Nancy Isime’s AMVCA Cultural Night Look by Cosmopolitan

Ayodeji Ake

For the 2022 AMVCA Cultural Night, designer Arimiyau Kolapo Mustapha of Cosmopolitan (@wearcosmopolitan) delivered a look that reads like a love letter to regal West African femininity modern, compact, and impossible to ignore.

The dress is a strapless, sculpted mini cut in a rich emerald-and-onyx Ankara wax print shot through with bronze accents. The bodice sits firm and clean, the kind of finish that usually means light internal boning and a hand-tacked lining to keep the neckline crisp. At the hip, Mustapha builds out a soft peplum-like drape that tilts the silhouette toward hourglass and adds movement without drowning the figure a clever way to keep cultural night drama while staying red-carpet agile.

Styling makes the story sing. Stacked coral beads necklaces, bracelets, waist beads and an anklet layer warmth over the cool green print, nodding to the royal coral traditions of Benin/Edo culture. A matching headwrap trims the hairline neatly and frames the makeup: luminous skin, a bold vermilion lip, and delicate white ceremonial markings traced along the brow and down the bridge of the nose graphic, photogenic, and unmistakably festive. The fly-whisk carried in hand seals the message of authority and celebration, a heritage symbol reimagined for the flashbulbs.

What’s smart here is proportion. The mini length and bare legs keep the look youthful; the weight of the beadwork and headwrap bring ceremonial gravitas up top; the hip drape introduces architecture without bulk. Nothing feels costume-y. It’s contemporary eveningwear cut to the rhythm of tradition.

Fabric & construction: mid-weight cotton Ankara with a tight weave for structure; print placement is balanced down the center front; seams are kept minimal so the motif reads clean. Expect an invisible back zip, discreet waist stay, and a narrow rolled hem on the draped panel details that keep the finish sharp under camera light.

Accessories & finishing: layered coral bead regalia, coordinated headwrap, anklet, and stacked bracelets; neutral nails and strappy sandals (or barefoot moment for photos) to keep the line uninterrupted. The palette emerald, onyx, bronze, coral photographs beautifully against wood and marble interiors, which is exactly where the night unfolded.

Why this works for Cultural Night: it’s a conversation between heritage and pop glamour. Cosmopolitan distills elements print, coral, ceremonial markings, symbolic whisk into a silhouette that fits the AMVCA step-and-repeat and still reads authentically Nigerian. It’s precise, celebratory, and camera-ready: the sweet spot where culture meets star power.