Designer of Interest- Lanre Da Silva Ajayi

Hello stylish readers, good weekend?  well, let’s start the week with something nice and stylish! welcome to the world of Nigerian designer, Lanre Da Silva Ajayi or LDA as her line is popularly known.

Mrs. Ajayi is a designer whom I have heard of for a while now, although not really followed her progress, I must admit and  so have slowly been drawn to her designs. I stumbled on a few of her ‘Color Storm’ collection on instagram and I became a believer!

This mother of two began her fashion house in 2005 in Lagos, not having had any formal training in fashion beforehand, she already had her degree in Business and a Masters in Finance when she started making clothes at home after her first child was born armed with her knowledge of dressmaking taught her by her mother. Her initial designs were  ”with iconic 1940’s couture signature designs – a result of what has evolved into a much more modern and cutting-edge brand and a full-blown fashion house.”

Her label turns out Couture pieces, Ready-to-wear and  Accessories. She crosses the culture divide with an exotic mix from print to embellished to feminine lightweight fabrics. ‘An LDA woman is the personification of sophistication, femininity, brilliance and boldness, which are the inspiration for each of her collections. Lanre states “Couture, colour and boldness with an edgy twist are the signature of my designs”.’

She’s found a way to hold her own in the industry with her creatively which  ‘combines pattern, print, exquisite and even traditional fabrics to produce day wear, evening wear, gowns and cocktail dresses that bridge time and make the label successful within and outside Nigeria.’

She began to get international recognition for her designs 3 years later when she was invited first for the Thisday Africa Rising Festival, London (October 2008),and the following year, the ARISE Africa Fashion Festival, South Africa (June 2009). From then on it was show after show from New York, Lagos, London, Florence and still counting! She’s been featured in so many magazines from ARISE Fashion to L’Uomo Vogue! you know with that amount of exposure, it can only get better, so much so that even when she was photographed falling off the stage at Arise African Show in New York, every one wanted to know who this designer was and so, more publicity!!!

She’s had her pieces from the ‘Butterfly Kisses’ collection put up at the Dolce & Gabbana Store in Milan, Italy and some of her designs were put up for sale for a month at the Selfridges U.K store.This is in addition to her store in Lagos and the Temple Muse store that shows and sells her designs too…let’s not forget the 41 Luxe in Abuja which stocks her designs too.

Her designs have been favored by a lot of celebrities both in Nigeria and abroad and we hope to one day shop these favored pieces!

OK back to the stuff we want to see- her designs!

 

My favorite thing about her designs have to be the dresses.I think that’s her edge. Besides the fact that I have a thing for dresses, She does know how to make her dresses look like art! the fabrics, the print, the cut and the embellishment! awesome! true to her words, her designs breathe out lots of colors, inspired by the tropics perhaps? and her cuts are simple, letting the fabrics speak for themselves! I would only have to gaze at one of her mini 60s inspired mini shift dresses to remind myself all over again why LDA is my designer of interest!

Hugs:))

Molekor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

photos: Lanredasilvaajayi.com

Inspiring Looks for the Weekend.

Hello my stylish readers. As we take out last stride into the weekend, I’d wish you a happy one with some looks that are sure to inspire your weekend style:

We favor the creepers with these shorts and the studded purse. Try out the flats with the crop sweater and wool skirt too.

Let your inner fringe out this weekend…

Love the colors! blue in cobalt or royal as it was once called, is a nice pick for a day out with a poncho for warmth. If where you live is cold, you could add a pair of warm tights and boots.

My love for the poplin shirtdress has no end… try out this simple look with the sandals and bag, less is more!

…add the high-low cut, some edgy shoes and a Chanel purse… if you don’t own one, a cute little satchel or cross body bag will do…don’t leave out the sunglasses!

Nothing says weekend like a pair of sneakers and a short dress, especially with legs like Malaika’s.

Simple print pants and a plain tee is all you need for that trip to the movies. Add heels and you’re good to go. Kisua Fashion

We know that overalls are hanging on vigorously and are not going anywhere soon, not with the normcore trend staring us down, so pay your friends a visit with these relaxed pair…

Pair this simple Ankara top with your skinny jeans or pants .

A simple print dress with pockets to-go never did us any wrong, You?

Pick a color, any color, and wear it down! Red perhaps?

