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

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

 

 

 

Designer of Interest- Oscar De La Renta.

With a name like Óscar Arístides Ortiz de la Renta Fiallo, you know there has to be more than one creative bone in this 82 year old’s body! born July 22 1932 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to a Dominican mother with Spanish and Italian heritage, Carmen María Antonia Fiallo and a Puerto Rican father, Óscar Avelino de la Renta, by birth alone, Oscar was already destined to be big-  The Fiallos were so embedded in Dominican society that they could count poets, scholars, and businessmen as well as top army brass as a part of their family.One of María Antonia’s brothers, Arístides Fiallo Cabral, was an intellectual – a doctor, lawyer, architect, and recipient of every degree the University of Santo Domingo could confer. Another brother, Fabio Fiallo, was a diplomat and poet. On his father’s side, De la Renta’s great great grandfather José Ortiz de la Renta was the first constitutional mayor of Ponce, Puerto Rico to be elected by popular vote… like I said, big!

Oscar de la Renta at his fashion show at Neiman Marcus

At the age of 18, Oscar left the Dominican Republic to study Painting at the Academy of San Fernando in Madrid, Spain. He quickly became interested in the world of fashion design and began sketching for leading Spanish fashion houses, which soon led to an apprenticeship with Spain’s most renowned couturier, Cristóbal Balenciaga. He considers Balenciaga his mentor. Later, de la Renta left Spain to join Antonio del Castillo as a couture assistant at Lanvin in Paris.

Oscar at Lanvins’.

In 1963, de la Renta turned to Diana Vreeland, the editor-in-chief of Vogue for advice, saying that what he really wanted was to “get into ready to wear, because that’s where the money is”. Vreeland replied, “Then go to Arden because you will make your reputation faster. She is not a designer, so she will promote you. At the other place, you will always be eclipsed by the name of Dior.”

De la Renta went on to work for Arden for two years and then in 1965 went to work for Jane Derby and launched his own label.When Derby died in August 1965 Oscar de la Renta took over the label.

In 1967 and 1968, de la Renta won the Coty Award (the US fashion industry ‘Oscars’) and in 1973 was inducted into the Coty Hall of Fame. He is also a two-time winner of the American Fashion Critic’s Award and was inducted into the Fame in 1973. He has been honored with multiple awards from the United States, Spain, France and his home Dominican Republic. He has built schools, an orphanage, serves in the board of multiple bodies,charities and organizations. He holds dual citizenship in the Dominican Republic and the United States.

In 1967, de Renta became the third husband of Françoise de Langlade (1921–1983),an editor-in-chief of French Vogue who once worked for the fashion house of Elsa Schiaparelli. They remained married until her death in 1983. In 1989, the designer married Annette Engelhard (born 1939), daughter of Charles and Jane Engelhard. De la Renta has stepchildren from both marriages.

Oscar with Annette.

He also has an adopted son, Moises de la Renta.His son-in-law Alex Bolen now operates as Chief Executive Officer, and step-daughter Eliza Bolen serves as Vice President of Licensing  at Oscar de la Renta, LLC.

oscar with family l-r Alex Bolen, Eliza Bolen, Oscar n Moises

Oscar-de-la-Renta and adopted son Moises.

From 1993 to 2002, Oscar de la Renta designed the haute couture collection for the house of Balmain, becoming the first Dominican to design for a French couture house. In 2006, the Oscar de la Renta label diversified into bridal wear.

A few of Oscar de la Renta’s Bridal Collection 2015:

The Oscar de la Renta brand saw international wholesale growth beginning in 2003, under the direction of CEO Alex Bolen, from five to seventy-five locations. De la Renta’s ready-to-wear designs are available in his retail stores, online, and with select wholesale partners worldwide.

In 1977, de la Renta launched his fragrance, OSCAR,followed by an accessories line in 2001 and a housewares line in 2002. The new business venture included 100 home furnishings for Century Furniture featuring dining tables, upholstered chairs, and couches. In 2004, he added a less expensive line of clothing called O Oscar. De la Renta said he wanted to attract new customers whom he could not reach before.

