By Rita Okoye

Before we go into Opeyemi’s rare work of art, let’s paint a little backstory, shall we?
Every designer–rookie or experienced–always seeks to understand the basic elements of fashion.

A great designer makes sure these elements are in the right proportion because it is the framework for a successful design outfit and also the possibility of a trendy outfit.
For a designer to achieve success at designing an attractive outfit that resonates with people, they always consider four basic elements; line, colour, shape and form, and texture.

Colour happens to be the first element people consider because it is a dimension of fashion that creates a connection between the clothing outfit and the potential customer. It adds excitement, mood and emotion to a clothing outfit.

Plus, it also allows for more varieties and choices for the same design outfit.
There are three dimensions in colours; the hue, which is the shade of brightness or darkness of the colour, and finally, the intensity is the dullness or brightness of the colour.

Ankara fashion has shown the power of colours in the fashion industry, through the wide application of these elements. A brilliant blend in palette is always noticed in the Ankara prints, which adds to the innovative outlook of the design outfit.

Let’s not forget the lines, which is another element of fashion. It is easily noticed via the construction details of an outfit; such as the seams, pleats, tucks, trims, opening, gathers and topstitching. Curved lines express fluidity, while straight lines show crispness such as the ones of a tailored outfit.

Several Ankara fashion outfits you see on people show the crispness of a tailored outfit.
The shape shows the wholeness or defines the outline of the whole outfit. This is also called silhouette, which can be noticed by the human eyes from a distance.

The silhouette or shape of an outfit should relate to the wearer’s body structure, this is very common in Ankara fashion; most Ankara customers employ the services of a tailor or fashion designer to design and make an outfit with the silhouette crafted to suit the dimensional structure of their body.

The texture is simply how something feels or how it will feel when worn or touched; it is the surface interest of a fabric, crafted by the weave and by the light touch.

Designers also use the principles of fashion, such as balance proportion, emphasis and rhythm creatively with elements of fashion, to craft a potentially trendy outfit that resonates socially with more people.

Are you wondering why the lecture? Well, Opeyemi’s 2020 fashion collection is one of the many collections from fashion designers with the right application of all these elements of fashion; colour, texture, line and shape.

The collection speaks of a blend of Ankara and Western designs because the designer seems to understand the power of blending different cultural backgrounds to craft a brand new piece of outfit, which would stand a better chance of hitting society in a new wave of trendy garments.

The 2020 Collection – Ìgbéga Aṣọ Ìbílẹ̀ (Elevation of Traditional Attire) by Opeyemi, is a well-crafted collection that gives a vibe of African fabrics, in the spotlight of global fashion, by getting people to adorn their beautiful selves in the garments. This can happen because of the correct incorporation of these vibrant textiles into outfits, which are traditionally dominated by Western styles – this is genius.

This 2020 collection elevates the perception of African designs to be worn across the world at any glamorous occasion or function.
The fashion blends she creates is something you could call inclusive fashion, because she’s able to craft an outfit that speaks beyond a cultural perspective, but brings together and includes other cultural inspirations.

This could result in people across different cultural backgrounds finding themselves in the designs of this collection. This shows the business Acumen of the designer because resonance is the beginning of financial success in the fashion industry.

One of the design outfits which happens to be a statement piece is this Ankara gown with a vibrant purple and multi-coloured geometric pattern in the center panel. It features a broad neck with the added beauty of an attached garment that reveals your fleshy beautiful neckline.

The idea to make the gown armless is a brilliant one; it makes it possible for a lady to showcase her beautiful arms. You as a lady love to spend on expensive cosmetics that would improve the sheen of your skin, so naturally it’s expected that you would want an outfit that would help you showcase your money’s worth, which is pretty exfoliated skin.
The designer crafted this outfit with you in mind.

This design outfit will resonate with a woman who is interested in mature beauty and in a dress that exudes style and a unique silhouette. This dress governs and rules and you will find that you will feel that way when you use this outfit to a social function – powerful and unstoppable.

A good fashion outfit doesn’t only look good on you, it also communicates to the eyes of the beholder. This dress is such that tells people of your fashion sense and in this case, makes people admire your fashion clarity and your designer’s ingenuity. It takes a good sense for fashion to resonate with a brilliantly crafted piece.

It is an intelligently crafted classy outfit with a good blend of colours and an enthralling silhouette. It is an outfit you could call thinking out of –the box. The inspiration for this design is born from the careful study of the relationship between people and the style they gravitate.

It combines the essence of African Ankara culture and Western design. It is a design that relates both locally and abroad.
This dress can be worn at several functions or social gatherings. It could be worn for a casual outing, dinner parties, fashion shows or even religious gatherings.

This dress is an amazing piece, from the combination of the hue, line, silhouette and texturized feel to the eyes. You could say it is a daring outfit that only a woman of social confidence would choose.

The dress is a one-shoulder Ankara gown, with a vibe that should resonate with the young and old interested in slaying. The material used for the shoulder is of the same kind used to stylishly and brilliantly decorate the midriff, which looks like a large tie but is attached to the Ankara material. The material used for the shoulder and midriff is of a matching hue – a navy blue.

The Ankara material has a teal and purple pattern that is combined elegantly to give a sense of a fresh and modern twist. It gives a modern traditional vibe in a global style, making it a dress that will resonate with people who love the traditional vibe and also people in the diaspora.

A beautiful and well-cut split in the front of the dress gives it a youthful and classy vibe.

The plain material with a beautiful hue of navy blue hangs over the shoulder and flows along the right side of your back to your heels, in the semblance of a cape only that it hangs below the waist.

This is a brilliantly crafted outfit that has multiple uses, in the sense that it could be worn to various social functions. It could be worn to a dinner party, fashion shows, product launch parties and be worn to some religious gatherings depending on the place.

The side view is alluring and sensually attractive, which is what women want, a dress that brings out their natural silhouette and pronounces their feminine beauty. The armless side of the dress, makes you think of a beautiful woman, when in view.
This designer has resonance in the mind because resonance is the backdrop in the mind of every experienced dressmaker, tailor or fashion designer. If your fashion design style or dress is not resonating with people, then the question is what are you doing?
Resonance is the word that makes fashion designers successful; it is what propels the fashion industry because it’s the reason people make a purchase. Resonance is what motivates dressmakers and it’s the reason why they seek inspiration – they want their designed outfits to resonate. Finally, resonance is what elevates a dress style from ordinary or just being a dress to put on, to the height where everyone wants to be embodied in the style because it resonates and people can relate.
This Collection by Opeyemi is an embodiment of all four fashion elements ranging from colour, line, shape and form, and texture. You will also agree that the designer imbibed the use of design principles such as balance, proportion, emphasis and rhythm.
It takes a thoughtful fashion designer to put all these in place, in such a way that it will resonate with people.
You will find this collection endearing with your fashion pleasure and needs.