Another way to style the beloved shirtdress which is also not going anywhere so stock up!

This military take on overalls is simple and chic!

Lovely skirt! nice for my tropical weather!

I definitely will be trying out a few of these looks, you know I will! Don’t be shy to push your style envelope, who knows which side of the fashion letter you might land on?

A Cherry weekend to you!

Hugs:))

Molekor

 

 

 

 

 

 

photos: Pinterest.com, Harpers bazaar.com,

 

 

 

MakeUp Trends For Fall 2014

Kerry Washington with colored lashed out eyes and fresh-faced pink lips

Hello stylish readers, before we delve into the always entertaining make up trends for the year 2014, I really have to say a few about one of my best designers who just passed away. Oscar de la Renta died at the age of 82 after a long battle with cancer. He lived a full and creative life and we are blessed to have known him in our lifetime as one of the most accomplished designers we will ever know or study about.Coincidentally, I did a feature on him in my Designer of Interest Category a few weeks ago.If you haven’t done so already please check it out to know more about this favourite designer of mine.. I know that we will miss seeing him on the pages of magazines or on our screens and I pray for his family must already miss him so.

Our make up trends for fall this year are nothing short of dramatic and eye-catching. The eyes took centre stage as we saw looks from the metallic and fully covered smokey winged eyes to the heavy lids and under eyes.

The metallic look was all over the fall runways from Rodarte to Armani who in his case, spared the lips and focused squarely on the eyes. All lashed out- lashes are being stretched to give a wide-eyed look and then deep lines below and above the eyes. Colors are not left out in the intensity of the eyes.

Followed up on the runways of Ralph Lauren and Diane Von Furstenberg was the glowing fresh-faced look which I like so much. Smooth with just a hint of color on the cheeks and lips.

And then we have the nude face much like the glowing skin but with little or no color. Models on the runways of designers like Isabel Marant and Stella McCartney smoothed out their faces for this look.

Old 60s make up laced a few runways and the old hollywood glamour look with rich eyes and equally rich berry lips are hard to miss! Red is always a favorite in the fall with romantics like Dolce and Gabbana.

So go all out this season with your eyes and when you’re not going metallic, a fresh glowing face never hurt anyone. I’m a fan of the red lips too and if you want to unleash your bohemian personality, try darker shades in burgundy or berry.Till tomorrow then.

Hugs:))

Molekor

 

 

 

 

 

 

photos: citizens of beauty.com Harpers Bazaar, Elle.com , popsugar.com , fashion style mag.com

Shoe Trends for Fall 2014

Hey stylish readers, if you are a shoe lover then hold still as I bring you the shoe trends for fall. Shoes we’re seeing everywhere and hope to see in our wardrobes too! Out with the Birkenstocks and welcome classy kitten heels!

DKNY Embellished Loafers

The 2 Strap Sandals

Chanel

Casadei

Stella Mccartney $995

Designer running shoes Adidas Porsche Design

Creeper Brogues

Valentino Kitten heels

Michael Kors $295

Jeffery Campbell suede pumps

Kitten Heel Booties by Ortman P

Giuseppe-Zanotti Suede Pumps

Opening Ceremony Embellished Loafers

Combat boots at Brothel creepers

Creeper brogues, suede pumps, the 2 strap sandals, kitten-heel booties.. there are lots to pick from but I must say , my eyes are all over the embellished loafers and those 2 straps!!! what’s your style?

Molekor ;))

photos: style.com, google images, polyvore.com

Some of Our Best And Not So Good Looks From The Genevieve Pink Ball.

Hostess, Betty Irabor

Hello stylish readers, Saturday was a very pink night at the Dorchester Event Centre in Lagos, where the Genevieve Pink Ball, a yearly event intended to raise awareness for breast cancer, took place and of course for such a noble event, the guests turned out in glamorous outfits with ‘A touch of pink’ .

Photos, photos:

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What do you think my stylish readers? was I right or was I right? drop a word or two… or maybe more!

