By Yemisi Suleiman

Styling is an art, and it is one of the major processes of creating a fashion piece with resonance. You can call it the most important element in dressmaking. It is more than just an assemblage and joining of cuts; it is what brings about customer satisfaction, and without this very art in cloth crafting, it could be hard for individuals to relate to a fashion piece.

Various fashion designers in Nigeria use the art of styling to their advantage. SedCaz is one of such dressmakers. They craft unique styling pieces for various kinds of audiences who happen to seek elegance, cultural expressions, custom-tailored dresses, outfits that are appropriate for weddings, and other everyday standout styles.

This fashion brand was launched in 2019. It is an evolving, modern and encompassing fashion brand that specialises in bespoke, luxury-tailored and ready-to-wear fashion pieces for all.

Tolulope Sedomo Ajayi, the pioneer of SedCaz, has been involved with fashion since 2010, through theatre involvement at the university, music, dance, and drama groups, to create costumes and designs for various artists during and while on set, to make props for the set and shows, while also performing. She has been a stylist for a couple of musical artists and comedians during her undergraduate years and consistently built relationships, engaged and collaborated with many brands while aiding the growth of her craftsmanship and expansion of her business.

Some of the design processes and techniques are mood boards and sketches, pattern making and draping, construction techniques, and 3D and AI sketching and illustration. They craft outfits such as Men’s Blazers & Suits for both males and females. They create wedding and event gowns, Afrocentric attire, Kampala ready-to-wear, Casual Wear, and bridal and fashion accessories.
At SedCaz, fashion is more than clothing – it’s an art of storytelling, with a belief in empowering identity through design, and imbibed in each piece is a sense of originality, cultural richness, and individuality.
The 2021 SedCraft Collection proves so much for SedCaz fashion ingenuity. This collection is imbued with beautiful artistic pieces that relate to women’s consciousness of style and class.

This is one of the beautiful dresses from the 2021 SedCraft Collection. It is a one-piece outfit with a regular silhouette. It is loose but well-structured, and the hem and sleeves are emphasised. It is a ball gown, slightly fitted at the shoulders and gradually widening at the hem. It will flatter a slim body type.
The dress has been specially made for occasions and exclusive functions. It evokes a feeling of luxury, power and elegance, and would suit personalities that crave to feel or be perceived as powerful, elegant and with a great fashion sense.

The dress is made in Bohemian fabrics. The prints and textures are harmonious, and the embellishment looks authentic and well-placed, and neither do they appear cheap nor excessive. They look proper for the dress.
The length of the hem feels proportionate to the bodice. The neckline is well cut and sewn in a V-shape, which specifically balances the long hem of the dress. The sleeves are short and appropriately embellished with slight folds of pleats.

On the downside, the flare at the hem is a little irregular and, to an extent, lacks ‘grace’. It started too high, and due to this, there is a slight awkwardness about its shape.
Also, the embellishments on the sleeves add too much interest and make the shoulders look too broad, with a bit of imbalance. This can easily be spotted by a professional eye. The long hem should have been balanced by a more fitting bodice to create a more attractive shape for the wearer. There should have been some interesting contrast in the fabric and embellishments – this could have improved its visual interest.

Though this may sound subjective, the dress positively catches the eye, irrespective of some of the obvious flaws mentioned earlier; it still has an overall positive impact. The floral patterns of the fabric are right for the dress. It complements a black skin tone and enhances its visual appeal. The dress is of faint accent colours, which are flattering to the dress, and it suits the style.

The dress seems to offer a fresh perspective. It looks original and unique. It’s the kind of dress you wear to a function and feel exclusive. The joining points between the shoulders and sleeves seem to be done in an unusual style. This is not common, and it denotes originality. It is also well-executed and beautiful.

Here is another beautiful piece from the 2021 SedCraft Collection. It is a one-piece dress. The shoulders have straps like singlets. There seems to be consistency in the size and tension of the stitches. There are no skipped stitches that can create weak points in the seam. This means the dress wouldn’t easily tear, because of the absence of gaps. All the threads are properly trimmed and secured.
The hem is made of pleats that are attached to the bodice. It seems to have an inner lining that erases transparency, provides structure, and could enhance comfort for the wearer. The lining seems to be broad and extends appropriately to the hem. The lining lies smoothly and doesn’t interfere with the drape of the main fabric.
Comfort is important when choosing a dress to wear. This garment doesn’t pull too tight across the bust; it fits smoothly without any straining or pulling. The waistline was cinched appropriately.
This outfit will easily aid movement for the wearer because it hangs in a way that complements the design.
On the flip side, there are ways the dress can be improved. The dress looks billowy and weightless, and the colours are in faint shades. It’s hard to tell if these qualities were intentionally crafted by the designer.
The dress feels like it should be worn casually in a domestic setting. It doesn’t look like it could resonate at a high-profile function. Again, it’s hard to tell if it’s the designer’s intention. Though the fabric seems to be right for the design, it looks unflattering and lacks durability. This dress doesn’t exude confidence or power; instead, it resonates in the light of meekness, gentleness and ordinariness.
The length of its hem is questionable; the length gives the dress some awkwardness, and it could cling unflatteringly in certain conditions because of its billowy material and design.
The seams are straight and they lie flat, and there are no puckered seams along the side, which would indicate proper sewing technique or matched fabric tensions. The garment doesn’t look like it has raw, unfinished seams on the inside, because these usually make dresses look messy within.

Overall, the dress is appealing to the eyes and designed to be worn to casual events and gatherings.

This is another beautiful piece from the 2021 SedCraft collection. It seems to be a one-piece garment with layers. The top layer acts as the tube blouse with an elastic band at the top, which clings the dress to the chest, exposing the top part of the chest. The hem is long and flowing with pleats attached at the lower end.
This dress exudes confidence and power. It is designed to resonate with jolly people who love high-profile parties. It has been designed to relate to exclusive shows and dinners. It showcases the raw beauty of womanhood and will connect with women who love to be confident and to attract attention.
In conclusion, the 2021 SedCraft Collection is proof of SedCaz fashion ingenuity. This collection contains dress pieces that connect individually with different kinds of people and satisfy different kinds of clothing needs in the dressmaking industry. We are eager to see what the coming years look like for the designer and her team. They did an amazing job with this year’s collection, fingers crossed for the next!