It was a parade of the best and finest apparels, as KouturebyAjike showcased its rare collection at the Fashion Finest Africa show held in Lagos recently.

Founded by Mariam Oladipupo Ajayi, KouturebyAjike, formerly known as StyledbyAjike, displayed some of its beautiful designs at the fashion show that also featured several designers from different parts of the country.

According to Mariam Ajayi, KouturebyAjike represents comfort, style and elegance, qualities that reflected in all the clothes made by the brand and donned by its models that strutted the runway at the Fashion Finest Africa show.

Ajayi, who is also KouturebyAjikes creative director, described herself as a fashion freak and enthusiast. She developed interest and passion for clothing materials right from her teenage years while in junior secondary school.
I had keen interest in knitting back then with needle and threads, and joining clothing pieces together to making adjustments on dress, and trying the dress on myself, which always look great, she recalled.

This experience later prompted Mariam Ajayi to hone her creative skills at a fashion school, where she was professionally taught about dressmaking and how to design different styles from clothing items and materials.
KouturebyAjike makes dress for only women, young and old. Therefore, the collections showcased in the course of the Fashion Finest Africa show were mainly for the female gender.

They included 2-piece skirt and blouse made with adire fabric; kaftan with embroidery made with Ankara fabric; short and top made with Ankara and linen fabric; 2-piece trouser and jacket designed with feathers appliqué; Palazzo trouser and Kimono with tulle net to beautify the fronts pockets, and made with Ankara fabric; long top designed with tassels and culottes; boubou dress made with adire fabric; and sleeveless midi-dress made with silk fabric.

With her exquisite and unique designs, KouturebyAjike promotes the richness and beauty of African culture. The brand also offers its platform to young fashion designers to express their talents.

Speaking on her takeaway from the Fashion Finest Africa event, the fashionpreneur said: My takeaway from the Fashion Finest Africa show was the exposure to the ever increasing trends of beautiful designs and styles in the global fashion business, and the available opportunities in the business of fashion.”