Hugs :))

Molekor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

photos: olori supergal.com, Pulse. com

Fashion From The London Film Festival

Hey stylish readers, If you live in London then over the next about two weeks, you will be surrounded by lots of glamor and fashion from the many movie premieres. London Film Festival which celebrates the best in British and International film began yesterday. There was the gala night hosted by IWC and then we had some movie premieres. Here are a few of the red carpet appearances…

Reese Witherspoon in Stella McCartney

Daisy Lowe in Saint Laurent

Laura Carmichael in Erdem & Mia Wasikowska

GOT star Maisie Williams in Sister Jane

JLaw in Dior

Keira Knightley in Valentino

Sienna-Miller-In-Galvan-Foxcatcher movie premiere

I like the Peach and cream-colored dress by Roland Mouret on Emily Blunt. The cut and color suits her so well! You really cannot go wrong in a black dress and JLaw’s Dior dress was a hit don’t you think?…even though I’m not a fan of the blazer/jacket cut dress styles and the dress looks a bit crumped up, but otherwise she did come out cute. There’s the red lipstick on Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams which does make the 17-year-old look so grown up and elegant! not to mention the blue Jacquard dress by Sister Jane she’s wearing!

So, my opinionated stylish readers, what do you think? Drop a word or two ok?

Hugs:))

Molekor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources: The Independent. co.uk , fashiontelegraph.uk., Red Carpet Fashion Awards.

 

The Top Trending Hairstyles in Nigeria.

Hello stylish people! If you live in Nigeria, you know how much we love to be trendy! trendy jewelry, trendy hairstyles, trendy outfits, we love to look good! This year, I have watched with growing intrigue,the hair trends move from the usual weaves to our natural textured hair and then the slender but really long braids in varying colors, the big long braids called the box braids and back to the natural hair again with some really interesting and creative ways of styling, either done up or Mohawk style…and then have you noticed how almost everyone around you seems to be going for the super short hair? Also trending are the water waves and spring curls and you know nothing looks good on an African woman like the Afro curls, long and funky!

Let’s look at some picture facts shall we?

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Our local movie and music stars all turn up with these styles but styling them in ways that make the looks theirs, sometimes, they even start the trends! some others have since made a few of these looks their personal trade mark looks to fit their personalities… think sassy Rita Dominic and the sultry Tiwa Savage…yup, its all in the hair!

So what do you think? which do gets you all gooey?do you have your trademark hairstyle? let’s hear it ok?

Hugs :))

Molekor

 

 

 

 

 

 

photo sources: my wedding Nigeria, sassyto. blogspot. com, nobs 360. google images

Rocking Black Tights For The Fall.

Hello my dear stylistas!!! It’s been a few days but I have missed you!!! I really have been working around the clock to get my new site up and believe me when I say it’s easier said than done!!! one thing’s for sure though, it will definitely be worth the wait, I mean what could be better than a cooler, more you-friendly and stylish layout with better and more captivating content? I’m sure you will be ready to forgive a few days of absence for that hm?

Today though, we explore the fashion item that is the black tights. I live in a part of the world that is tropical, which means I really have little or no use for tights, maybe to be worn on a cold night out but honestly I do not own any, but, I do like the way they look when styled in really cool and really short outfits. They help deal with the cold if you live in those regions and with Fall upon us …or upon you, it’s a good idea to get a few ideas on styling them:

Do you have some more ideas on how to style the famous black tights, made popular from the early to mid 1900s? Then drop a line and maybe a photo ok?

Hugs :))

Molekor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos: Pinterest.com. glamourmagazine.co.uk,

…More from Spring 2015

…Can’t get enough of the Spring 2015 Fashion Week? Neither can I!!! you see why you come here? :)) Here are some more favorites for you to nibble on…

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From edgy to the unforgettable 60s! and from black to misty yellow, these designers didn’t hold anything back that’s for sure!!!

Have a great weekend!

Hugs :))

Molekor.

Designer of Interest- Maki Oh

Hello my stylish readers, today let’s talk about my current designer of interest, Amaka Osakwe. Amaka is a 27, yep, 27-year-old (born 1987) Nigerian designer that’s beating the odds out there and making her mark on the international fashion scene like very few of her Nigerian colleagues are, I’ve said it before that it’s a great challenge to be noticed in the fashion centres of the world if you do not live in those areas, have a background or shuttle these areas all the time. I’m talking New York, London, Paris and Milan.Well, Maki Oh, which is the name of Ms Osakwe’s fashion label, has beat all the odds! She’s led her womanswear label since 2010 from Lagos, and is one of the few Nigerian-based brands that are globally acknowledged.

