2021 KAY-FASHION COLLECTION: THE NEED FOR FASHION DRIVE AND INNOVATION

When it comes to fashion, the best trends emerge from a clothing designer being able to tell where the clothing needs of people are headed. It’s like being a garment prophet, but in this case, the foresight stems from devoted research; understanding what led to previous trends, listening to the voices at the red carpet about fashion pieces, putting your ears to the ground to know the commentary on well-seen movie costumes, what music icons are wearing, and the occasions people are most concerned about.

As a fashion designer, you can’t work in a silo and expect to come up with a trendy clothing piece. The best designers in Nigeria and globally are usually the ones who practice enough study on people’s attachment to a clothing piece, and their feelings in the fashion market space. Fasami Fashion Brand is one of such Lagos brands that have paid attention to the clothing needs of the public.

Fasami is a wear brand founded by the Nigerian designer, Kayode Matthew Fasami. This brand is founded on the understanding of femininity and, expression of individuality. It was created out of the desire to create garments that relate to the everyday woman. To be courageous and beautiful, every woman needs a collection of clothing that helps her display her feelings of power.

Fasami was launched in 2020, and it solves the design needs of the new generation in Nigeria. It embraces culture, intelligent design, plus it’s sustainable. The brand’s identity is formed in a bold but gentle silhouette; it moves fluidly, and it works around contrast. It feels strong, yet soft, well-structured, but easy. Each of the pieces is designed to be empowering by presenting women with clothing that is functional and fashionable, for work, play, or celebration.

You can find Fasami garments in their Lagos-based studio, where the clothing pieces are handmade to order. The studio works under a strict slow fashion philosophy and prioritises quality and environmental responsibility over mass production. No garment is pre-made; instead, each order is cut, sewn, and finished individually with great attention to detail.

Fasami brand gets its fabrics locally, supporting Nigerian textile markets and artisans. It makes sure that no fabric is wasted by creatively turning them into scarves, face masks, and headbands, and this shows the brand’s commitment to the economy.

The collections produced by Fasami are usually in sleeves that make a social statement, regular lines, and proper tailoring that celebrates the body. Each garment invites women to express their mood, story, and individuality.

Kayode Matthew Fasami’s upbringing in a clothing household has had a deep influence on the brand’s vision. He was raised by a mother who worked as a fashion designer and a late grandmother who was a skilled designer. He was deep in a world of fabrics from an early age. He developed foundational skills in sketching, pattern cutting, sewing, creative direction, and visual appeal through years of observation and the act of teaching himself. These skills are the reason for his multidimensional approach to design. Fasami is, in many ways, a tribute to this intergenerational legacy of great crafting and creativity.

The Fasami brand is gradually evolving and establishing its presence in Nigeria’s evolving fashion industry and gaining recognition for its thoughtful approach to design. The 2021 Kay-fashion Collection is proof that this brand is committed to empowering women through clothing pieces that tell the rest of the world the unique African stories through every stitch.

This dress is one of the garments in the 2021 Kay fashion collection. It’s called a maxi dress that is made from georgette fabric. Its hue is a cerulean blue. It has a V-neckline with ruffled layers of embellishments that contribute more beautiful innovations to the dress.

This dress has large, lengthy sleeves with bell cuffs and tonal ruffles. They are smaller below the shoulders but increase towards the elbow and gradually enlarge at the wrist.

For the length, the dress is lengthy and reaches down to the floor, giving it a royal vibe that makes the wearer feel special. It has a slit at the front, with gentle ruffles along the edges of the slits. This improves the appeal of the lower half of the dress.

The bodice of this dress is rucked at the midriff, which adds to the beauty of the design and serves as an engaging factor to the piece. There is a balance between the bodice, hem, sleeves, neckline and the ruffles. The sleeve doesn’t overwhelm the bodice, and the length of the hem balances the complete visual appeal in a way that is harmonious.

This dress is an original piece, with embellishments and the perfect positioning. It is a design that could lead to a new trend. The kind of embellishments may not be new, but how they’ve been used to create this piece gives this garment its uniqueness.

