. Also, this outfit could be to experiment with a different neckline, while the high, rounded neckline works well with the puffed sleeves, trying a V-neck or off-the-shoulder design could add more variety and elegance to the overall look. A V-neck, for example, would help draw attention to the neck area, creating a more open, balanced feel to contrast with the bold sleeves.
However, even without this, the outfit looks stunning.
To style this, a subtle accessory like a simple necklace or earrings could complement the outfit without taking attention away from the striking patterns and vibrant colours. This small touch would enhance the look, adding an extra layer of style.
Overall, Sassy Muse has once again created something beautiful and unique. Her attention to detail, from the dramatic sleeves to the clean lines of the trousers and yellow blouse shows a great understanding of fashion. These designs are all incredible looks.