”A woman makes an outfit her own with accessories…” Oscar de la Renta

Oscar de la Renta has had the distinct honor of having his designs worn by a diverse group of distinguished women and celebrities, his eponymous fashion house continues to dress leading figures, from film stars to royalty. De la Renta is particularly known for his red carpet gowns and evening wear. His designs are easy on the eyes, lady like, classy and sophisticated. He creates the look for a woman who embraces power yet is confident enough to show her feminine side, oh yes, that’s how I’d describe myself!

Oscar de la Renta designed for first lady Laura Bush

“Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty” Costume Institute Gala with Penelope Cruz

Michelle Obama wearing Oscar Moises de-la-Renta for the Presidential Medal-of-Freedom.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2009 – Oscar De La Renta with Jennifer Lopez

Oscar with Sarah Jessica Parker

Actress Cameron Diaz in Oscar de la Renta, Fall-2010 strapless-gown

Hillary Clinton

Kerry Washington in an Oscar de la Renta strapless gown.

De la Renta with Alexander Wang

… every one loves Oscar de la Renta! don’t you? I know I do and not only would it be awesome being photographed in his beautiful pieces or even wearing them, it would be nice to have a chat no?

Anyway, In February 2014, Oscar de la Renta recreated his entire Spring presentation, Designed for A Cure 2014 collection, to raise money for the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.

His Spring 2015 Collection which was just shown a few days back, could only be described in three words- Spring, Tulips and Lace! The bold but all feminine colors,from pastels in blue and pink, to black and white combos, white and Ivory to bold orange! Carefully crafted embroidery, sequins, scalloping, eyelets and feathery details are all customary to the label as you see again and again the simple but carefully made dresses and separates in delicate fabrics of soft organza, lace , faille and tulle:

Well done and well accomplished! needless to say, I’m a huge fan! always have been and always will be. Oscar does deserve a place in my hall of fame and that is why he is my designer of interest!

Hugs :))

Molekor

Source: Wikipedia.com , http://www.oscardelarenta.com, nymag.com, nytimes.com

Ghesquière settles out of court with Balenciaga.

Hello my stylish readers, remember when I brought you the story of Nicolas Ghesquiere and his court case with his former employers for 17 years, Balenciaga. Well, today was scheduled to be the date that the court came to a decision on the case, but the president of the Tribunal de Grande Instance suggested that the parties instead try to resolve the dispute between themselves – and both have agreed.

Hugo Lévy, lawyer at Thierry Lévy & Associés, counsel for Balenciaga, toldWWD that the attempt at mediation does not represent “any change in Balenciaga’s first claim”. The Paris-based house is seeking damages of €7 million from Ghesquière due to “damaging” comments it claims the designer made in an interview some time back.

Ghesquière, now artistic director of women’s collections at Louis Vuitton, said that he felt that he was being “sucked dry” at Balenciaga, and that he felt that “they wanted to steal my identity while trying to homogenize things”. The designer’s legal team has asserted in court papers that his comments were not an attack on Balenciaga specifically, but rather the fashion industry in general.

He reinvigorated and regenerated the label during a critically acclaimed 17-year tenure – and held a 10 per cent stake in the label at the time of his departure, which has now been purchased by Balenciaga.

I would like to see how an out of court settlement will deal with Balenciaga’s bruised ego but then again, there are always ways to soothe such hurts…

 

Molekor.

 

 

 

 

 

Vogue.co.uk

 

Celebrating Coco Chanel…Her Purses and Bags

Bags! that is one accessory you know you cannot do without whether you are a teenage girl, a young woman or even a grandma, rich or poor you need something to carry about your feminine belongings in. That being said ladies, I’m sure no matter what you thought or felt about Coco Chanel,  you will definitely answer with a smile or nod affirmative if I asked if you would love to own one of her popular handbags! especially the classic quilted handbags, Hello! you don’t need to ask me twice!!!

These bags are never going out of style (or on sale sadly as most quilted bags retail for about $3000 and over!) They make a girl look as classy and sophisticated as can be whether in a simple pair of jeans or a $2000 dress! whether on a simple but chic young woman or dangling on the arms of the First Lady of a country, the bag’s versatility and polished look knows no bounds. The famous Chanel quilted bags do have a history however as we know with every other beautiful thing ever made.