This dress is intentionally designed for people who are conscious of class and elegance, people who love to be perceived as luxurious, and it’s intended for high-profile events, such as exclusive fashion and entertainment shows.

While the dress looks beautiful, some areas need improvement. The largeness of the sleeves doesn’t complement the length of the dress, or is suitable for the bodice.

Also, the hem is too lengthy and may disrupt movement and pick up dirt easily. The position and length of the split may feel uncomfortable for most wearers, especially when they need to take a seat. A smaller split on the side would feel more secure. Additionally, the ruffled layers at the back of this dress feel unnecessary. It should have been restricted to the front of the dress. Perhaps a plain back-view would have worked better.

The second dress is another beautiful piece from the 2021 Kay Fashion Collection. It has a plain blue colour that creates a feeling of calmness, trust, and reliability in the wearer. The hue makes it a highly catchy garment.

This dress has large short sleeves with big ruffles that give it a different, playful vibe around the shoulders and arms. The hem reaches an inch above the knee. This defines it as a mini dress, which will resonate with youths who are fashion-conscious. It’s made in different tiers of ruffles and gives it a special appeal when the wearer walks.

The bodice is also decorated with ruffles, and this contributes to the attractiveness of the dress. This dress exudes freshness and innovation. The positioning of its embellishments gives it some originality. This originality is solid and catchy, making it a potential trend setter in the fashion space.

The fabric pieces are smoothly joined together. The seams are straight and even, plus, they lie flat. There are no puckered seams that could cause mismatched tensions in the materials along the dress.

The stitches are of consistent size and tension. There are no gaps or skipped stitches along the seams. The stitch length is regular throughout the garment. There are no loose hanging threads; they are properly trimmed and secured.

This dress has been crafted to suit young ladies who love to be stylish and attractive, and make a social statement with their outfits.

This garment can be worn to exclusive occasions and official functions. It communicates luxury and elegance.

This dress may have several merits; however, there are some imperfections embedded in it. There seem to be raw, unfinished seam allowances that could make the inside of the dress look untidy. Also, the ruffles seem to be overused. It should have been restricted to the front view of the dress, while some other new creative embellishment on the rear view would have given the dress a better look. The size of the arm-hole may be free; however, it may feel uncomfortable when there is a reason to lift the arm.

This beautiful garment is another fashion expression from the 2021 Kay-fashion Collection. It’s a clothing that reflects luxury and elegance. This dress is called a Kaftan, or Orekelewa Kaftan, by the Yoruba people. Kaftan refers to a loose, long, and flowing dress or tunic. It comes in wide sleeves that it is worn in different cultures around the world.

The silhouette is loose, and it flows regularly, so it provides a comfortable covering. It has a built-up collar that smoothly flows into a V-neck, and this contributes to the urbanity of the dress.

This garment has a waist tie that allows for an adjustable fit. It has a long slit on one side that contributes to the attractive detail of the kaftan style.

The fabric of this clothing appears to flow. It’s possibly a silk or satin material, but it contributes to a luxurious feel and elegant covering against the skin.

This dress will relate to people who are daring in their looks, confident, and ready to strike a pose any day or time. This dress will exude power at high-profile occasions. It is intentionally designed to be suitable for dinner parties and exclusive functions.

While this dress may look elegant and attractive, there are other areas of imperfection. The dress looks staggering due to the largeness of the sleeves, bodice and hem. The designer needs to work on this for future designs to create the right balance.

Also, the lengthy hem feels uncomfortable for smooth movement, and there is an imbalance with the bodice. Most women may not gravitate to this dress because the volume makes it impossible to outline the beautiful curves of a woman.

Overall, this 2021 Kay-fashion collection could be called a celebration of fashion in plain blue. The pieces in this collection tell how intentional the designers were in crafting the pieces. Kudos to Fasami and his team, and we are excited to see what the years ahead have in store for us.

Abisola Omolade