By Rita Okoye

A wise man once said, “If I have ever seen magic, it has been in Africa”. That wise man was a man called John Hemingway. You would agree with him that Africa is the land of magic.

Contrary to the diabolic images that may pop into one’s head at the mention of magic, voodoo is far from the kind of magic we are talking about, and Africans are proving that by creating magic with all that they do from business to sport to fashion. Africa indeed is the land of magic.

One of the greatest magic performances Africans have displayed is in the way they uniquely portray their cultures and diverse ethnicities. It can be seen in their speech, their food, their songs, their dance and their clothes.
A popular way Africans display this is through their unique fabrics and prints. The African print is one of the beauties of the unique African culture. It’s a wax print filled with bold colours intricate and delicate designs that tell a story.

The African print has been in existence for over a century and with each evolving year these prints transition into a better version of themselves.

The African prints were introduced in the 19th century by the Dutch merchants. These merchants drew their inspiration from the native Indonesian design known as “batik”.

However upon breaking into the African market, the Dutch merchants began to adapt African colours and cultures into their design to drive sales and it worked for them because over the years since its inculcation into the african tradition, the African prints have become more widely known all over the world.

With its evolution came many more additions to the collection of African prints. Some of the types of African prints presently existing are Kante, Ankara, Isi agu, Adire, Barkcloths, etc. Among these luxurious prints, the Ankara print is bestselling because of its popularity among the locals and abroad. Using the Ankara print, so many designers home and abroad like Veekee James, Folake Coker, Loza Maléombho, etc and many more upcoming designers have created their representation of African magic in the form of elaborate attires.
One of the many designers who generated a buzz with African print today is Emmanuel Junior Yeboah.

He is a fashion designer for the popular fashion brand “YEHBO”. Yehbo is a female clothing brand that was established in 2016. It is known for its ability to harmoniously blend tradition with modern artistic expressions. The designer draws his inspiration for the brand from the female form and abstract patterns. The creations he makes from this become striking collections that highlight femininity in all its glory.

Established in 2016 by the visionary designer Emmanuel Junior Yeboah, “YEHBO” has emerged as a leading sustainable and progressive clothing line in the realm of contemporary womenswear. Known for its unique ability to harmoniously blend tradition with modern artistic expressions, Yehbo draws inspiration from the female form and abstract patterns, resulting in striking collections that highlight femininity in all its glory.

The designer stated that the brand is designed for anyone who appreciates the freedom of expression through clothing because, each piece is designed with meticulous attention to detail, capturing the essence of what it means to be both stylish and culturally aware.

The brand is also committed to using materials sourced from various regions across Africa, ensuring that the designs not only support local artisans but also promote the rich cultural tapestry of the continent.

So far, Yehbo has tailored various eccentric pieces and categorises them into collections. However, in this article, we will be discussing the Ahnika collection. This collection comprises two harmonious attires. Here, we will be critically analysing the design, comparing and contrasting them to bring to your view of all the dresses’ details.

Let’s get right into it
These two regal designs are the trendy wear that make up the Yehbo 2022 Ahnika collection. We will be reviewing them side by side to showcase the peculiar designs that make both dresses stand out.

Designer Emmanuel Junior Yeboah specifically crafted these dresses drawing inspiration from the Greek word, Eleanor, meaning “shining light”.

However, more research shows that the word is also of French descent meaning “light-hearted”. Drawing from the inspiration gotten from the word, Emmanuel Yeboah decided to create beautiful dresses that not only bring you into the limelight but also allow for flexibility and simplicity.

The first outfit by the left angle is a one-piece, vibrant outfit that depicts glamour and trends.
It is a custom Bardot playsuit tailored with many admirable designs made from Ankara print. Starting from the top of the outfit, the dress has an off-shoulder line with two-step flap collars as sleeves, a slit peplum pattern at the mid-waist, and shorts.

Whereas, the second design at the right is a sophisticated two-piece Ankara outfit with a high neckline connected to the chest area of the top by four string-like Ankara ropes, flutter sleeves, shorts with inseam pockets, a waistband and a zipper.

Let’s dissect this.
The Bardot playsuit is a shorter version of a jumpsuit. It is called Bardot because of the off-shoulder characteristics of the dress. The lack of a neckline is substituted with an off-shoulder creation which consists of a two-step flap sleeve which is also called flutter sleeves because of the flappy notion. The sleeve in the first dress is a short sleeve with a special two-step feature. Going down to the mid-waist bodice of the cloth, the bottom part is joined with the top part with an additional design of the peplum style.

The peplum style is a decorative ruffle that is usually attached to the waistline of a dress. However, in the case of the first dress, the designer created the peplum with an added flare by adding a slit to the left side of the outfit and, making one side of the peplum creation longer than the other. The bottom part of the attire is plain short and an attached zipper runs from the back of the top to the mid-waist line.
Meanwhile, the second outfit is mainly differentiated from the first by its separating attributes. Unlike the first design, this dress has a skimpy high neckline which is attached to the main bodice of the dress by four strings made from the Ankara print.

The chest area of the upper bodice holds a slim off-shoulder complimented by single-step flutter sleeves.
The lower piece of the outfit is a plain ankara short with in-seam pockets for style, a beltlike waistband which creates that deliciously rounded appearance and a close-end zipper at the left part of the shorts that runs from the waistline to mid-pocket for allowance.
The two pieces are both beautiful and classy dresses made for all occasions. However, how you look in them depends primarily on your sense of style. That brings us to an interesting part of this article.

Stylings
There are different ways to go about styling these two dresses taking advantage of their distinctive features. The first option for styling these dresses is to recreate the original look in the images. However, if you are one to reach beyond the norm, then here are some styling suggestions for you.

Firstly, get yourself some chic fashion accessories like jewellery, bags and shoes to compliment the dresses. For both dresses, you can go with the four footwear options— flats, boots, heels or sneakers. The next step is hair grooming. This is one of the essential points of your look because it could mar or make the overall appearance of the dress. For this step, you can decide to go on braids, wigs or your neatly packed natural hair.

Lastly, seeing that the second dress is a two-piece, it creates a wider room for experimentation. The outfit could be worn separately with other articles of clothing. For instance, if you need to go to the club, you can wear the top with a mini jean skirt or shorts or if you have a birthday party to attend, you can easily go for the casual look with a plain black shirt or a sky blue t-shirt coupled with the shorts.

What does this feature of the dress mean for you?
Simple! It allows you the opportunity of having a different look every time.
Using all of these tips with the dress will not only accentuate your beauty but also that of the dress. However, these are just tips. You can decide to freestyle it your way and that will work just fine.

Emmanuel Junior Yeboah has showcased that the art of creating magic doesn’t only lie in the charms and incantations, but rather in the garish world of fashion designs.
Remember, don’t just follow the trends, follow the one that represents who you are and what you stand for. Yehbo is one of the innovative brands that can make that happen for you. So if you are ever going for a wardrobe change just one name should come to mind—Yehbo.