Princess Diana carrying a Chanel Purse

Elizabeth Taylor with a white Chanel bag.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

Mia Farrow

Chanel Classics- The 2.55, Chanel Suit and two tone shoes.

in the 1920s the ever practical Mademoiselle got tired of carrying her bags on her arm and decided she would do something about it. “I got fed up with holding my purses in my hands and losing them, so I added a strap and carried them over my shoulder,” Chanel was reported as saying in Coco Chanel by Justine Picardie.

Inspired by the straps found on soldiers’ bags she added thin straps and introduced the resulting design to the market in 1929. She decided to modify the design thereby creating what is popularly known as the 2.55 after the date it was created- February 1955.

Chanel-Classic-Flap-Bag

The original bag has a number of features mostly inspired by her time in the convent and her lifestyle in general:

• The lining’s burgundy color represents the color of the uniforms at the convent where she grew up.
• There is a zippered compartment at the inside of the front flap. That is where Chanel is rumoured to have stored her love letters in her original bag.
• The backside has a back outside flap for storage of money.
• Chanel, recognizing that modern women needed to have their hands free while attending social functions, designed a double-chain shoulder strap. The chains were attached by leather-threaded chain inserted though eyelets. The caretakers of the convent where she grew up held the keys at their waist dangling from the same type of chains as the 2.55 shoulder strap chains.
• The bag originally came with a front lock called “the Mademoiselle Lock” (in reference to Coco Chanel never marrying). Since the 1980s, versions can also be supplied with a lock in the shape of a double CC logo added by Karl Lagerfeld. These called “Classic Flaps”.
• The bag has a quilted diamond or herringbone pattern on the exterior. Using a running stitch, this gives the bag shape and volume. The pattern is believed to have been inspired by several sources: by jockeys’ riding coats, by the stained-glass windows of the abbey at Aubazine, as well as by the cushions in Chanel’s Paris apartment.

with newer versions however, there has been several variations of the original design including different colour, leather/fabric combinations, metal and interwoven leather straps and the lock, mademoiselle vs. interlocking CC.

Chanel-Reissue-2.55-Bag

Chanel released an exact copy of the original 2.55 in February 2005 in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the creation of the original. Though the name “Reissue 2.55” should apply only to those commemorative handbags it is now commonly used now as a name for all the handbags resembling the original 2.55.

 

WWD July 24 1973

Since however, Lagerfeld has released so many other classic modifications and handy Chanel bags including the No. 5 perfume bottle purse.

Chanel-Hula-Hoop-Bag

Chanel’s reinterpretation of its classic No.5 perfume bottle as a clear, plexiglass clutch holds all the promise of a seasonal hit

Chanel-Sac-Du-Soir-Parfum-Bottle-Clutch

chanel 3520 black nylon coco cocoon bag

Chanel Boy bags

klyn_Patent_Patchwork_Lamb_Leather_Bolsos_Black

So what to you think of the handbags with a history? I know it would be nice to have a couple of these in my wardrobe, *sigh* can I get an Amen?

Hugs :))

Molekor

 

Remembering CoCo Chanel on Her Birthday!…Her Life.

Hello my stylish readers, it’s been a while hasn’t it? I haven’t stayed away from you for this long before so it feels like forever! you see, I made a trip to see my family over in Ekiti state here in Nigeria and it was just a time to relax and rest and let some one else worry about taking care of the boys… like I said, I had a good rest 🙂

Wouldn’t it be nice for us to begin this week on our blog talking about and celebrating  in my opinion, the most influential fashion designer, first lady and dame of fashion,  Gabrielle Bonheur ‘Coco’ Chanel. Mademoiselle Chanel imparted to us her thoughts on fashion versus style, work, men and destiny in unique unforgettable ways that still make us smile and nod and sometimes giggle whether we agree with her or not!

Í don’t do Fashion, I am Fashion’- Coco Chanel

‘Fashion Fades… only style remains the same’- Chanel

‘I don’t care what you think about me, I don’t think about you at all!” Chanel

Chanel was a French fashion designer and founder of the Chanel brand. She is the only fashion designer listed on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century. Born August 19, 1883, in Samur, France, she was raised in an orphanage after her mother’s death when she was 6 years old and her father who was a only a peddler with 5 children to fend for, put her in the care of the orphanage.She was taught to sew while she was still young by the nuns who raised her and this skill would later aid in her life’s work as a fashion designer. She began her career as a singer in clubs and cafes (1905-1908)and that was really where she got the name Coco from as she was quoted to have said  that it was a “shortened version of cocotte, the French word for ‘kept woman,” according to an article in The Atlantic.

