THE SUBLIME, THE JUST RIGHT, THE SEEN BETTER: RANKING AISOBEN’S 2023 COLLECTION

Surprisingly, corporate wear has a difficult history in the fashion industry, mostly due to the reputation they have gathered for being monotonous in taste and design. Previously, people would scoff at any designer who wanted to create a collection of corporate dresses because no one cared about wishy-washy designs that were painful to look at. But not anymore. With the new wave of designs in recent years, our bias against corporate wear has been challenged. And now, we are entering another phase, which makes corporate dresses not only appealing but also fashion-worthy.

For this year, Aisoben is launching a collection of corporate outfits. The founder, Aisosa Faithful Enodunmwenben, specialises in both international and native corporate designs that infuse cross-Atlantic styles. Aisosa, as a designer, is known for her ability to interpret cultural cues, which gives her work a universal appeal that is difficult to execute in the fashion industry. While she hasn’t taken her place among the top designers in the world, her potential is huge enough to get her there in a couple of years. The only question that remains is whether she can stay consistent.

Ranking her collection of three dresses will be based on 5-star ratings, from good to best. Some aspects that would be considered before each rating will be features, practicality and artistic pull.

Seen Better

This is a white Mide dress created with Satin. The design has a couple of good features. For instance, the long sleeves feature a two-S effect in design, being both sleek and slim, and to top it all, they have a loose-looking wrist as a delightful twist. This is a versatile element in the designs that keeps one guessing.

But the main attraction is the set of stylish buttons that look like bottle caps, but with a flat, ornamental style that makes it refreshing to see. They are the kind of buttons one would be tempted to fiddle with. The placement of the button seems interesting, leaning more to the left than the centre. It’s not new or revolutionary, but it’s far less of a cliché compared to centre-placed buttons.

Let’s not forget about the length of the dress, which looks angelic and regal as it covers the ankles. The uninterrupted white colour of the dress gives the design an appearance of royalty. More than that, the outfit will provide considerable comfort to the wearer, especially since the flare of the dress is wide enough to support a certain range of movements. This creates a balance for the wearer because the synthetic Satin fabric is not considered breathable.

While the designer’s creativity in this dress is not the best out there, it’s pretty commendable as it delicately balances both sleek features with comfort. This is definitely a dress one can wear to a dinner party or corporate meeting without looking sloppy or feeling discomfort when it’s time to climb stairs or manage a stage.

However, certain features could have enhanced the designs if they had been applied better. Take, for instance, the plunging neckline, which can be fairly considered a near miss. From a design perspective, picking the plunging neckline is not a bad decision, but when not executed perfectly, it seems more like a design hazard than a cool feature. Moreso, the vague-looking neck collars add to the bad neckline. They couldn’t be timider, so one has to wonder whether or not they are there. If the neckline goes rogue, at least the neck collar should look like a good shoulder to cry on.

The slit at the front of the dress shows a bit of class, like a good break in the middle of a monotonous design. But it might have appeared better on the right side of the dress instead of the centre. It would have provided a sharp contrast to the buttons on the left.

With the front side having several features, the backside is a drastic letdown. It’s so uninspiring that it feels like the designer had exhausted their creativity on the front side and just breezed through the backside as a result. If the slit had been at the back instead of the front, whether centred or not, it could have been better.

The rating for this dress is 3.5.

This beige-coloured, ankle-length wrap dress is made of polyester, a fabric often used for corporate female dresses. It has a V-neckline that looks sumptuous, conservative and firm enough to be cosy. Not too large and not too small, it hits the sweet spot one would expect from a neckline. The dress has no neck collar, which is a smart, creative decision because, for this design, having lapels might have made the neckline look clunkier.

In a practical sense, the dress favours a back zip, and not buttons. This is also a plus as far as creative choices are concerned. Don’t get it wrong; it doesn’t add more depth to the design, but it doesn’t subtract from it either. And that’s great. The dress is also narrow but loose enough to take whatever shape it goes into, especially with the fabric. That means no matter the size, it can always fit.

In a few years, this design can become a trend in corporate wear, owing to its balanced disposition towards neat and simple aesthetics and practical functionality. While the polyester fabric used for this dress is not considered breathable, it’s stretchy enough to provide comfort. The fullness of the design is wide enough to help the body regulate temperature while also being close-fitting enough to enhance body shape.

