One of the major contenders of Arise Magazine’s Fashion Week was Maki Oh. Amaka Osakwe was raised in Lagos, studied fashion at the Arts University College in Bournemouth, and returned to Nigeria to launch Maki Oh for autumn/winter 2010/11. Aside from the name Maki Oh, being cute and catchy, the pieces the designer sends down the runway show remarkable craftsmanship and creativity. Awarded as Designer of the Year, she will be showing during the Spring/Summer shows here in New York.
During her 2011 show, she sent clean and precise finishing’s down her catwalk. Structured cuts, geometric prints and patterns and a mix of sheer and velvet fabrics brought the collection to life. This designer is not afraid to experiment with different fabric textures in one look. All of her garments; cuts, shapes and silhouettes are meant to flatter and make a woman look flawless. She is a caption of her craft.
Her fall 2012 collection was even more breathtaking than the previous show. This season’s collection was all in the details; lace, risqué cuts, demure hemlines and whimsical prints, on a handful of muted textured shades.
Her signature shapes sent down the runway are the button-up shirt, the high-waisted pantaloon and the long T-shirt dress. Her youthful spring/summer 2012 collection featured skin-tight mesh minidresses with embroidery and velvet appliqué. When asked what influenced this collection, Osakwe explained “I was inspired by Matisse’s paintings of primitive odalisques [female slaves] to take a fictional trip into the world of the Lagos ‘reds’ [prostitutes],” she said. “Everything’s been done before, they say, but there’s still so much about Africa to be explored.” Exploration of Africa translated through color, shapes and cuts, what an original idea. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for spring.