‘Hard times arouse an instinctive desire for authenticity’ – Chanel

Around the age of 20, Chanel became involved with Etienne Balsan who offered to help her start a millinery business in Paris. She soon left him for one of his even wealthier friends, Arthur “Boy” Capel who she dated for 9 years even after Capel got married! pretty daring woman I must say! Both men were instrumental in Chanel’s first fashion venture. She opened her first shop on Paris’s 31 Rue Cambon in 1910 (which remains the brand’s head quarters till this day), selling hats and later added two more stores in Deauville and Biarritz, Most of her most timeless designs came from trying to make more comfortable outfits that were both stylish and comfortable as she would always say, “luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury.”

‘The best things in life are free, the second best are very expensive’- Chanel

Her first taste of clothing success came from a dress she designed out of an old jersey on a chilly day(below). Several people asked about where she got the dress, so she offered to make one for them. “My fortune is built on that old jersey that I’d put on because it was cold in Deauville,” she once told author Paul Morand.

‘In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different’ – Chanel

In the 1920s she introduced us to functional and timeless fashion with her box-cut bouclé jackets, Breton T-shirts, pyjama styles, camellia brooches she helped women say good-bye to the days of corsets and other confining garments.

‘Simplicity is the key-note of all true elegance’- Chanel

‘The most courageous act is to think for yourself aloud’-Chanel

Coco in Breton Stripes

‘Everyday is a fashion show and the world is its runway!’- Chanel

Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and the remember the woman’ – Chanel

‘Fashion is architecture, it is a matter of proportions’ – Chanel

She also introduced her very first perfume in 1922 called Chanel No.5  Perfume “is the unseen, unforgettable, ultimate accessory of fashion. . . . that heralds your arrival and prolongs your departure,” Chanel once explained.

‘”‘Where should one use perfume?’ a young woman asked. ‘Wherever one wants to be kissed,’ I said.” – Chanel

 Two years later, Pierre Wertheimer became her business partner (taking on 70% of the fragrance business), and reputedly her lover. The Wertheimers continue to control the perfume company today.

In 1929, She took a color once associated with mourning and showed just how chic it could be for evening wear in what we call the little black dress (LBD). That was also when she launched her signature cardigan jacket.

First sketch of the little black dress (LBD)

The Little Black Dress

In addition to fashion, Chanel was a popular figure in the Paris literary and artistic worlds. She designed costumes for the Ballets Russes and for Jean Cocteau’s play Orphée, and counted Cocteau and artist Pablo Picasso among her friends. For a time, Chanel had a relationship with composer Igor Stravinsky.

During World War II, Chanel was a nurse, although her post-war popularity was greatly diminished by her affair with a Nazi officer during the conflict and she moved to Switzerland to escape the controversy.

‘A woman is as old as she deserves’ – Chanel

‘You can be courageous at thirty, charming at forty and irresistible for the rest of your life’- Chanel

She however ended this self-imposed exile in 1954, returning to Paris at the age of 70 where she took on Christian Dior’s overtly feminine New Look. She expanded the signature style with the introduction of pea jackets and bell-bottoms for women. Her new collection, panned by the press in Europe, was a hit in the United States.

‘”Fashion is not simply a matter of clothes. Fashion is in the air, born upon the wind. One intuits it. It is in the sky and on the road.” – Chanel

Hollywood stars including Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly fell in love with her effortlessly stylish boxy cardigan suits and bell bottoms.

Modern Chanel bell bottoms inspired by sailors

During her life, Coco Chanel also designed costumes for the stage, including Cocteau’s ‘Antigone’ (1923) and ‘Oedipus Rex’ (1937) and cinematic works such as ‘La Regle de Jeu’.

A Broadway musical of her life opened in 1969, with Katharine Hepburn taking the role of Chanel.

Coco Chanel worked until her death in January 10, 1971 at the age of 88, spending her last moments in the style she had become accustomed to at her opulent private apartment in The Ritz, Paris.