This sort of balance is applaudable because it doesn’t sacrifice the foundations of its design for the purpose of achieving general comfort. Instead, it marries the design with moderate functionality so that the wearer can look stunning while feeling great. This requires a deep understanding of design architecture that comfortably creates adventurous designs with rationality.

However, nothing on the dress beats the hemline. It’s the star of the show. This is what is called the ruffled hemline. The ruched-up effect is so delicate and intentional that you can see the level of deep patience required to create it. It’s so versatile and timeless that most people will not get tired of looking at it. The uneven hemline that curves perfectly upwards produces a round check mark effect, giving it a chic feel. The painstaking details in the hemline show a high grade of craftsmanship and thoughtfulness that only a few designers at this level can master. It’s pure perfection.

However, the colour selection for the dress fails to meet the expectations the designs create. While the colour beige is a fantastic colour, appropriate for different designs, it comes off as dull and resentful here. It’s as if the dress’s great features were too much for the beige to handle. A colour must complement the design, and not draw it down. Beige in this design is deadweight. Royal blue or perhaps lilac with a touch of red would have done justice to the design.

Moreso, the sleeve is long and tight, but it stops there like it’s good enough. If the sleeves are short or just above-the-wrist long and tight, they might have looked more intriguing. But the sleeves are long, having a folding effect at the wrist, and the wrist collars might have made it a bit cute. Although the reason for the wrist collars being free-flowing is unclear, incorporating a button might have improved their functionality.

The rating for this dress is 4.0.

It’s a white Torrin ruched-detail gown that reminds us of Alex Perry, a legendary designer who pioneered the underlying design. Apart from the fact that the fabric is made of Satin crepe, which is eco-friendly, it’s also a design that’s difficult to pull off. When you can replicate a design, but add your twist without any clashes, then you deserve an ovation. This is an example of what separates exceptional talents from the horde in the fashion industry.

Let’s begin with the choking round neckline. It looks so formal, but also has a peaceful sense about it. Firm, straight to the point and unyielding, this is a beautiful neckline that leaves no room for imagination, but in a good way.

Like the other dresses in the collection, this also favours the long sleeves. But unlike the other two, it’s free and bulky with personality. It also has a loose-fitting wrist collar, but it’s adjustable, making the sleeves foldable upwards.

The cherry on top of this design is the ruffled effect from the waist area to the kneecaps, created perfectly with precision and guile. It resembles a pattern of a scaly fish, which makes one think of a particular thing. Mermaids. Especially when the hemline is patterned like a fishtail. Such a fine set of details, which enriched the overall design. Mermaids are known to be extremely gorgeous creatures, and they won’t mind wearing this to a mermaid gala, and so would many people who have good taste in clothes. It probably has a back zip for easy wear.

The designer’s creativity, as displayed in this dress, is not only brilliant but also enduring. That commands not only admiration but also respect. With more designers incorporating creativity and perseverance to create such brilliant designs, this outfit can become a massive trend that goes beyond only corporate wear. Of course, certain defects must be properly addressed before they can become a staple design in the fashion space.

The only downside to this design would be the length of the dress. Ankle-length would have been more appropriate for a gown that’s tight and comes in white. But a white gown hugging the ground would probably be a maintenance nightmare for most people because it would gather dust faster and more conspicuously than colours like black or dark blue. Therefore, the length of the dress would have worked with a non-white colour. In design, the customer’s situation must be considered to deliver a near-flawless dress.

The dress can probably do with a slit at the backside, providing a space for more dynamics in the design. It can also be argued that, from a functional perspective, a slit will give the wearer more room for movements. Considering that the fabric is not breathable, it’s expedient that a slit should be included in the design to balance design with comfort.

This dress has a 4.5 rating.

In conclusion, the overall rating for this collection based on individual rating averages is 4.0 stars. This sums up the excellence and versatility of the collection. It satisfied all design cravings while providing peak-level functionality. Of course, the most standout aspect of this collection is the unwavering display of craftsmanship and intensity. The patterns, features and creative decisions are delivered with precision.

However, more thought should be given to the customer experience, especially when it comes to colour selection and dress length. The dress in beige colour is the only ankle-length dress, while the other white gowns kissed the floor. This would have made the white dress harder to maintain in the long run. More care should be taken to prevent such situations from occurring.

Abisola Omolade