Between Romance and Restraint in a Study of Modern African Femininity

Few fashion houses understand the concept of style, beauty, and sophistication. For the past six years, Kaffy’s fashion brand, a sustainable women’s wear brand, has stood amongst various fashion icons, and she has excelled in her space, creating designs that are not only aesthetically pleasing, but well structured and easy to wear. 

The creative director of Kaffy, Saliu Kafayat Damilola, founded the fashion brand in the year 2020. And regardless of the fast-paced transformation of the fashion industry, the brand has stayed committed to its values, sculpting modern femininity through structure, movement, and colour. Their collection of clothes ranges from luminous evening gowns to signature tops and jumpsuits. They are known for creating explicit designs with structures like statement bows, rosette florals, ruched contours, and tiered ruffles, with fluid lines that flatter and move.

Her 2023 collection is an embodiment of these features, and it is rooted in contemporary African womanhood, giving soft but powerful African femininity to women who want to look bold, expressive, and composed. With the collection’s repeated use of geometric ethnic-style prints, structured silhouettes mixed with soft fabrics, and modest cuts with dramatic elements, the design explores how modern outfits can be repurposed with a little touch of African heritage, positioning the collection as progressive and thoughtful. 

The first outfit in Kaffy’s 2023 collection is a sheer red organza-style blouse, with high-waisted wide-leg trousers. The blouse has a high neckline with a soft, gathered collar. Its large 3D embroidery at the chest makes the craft palpable and sophisticated. The sleeves of the blouse are also not left out in this fancywork. They are layered with dramatic ruffles, from shoulder to wrist, creating a kind of shield and elegance all at once.  The choice of fabric here also lights up this piece. With a semi-transparent fabric that gives a delicate and airy effect, the blouse tilts towards the sensual side a little more, creating a balance with the cotton trousers it is paired with. 

For the bottom, the high-waisted wide-leg trouser has a structured silhouette, and the fabric appears to be woven or cotton-blend. Also, it catches attention with its tribal-inspired prints in red, black, and gold tones. It looks lightweight and not too congested, making it an easy pick for wearers who value comfort but are also committed to style. 

Both pairs are a good match; it reflects the designer’s creativity and willingness to explore. However, this might look like a fabric conflict to some wearers. While the outfit doesn’t lose its style even with the difference in fabric and message, it might come off like “two different outfits forced together” to some wearers. I recommend that the designer keep this in mind, but also adjust, like creating a different pair of trousers in colour black or white, that matches the fabric of the blouse. 

 Another thing to look out for here is that, paired with the plain trousers, the blouse looks extremely busy with all the ruffles and flowers on it. This creates a visual imbalance of the balance, looking more or less like a mushroom, and it creates a clash instead of harmony. Also, the sleeves look a bit too oversized, lacking structural control and making the arms look too bulky. 

To elevate this look, the designer should consider shrinking the flower on the chest of the blouse and making the sleeves less floppy by making them more structured. She could also pair the blouse with solid tailored pants, a pencil skirt, or a structured midi skirt, for variety and preference purposes. However, if the designer insists on making the outfit have a touch of Africanity, then she should invest in refined African prints like Adire, or Aso-oke, just to take this look to another level. 

The second look comes in a monochrome red colour. It’s a fitted blouse and wide-leg trousers that almost look like a jumpsuit. The blouse exposes the neck a little with its round-neck feature. It has a fitted bodice, which works well with the trousers it is paired with. The sleeves are compelling and commanding. It features a dramatic flared bell with layered inner pink lining. Such sleeves move the arm look seamless and alluring. 

Paired together with a high waist trouser, this combination invites chicness without stress and walks with elegance as a friend. The high waist trouser has a nice structure from the waist down. It’s fitted from the top and sways to a freer spot at the bottom, encouraging fluidity. 

But a little adjustment in some areas will elevate the look a bit more. For instance, the fabric, which looks like a stretch crepe or polyester, could be changed. This is because the choice of fabric here doesn’t hold the dramatic sleeve shape well. It looks loose and drops too easily. Also, still on the sleeves, the bells look good, but they are too long, and the pink lining looks accidental, not intentional. 

To make this better, the designer should consider using a double crepe fabric or a silk wool blend. This will keep the sleeve thick and firm. Also, the sleeves could be slightly shorter to avoid excessive display, and the linen should be made to match the colour of the fabric, or it could have a deliberate contrast like gold, wine or nude.  

In addition, the outfit looks a little bit flat. The red is a bold choice, of course, but there seems to be a lack of creativity here. This could be fixed with more variation, like subtle silver embroidery somewhere at the waistband, or at the top side of the blouse. Even a waist belt could do the trick. This would add a little bit of life and colour to the overall look.

 The last outfit in this collection is a long red maxi dress with a sleeveless African print structured vest. The fabric of this gown looks soft and flowy. It features a round neckline, a slight A-line silhouette, and a loose sleeve with mild gathering. It looks extremely free, and would be loved by women who are not really into body con gowns.

To top its charm, the designer adds an extra African takeaway that immediately transforms modernity into traditional folklore. This addition makes the wearer look like a traditional prince from the 60’s. The vest features a deep arm opening, a matching belt at the waist, and front patch pockets. The pockets are really thoughtful, they welcome the idea of additional items, and they support posture in a very fashion-friendly manner.

Some wearers might find this conflicting, just like outfit one. But the good news is that the vest is detachable, so it could be worn based on preference. However, other parts might throw some wearers off track. 

Firstly, the vest length is awkward, and it cuts the body at an unflattering point, which is the mid-thigh. I recommend that the vest be shortened to a cropped length or extended to a full-length coat style for a more visual appeal and correlation.

Secondly, the belt placement of the vest compresses the fabric awkwardly, creating clumps around the waist. What would work here is a replacement. This could be a leather or a metallic belt instead. This would help hold the fabric more firmly and avoid creating unnecessary clumps and gathers. 

Additionally, for a slight upgrade, the designer might also want to consider adding welts pocket to some of the vests, instead of a front patch pocket. This, of course, is to have varieties and help wearers make comfortable choices. 

With the likes of Yemi Osunkoya and Oroma Cookey-Gam in the picture, fashion brands like Kaffy would rarely run out of inspiration and authenticity. These fashion gurus, who are widely known for their structured couture silhouettes, dramatic feminine shapes, and their love for local Nigerian fabrics and slow fashion, interestingly share similarities with Kaffy fashion brand. Their statement sleeves, cultural authenticity and use of minimal African luxury speak more than just craft and aesthetics. But on longevity, adaptability, originality and efficiency. 

Through Kaffy’s 2023 collection, fashion can be seen as both modern and traditional. With the bold representation of the ruffled blouse, and the cultural imitation of an African kingdom (vest), each of Kaffy’s outfits speaks one design language, romance is precise, drama is considered, and sustainability is pragmatic. And although there might be a need for improvement, structured tailoring and fabric upgrade in some areas, this fashion house has proven to craft designs that are beyond one event, but fit into any space, and any individual, with purpose and intention. 

Abisola Omolade