FLOREVERIE 2022 COLLECTION: FLAUNT YOUR STYLE

There are fashion labels and then, there are fashion labels.

You might have to read that again to get it.

Let’s tell you clear facts. The fashion industry is one of the few industries that is versatile, and because of that, it accommodates all sorts of concepts and ideas. Due to this, it is very glaring why in today’s world, there are millions of fashion brands functioning across the globe. However, the sad part is, some brands have made it a mission to make themselves the sinking sand of the industry by dishing out fashion styles that are below excellence. This, in turn, has given the sector whiplashes every once in a while. Thankfully, many fashion labels haven’t stopped aiming to ensure that they uphold the fashion industry’s reputation. Among the millions of them is Floreverie .

Floreverie is an exquisite garment label established by designer Florence Omowunmi Olojede in 2020. The brand’s name was coined from the two words flora and reverie. They are a reminder for the brand that clothes can bloom like flowers and that beauty is most powerful when it’s thoughtful. These words echo in its every design, from its distinctive sleeves to its cloudy fabrics and dramatic wraps.

In this blog, we will be reviewing one of its recent additions, the Floreverie 2022 collection. This collection is filled with three unique attires that might just blow you away.

The first piece in the collection is what we describe as ‘simple with a twist’. It is a two-piece attire comprising a shirt and a skirt. At the top is a basic stripped button-down shirt. The piece features long sleeves with cuffs, a pointed collar, and a linear row of buttons in the middle partition. The apotheosis of the entire outfit lies in the lower half, which is the skirt.

The net skirt can be described as both a mini and a maxi, depending on the angle you see it from. It starts with a waistband or a belt-like waistline made of a spandex black fabric. That ushers in the flair pattern of the skirt made from gathered fabrics. Now, this is where the intricacies of the attire come in. While the front view of the outfits in the image exudes a mini flair skirt, the back tells another story. The backside of the skirt bears a maxi train. Not just any kind of train, but one three-layered ruffled train. The mechanics behind this is that the designer, right after making the flared mini skirt, inserted the ruffled layers at the back to create that train effect. That unarguably must have required skilful creativity. Yet, a few things do not sit right.

Let’s start with the skirt.

We understand that the fashion industry is a competitive space. It makes it easy to feel the pressure to create something original. Yet, some originality doesn’t make it pass the room it was created in because of the overlap of creative ideas that ends up making a jumble. Unfortunately, that’s what is wrong with the skirt of this design. The highlight of the piece ended up being its downfall. The train at the back was not fitting for the entire frame of the set. The designer should have stuck to making the skirt an all-around mini garment, rather than inserting the layered train. This would have left the entire attire looking like a smart casual combo rather than a cringy copulation.

On the other hand, the blouse is too basic. There was nothing different between it and the thousands of stripped button-down T-shirts that already exist. This is not to say that the idea of the look shirt is at a loss, but to point out the fact that more effort should have gone into its making. Using a unique striped fabric or adding some branding wouldn’t have hurt.

One look at this piece and we are taken down memory lane, back to medieval times. It looks so like the dresses worn in the Western era, where queens and kings still ruled supreme.
This two-piece attire could easily be mistaken for a gown because of the way it looks. The blouse opens the attire with multiple outstanding features that we will be pointing out, one after the other. First, a round neckline is introduced. This neckline is made from a flowery net fabric that extends from the neck to the cleavage, creating a boxy-V as it goes.

This unique insertion is halted at the mid-waist, where a cute little bow is added along with a peplum pattern. To crown the appeal of this area, ruffles are added along the borderline of the boxed-V at the middle of the front view. These features are followed by a leg of mutton long sleeve with a little flare at the wrist.

At the bottom is the maxi skirt that starts off looking like a pencil design until it gets to the knee. This point is where another peplum is added. This made room for the inclusion of a floor-length flair.

Spectacular is one word that best describes what this piece illuminates. It’s awe-inspiring to see many fashion attributes assembled under one umbrella. However, while this is noteworthy, it is also cumbersome. The dress was sporting too many features that converted to being distractions along the way. Aside from this, ruffles seem to be at every corner and junction of the dress, and this could lead to bad outcomes when it’s time for people to pick the dress. We suggest that the designer could tone down the ruffles and focus on certain lime lighting features, rather than going for many all at once.

And finally, the last piece ushers us into something different from the first two: it is a gown. In the collection, this piece is our personal favourite. While it looks simple, there is an aura of class written all over it.

The dress is a maxi fitted gown made from a navy-blue cotton Lycra fabric. The garment kicks off with a high neckline, otherwise called a turtle neck. The edge of this neckline gives way to a row of draped ruffles that runs down from the neck to the very tip of the dress on the right side. This seemingly little addition gave the dress the well-needed uplift it never knew it needed. The outfit was closed off with a circular flounce bell sleeve, which is a kind of sleeve that starts off looking like the regular long sleeve and then flares out at the wrist. For this look, the bell shape at the wrist was cut out unequally. This made a side of its edges dangle longer than some other sides and gave the dress a classy appeal. Lastly, a long back zipper is added to maintain a sense of firmness, ease and closure.

While this dress stands to be the top on our list of favourites in this collection, one thing needs to be corrected. That is the fabric used in its creation. The fabric is very transparent, enough for us to see what the model is wearing inside. Except this was the initial aim of the designer, then this shouldn’t be. A better fabric, like crepe, could be used to replace the existing one. However, if this fabric must be maintained, then the designer might want to consider lapping the inner part of the dress with linen. This will protect the wearer from bodily exposure.

Well, what can we say? The Floreverie 2022 collection has been a fashion meadow arrayed with many designs to feed our eyes with. Using a commendable blend of style and sophistication, designer Florence Omowunmi Olojede and the brand have left their imprints on our minds. We know that with more refining and creativity, the brand would be well on its way to stardom. And, we have just two words for designer Florence and Floreverie, keep fighting.

Abisola Omolade