By Yemisi Suleiman

As the strides continue in making the African fashion a dome in the global fashion industry, African Fashion Creatives are leaving no stone unturned in achieving this great feat.

One of such Creatives on this cause is Blessing Eyo, the Lead Creative Designer of Beautyplus Apparel. With a track record of her in-depth ability to fuse creativity with innovative craftsmanship, she’s set to stir the waters of fashion and equally raise the bar for Afrocentric fashion with the release of Okija dress.

The Okija dress though a contemporary design, retains elements of Afrocentric fashion. This is loudly expressed as the dress is a display of African heritage and craftsmanship.

Made from beautiful African Kampala prints, the Okija dress readily melts the heart with visual admiration; especially with African motifs such as leaves on the fabric prints which demonstrate continuity of life and strength. This makes me submit that the dress is an excellent artistic piece from a rich storyline.

The play on colours and arrangement of each pattern on the fabrics which made up the dress reveal Eyo’s dexterity to interpret the use of African fabrics, and this is highly commendable.

The dress also features minimalistic arrangement of colours on the front side; while the backside features vertical fabric-made lines which suspend along the waistline ,giving the rres a majestic perspective. The slit openings at the two sides of the dress offer comfort and composure for whoever adorns the dress.

While I perceive Okija dress to be a good pick for lovers of African wearable arts who prefer moderation to luxury and elegance; more craftsmanship could had been explored towards adding more details to the dress’ design to make it qualify as a trend-setting couture as well.

Meanwhile, the dress is a successful creation from the blend of innovative African cultural heritage and modernity.

Blessing Eyo’s innovative design of this Afrocentric piece is an elevation for the African fashion and the continent’s textile adaptability. With African Fashion Designers like Eyo who are passionate about pushing the Afrocentric fashion to the forefront in the global fashion industry, the Africentric fashion is set to become the admiration of fashion enthusiasts and consumers around the world.