Chanel in her Ritz Apartment

‘As long as you know men are like children, you know everything’- Chanel

” Let my legend make its way in life, I wish it a long one’ – Chanel

  Gabrielle Chanel left the world with a legacy of wise and witty quotes.She herself became a much revered style icon known for her simple yet sophisticated outfits paired with great accessories, such as several strands of pearls, her striking bob hair cut and tan putting her at the top of modern style,as she always used to say,”A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.”

”Fashion passes, style remains.” – Chanel

Karl Lagerfeld has been chief designer of Chanel’s fashion house since 1982. His ability to continuously mine the Chanel archive for inspiration testifies to the importance of Coco Chanel’s contribution to the world of fashion.

In the recent television biopic, Coco Chanel (2008), Shirley MacLaine starred as the famous designer around the time of her 1954 career resurrection. The actress told WWD that she had long been interested in playing Chanel. “What’s wonderful about her is she’s not a straightforward, easy woman to understand.”

“Elegance is not the prerogative of those who have just escaped from adolescence, but of those who have already taken possession of their future.”- Chanel

Painting of Chanel- Marion Vogue

She really did live an interesting life!!! did I mention that though she never married, legend has it that she turned down about four wedding proposals one of the most dramatic being her retort to the Duke of Winchester on his proposal that she marry him-  ‘ There has been three Duchesses of Winchester but there will always be only one Chanel!’  Now that’s an interesting and forward personality right there if you ever met one!

Tomorrow we talk about her famous bags! Have you always wanted to know the story behind the quilted Chanel bags among others? We’ll be talking about them tomorrow so do sign in and if you are not following this blog for updates, why don’t you do so by signing in on the column to your right hm? until tomorrow, always make sure you keep your heels, head and standards high’!

Hugs :))

Molekor

Designer Of Interest- Duro Olowu

Hello my stylish readers, how was your weekend? mine was good, thanks for asking… today is another day we fix our style radar on one designer among the many others we know out there that we love to talk about.  My designer of interest is Duro Olowu.

A lot of you well-informed stylistas may have heard of this  half Nigerian-half Jamaican Designer, born in Lagos and raised in two continents- England and Nigeria. He started off as a lawyer like his dad but put that aside to become a designer and what a good one he is!

His fascination with the many different colors of the African fabric fueled his creativity as he has been able to mix the rich colorful African prints with the Italian or English fabrics creating unforgettable looks that are both modern and interesting. He is able to mix different prints in a particular garment and still manage to make the garment look nice and acceptable, wearable and global in every way.

In October 2004, he launched his first self-titled women’s wear label with a collection for Spring/Summer 2005. The collection was inspired by a theme of ‘love and joy’.

SS 2014

Olowu was named New Designer of the Year during the 2005 British Fashion Week in London, only one year after the launching of his label! I’m all for a designer who knows his onions and gets it out there with his collections on the runway!

Keira Knightley In Duro Olowu, Late-Night With Jimmy Fallon

Kristin Davis 2012

Michelle Obama wears Duro Olowu

Solange Knowles in Duro Olowu

He is popular among Celebrities like Uma Thurman, Linda Evangelista, Kristen Davis, Keira Knightley, Solange Knowles and first lady of the US, Michelle Obama who has been seen in his designs more than once! Also, Last year, he was the first designer to partner with J C Penny to create a line of affordable and accessible Ready To Wear clothes.

Duro Olowu designer fit and flare dresses with JC Penny

JCP and Duro

His Fall 2014 line is filled with his signature looks, colorful and bold, with a lot of this seasons colors- Bright Cobalt, radiant Orchid, yellow, cognac etc. He definitely knows how to dig deep! Here are a few of his designs out there now:

I think this is a wonderful display of strong, bold, flirty and feminine wrapped into one collection! What do you think? would you wear his designs? I know I would!!!

Hugs :))

Molekor

 

 

 

 

style.com, duroolowu.com, nymag.com, rcfa.com

 

Meeting Madam Verche.

Madam Verche is the name her friends call her because not only is she the CEO of the famous brand Verche L ‘Art cessoire, but she knows her brand like the back of her perfectly manicured hand! She not only retails some of the best Jewelry in the country ranging from costume to silver and gold; she also creates and designs these unique pieces.