Amaka Osakwe studied at the Arts University Bournemouth where she received a BA in fashion studies. In autumn/winter 2010 she launched her label. Inspired by rural Ghana’s Dipo rites-of-passage ceremony, during which girls taking part are partially naked and ornately adorned, Osakwe has played with cloaking and ornamentation using traditional African fabrics.

The Lagos-based designer chooses to use truly homegrown African textile traditions herself, reinventing them in modern ways so that her clothing line is as much a celebration and a retrospective as it is a fashion house. “It’s my only way of keeping my heritage alive, by making it relevant,” she says. The textures of Osakwe’s collections use tediously detailed, age-old methods, like hand-stitched calabash pieces or a beautiful motif called the “Sun-bebe” that’s hand-painted by the queen of the local Ogidi village.One signature of her brand is that it’s dyed by hand using the traditional textile arte process Adire. Another is her way of combining Western silhouettes and native materials and motifs—to wit, a lace-blouse-and-pencil-skirt set appliquéd with unsettling raffia eyeballs.

But it’s never just about tradition: Maki Oh explores what it means to know your past, but is just as interested in what it means to be a contemporary woman at ease with her body and sexuality. For her debut collection, Osakwe painted swirls that circled and accentuated a woman’s breasts, a reference to the ceremonial nudity of a coming-of-age Dipo ritual from rural Ghana and a winking nod to the notion that what might be considered improper in some places is beautiful and natural in others.Osakwe always premises her collection on a story, whether it’s on the Ghanaian rituals or of a woman staring at her self in the mirror, wondering if she’s mad, or yet still, of a woman who is trying to understand her place in this changing society of ours!

Fall 2013:

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Her label was widely discovered by the U.S. fashion scene in 2012, when she presented her designs at the New York Fashion Week. She was also named Designer of the Year by African fashion magazine ARISE.

This year she was nominated for the new LVMH Prize which was a huge surprise to everyone!!! the LVMH group is a Paris based competition and so getting their eyes to reach beyond their shores far into that of this young Lagos based designer, goes to show how distinctive her work is!

Her Spring 2014 Collection:

Spring 2014

Style.com commented while reviewing her spring 2013 collection, ”There will probably come a day when Lagos, teeming metropolis that it is, displaces London or New York as a fashion capital for emerging designers. Today, however, Lagos is a place where Internet outages are a daily occurrence. That Osakwe is getting noticed at all is a testament to her extraordinary talent and equivalent potential”

Spring 2013:

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Reviewing her Fall 2014 ready to wear collection, they came off with one conclusion in mind-

” There’s a certain naïveté to Osakwe’s work and you sense the hand of the artisan, but the intelligence and aesthetic sophistication guiding her process is so keen, the pieces never come off as artsy-craftsy.”

Fall 2014:

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Celebrities like Solange Knowles,International stars such as singers Beyoncé and Rihanna or Hollywood actress Kerry Washington have discovered the Nigerian designer outfits for themselves. Her designs also have been worn by the likes of Leelee Sobieski and by Nigerian TV presenter Eku Edewor.

While attending a youth event at the Sci-Bono Discovery Center in Johannesburg as part of her big diplomatic trip to Africa in 2013 with Barack, US First Lady Michelle Obama well known for promoting new and otherwise up coming designers by wearing their designs, took to the stage rocking a chiffon blouse from the spring/summer 2013 line of Maki Oh! The First Lady has made her a favourite by inviting her to the white house for her ‘Celebration of Design’ event where designers like Diane Von Furstenberg, Prabal Gurung, Jason Wu, Narciso Rodriguez, Naeem Khan and Georgina Chapman, who have all designed clothes she’s worn, showing from October 8 2014!

What I like about her designs is how they have a strong African sense with her frequent use of Adire but with a global feel of western designs, fabric mixes, cuts and appliques. Her separates are nothing but interesting as they really don’t just make you look and drool but also want to pair them and wear them! I mean look at the pants in her collection! or those blouses and then the minimalist dresses… makes you think of little else long after you’ve viewed them!

Through her collections she tries not  to lose herself and although her designs are attracting more and more international clients, she still has that hold on her origins, able to bring their minds back to what her personal inspirations are!

…Now that is an accomplishment!

 

Molekor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: Wikipedia, Google Images, Style.com, Maki-oh.com