Ibok Offiong, a mother of 3, began her company almost 4 years ago and since then,  has grown it to this wonderful jewelry brand. I sat with her for a few hours at her home and while we chatted I was able to structure these few questions for her,  to give you, my stylish readers an insight to the mind and achievements of this Nigerian Jewelry Designer and retailer:

1. What does Verche L’ Art cessoire mean and what are your achievements 3 or 4 years on?

 Verche L’Art cessoire means Vera & Chloe’s Art of Accessories, which are my daughters names. I came up with the name in French because the business was birth in Paris. We have been in business since September 2010 really, that’s over 3 years now and still counting. Some of our achievements include, winning Accessory Designer of the year 2012 by The Nigerian Entertainment Award, Winning YOUWIN award by the Federal Ministry of Finance, Nigeria in May,2013, Being invited to feature on the Plitz New York Fashion week on September 9th 2013, Being featured on Moments with Mo on 26th December 2013 and recently jointly organizing a successful event with 2 friends in Maryland, USA, an event called “All Things Nigerian Expo,2014” on May 26th,2014. Looking forward to more achievements.

Madam Verche- Ibok Offiong

At the Plitzs NYFW New York

2. What is the most memorable experience your position as Madam Verche / CEO has exposed you to?

My most memorable experience was meeting the Black Peoples Entertainment CEO and her loving and acquiring my piece at the pop up store after the runway show at New York Fashion Week.

Me with TV Personality Ebuka and Stylist Barbie at the ‘Ages of Fashion’ Runway Show in Transcorp Hilton Abuja, which was my first runway show as a brand.

3. What’s your best Verche piece/Accessory /Collection /Line and why is it your best?

 I love more than one piece really, and a few of them include the “Zahara” (it’s a tribal loop/coral set), “Rowen Berry” (pearls and links/chain combo), “Ixora”(pearls/toothpick corals combo), “Fleur”(Gold chain/Red Corals) and “Bryony”(multicolored crystals). All this pieces are under our Floral Collections and our “ADORN” Line .

Zahara

Rowen Berry

Fleur

Bryony

Ixora- The Pearls and Tooth pick Corals.

 (These pieces are all available at the Verche L’Art cessoire store in Abuja, Address below).

So there you have it! Need I say more? You have been shopping and viewing her pieces the past few days so let me know what you think now that you know the brains… or hands, behind the brand.

Drop by tomorrow if you want more and I know you do, of her new accessories just arrived ! there is also a special Madam Verche Discount to be had, so be the first to shop and wear and, you know, change the game as one of my ‘stylistas’ !

Till tomorrow,

 Hugs :))

Molekor

To shop the Verche L’Art cessoire Jewelry and Accessories, visit:

Verche L’Art cessoire

Suite 205, Obum Plaza

16 Adetokunbo Ademola Crescent

Wuse II, Abuja

Nigeria

+234 (0) 8130722209

www.vercheonline.com

Kendall Jenner Models for Chanel Couture Fall 2014

I am one of those people who think Karl Lagerfeld is a creative Genius and one who has been able to keep the Chanel legacy going in the most obvious ways but also in the most contemporary way. He is known to pay almost as much attention to the backdrop of his shows as he does to the collection itself. From the theatrical ambiance of the Grand Palais to the Chanel inspired supermarket aisles.

That being said, not all of us, especially those of us who live in hot/tropical areas like Africa can really relate to his customary wool, interwoven and tweed fabrics that are synonymous with the brand but we look forward to his resort and summer collections with a flicker of hope that one day we could maybe find ourselves in Paris or Milan attending one of the shows or better still find ourselves owning a few…

OK! back to earth! … where was I? right, I must say, this Fall 2014 Couture Collection shown today was nothing short of beautiful, inspiring and yes interesting considering how he managed to throw in some funk with the hair styles. I loved the easy but feminine footwear and the matching cross body bags; The gold on black  and silver on black embellishment and embroidery of the Baroque ages was an easy mix in the collection of  rounded lapels and high collars  heavily embellished fruity colored dresses and fringed column gowns.The feathery arms and shimmer dresses with matching jackets, bell-shaped skirts in pannier- like fashions of the late 18th century and of course grey flannel all merged into one beautifully crafted collection. The white dresses breathed elegance and radiance with their gold embellishments and in some cases grey woven over the dresses as shrugs or completer pieces. The long skirt that looked hand painted in black and white strokes, however minimal, stood out for me as well as the simple white kalasari inspired dress.

My verdict? one of the best in the 2014 Couture runway shows so far! Strong , Feminine and very interesting collection. Well done Lagerfeld!

View a few out of his 71, yes 71 pieces!

 

 

Side note: Kendall Jenner seems to be landing some really good jobs so early in her career. What do you think? is she really that good? or is her name and popularity pushing the papers for her? She does look good strutting her stuff in the interwoven Column dress with the feather arm sleeves above though.

And did I forget to mention the appearance of those thigh hugging pencil shorts peeking from underneath the suits and some dresses? what are  your thoughts?  the start of a trend?

Tell me what you think of the entire collection. You could also visit http://www.style.com to view the complete collection.

Hugs :))

Molekor

Balenciaga Charges Nicholas Ghesquiére to Court for Comments.

‘ “There wasn’t really any direction. I think with Karl [at Chanel] and Miuccia [Prada], you can feel that it’s the creative people who have the power. It was around that time that I heard people saying, ‘Your style is so Balenciaga now, it’s no longer Nicolas Ghesquière,It all became so dehumanized. I began to feel as though I was being sucked dry, like they wanted to steal my identity while trying to homogenise things. It just wasn’t fulfilling anymore.” These were Ghesquiére’s comments in an interview with the System Magazine about leaving the fashion house he had led for 15 years.

Nicholas
Ghesquiere

A little history for your understanding; Nicolas Ghesquiére is a 43-year-old fashion designer who began his career interning for designer Jean Paul Gaultier soon after he left school. He joined Balenciaga in 1995 as a licensed product designer and in 1997 he replaced Joseph Thimister as Creative Director. His creations helped to sell the brand well as stores like the Paris flagship store was unable to meet demands of customers but through it all he preferred to give all the credit to his work and creativity and not himself. 15 years later, on November 2012 it was announced he was to leave as creative director of the Balenciaga house and a year after that, November 2013, was announced as artistic director of luxury brand Louis Vuitton to replace designer Marc Jacobs, who announced he was retiring from the same position.

So anyway, Ghesquiére granted this interview, his first after leaving Balenciaga, claims “I never had a partner, and I ended up feeling too alone,” he said “I had a marvelous studio and design team who were close to me, but it started becoming a bureaucracy and gradually becoming more corporate – until it was no longer even linked to fashion. It the end, it felt as though they just wanted to be like any other house.” “I just said to myself, ‘Okay, well you have to leave, you have to cut the cord.’ But I didn’t say anything to anyone, apart from to a few very close people, because, you know, I’ve become pretty good at standing on my own two feet,” “Over the last two or three years it became one frustration after another. It was really that lack of culture which bothered me in the end. The strongest pieces that we made for the catwalk got ignored by the business people.”Ultimately, I felt okay in the end because it seemed very dignified. I haven’t expressed myself up until now, but I would like to say thank you to everyone, I really am grateful,” he said. “Whatever choice I make [now], the possibilities are open, and that was confirmed with the freeing of my name from Balenciaga. I’m regenerating again, and that’s very exciting because it’s a feeling I haven’t had since I was in my twenties.”

Ghesquiére for Balenciaga SS 2013. His last show for the fashion house.

Nicholas for Balenciaga SS 2013

 

After he resigned, he went on a ‘spiritual’ trip to Japan after which he landed the coveted place with Louis Vuitton.

Balenciaga didn’t take his interview kindly as they claimed his interview was damaging to the brand. He was called to court to defend his stand and argues that there is no proof that Balenciaga has been harmed by his words. Laval his lawyer said that his client was referring to the “characteristic of the designer that gets lost in creation,” and cited the “flourishing accounts of Balenciaga” as evidence that it has not been affected.

Here are his designs for his first outing at the Autumn/Winter 2014-15 Louis Vuitton show:

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I applaud Ghesquiére for being honest with himself and doing what needed to be done to enhance his career and to protect his persona l and creative well-being. I wonder how many other designers are being crushed under the weight of large fashion houses like this who are unable to make this bold move for themselves?

The court has set a verdict for August 27, The Fashion Law reports, if the parties do not reach a settlement prior to that date.

 

Molekor

 

 

Photos: Vogue.co.uk