A REVIEW ON THE 2023 AFROWEST COLLECTION – FASHION’S GRACE
Have you ever met someone for the first time and immediately fallen in awe, even before hearing them speak? This is mostly because of what you see, the way this individual or people have adorned their physical appearance. The words people speak may go a long way in how much you see them, but visuals introduce people and who they are before you hear them speak. The way you look is the first impression people have of you.
They also give a lasting impression. You may forget people’s words, but you will always remember what you see. People have gotten jobs just because they created bias with their beautiful visual composition, and it worked in their favour. Also, people have lost their jobs because of this fact.
Several fashion designers understand this human psychology and have played with their clothes to the tune of this phenomenon. You will find this intentionality prevalent amongst Nigerian dressmakers.
SedCaz is one of the Nigerian fashion brands that has, with the aid of visual composition, elevated human relations through fashion. The fashion brand was officially founded in 2019. It is a fashion brand that focuses on luxury-tailored and ready-made dresses for all. The brand blends sophistication, elegance and romance with Afrocentric influences to create garments that are expressive and timeless.
The founder, Tolulope, has been involved in fashion since 2010 by involving herself with her university theatre, art, music, dance and drama. Over the years, SedCaz has collaborated with other fashion houses in the designing, marketing and supplies.
In 2023, SedCaz came up with AfroWest Collections, which was to inspire Africans with pieces imbued with a blend of the black continent’s fabric and Western styles. This 2023 AfroWest Collection is proof of SedCaz fashion brilliance and ingenuity.
This is a beautiful outfit from the 2023 AfroWest Collections to satisfy your fashion cravings. It is a one-piece garment with a silhouette that is well-structured silhouette. It is a gown with a fitted bodice that slightly spreads out at the hem. It doesn’t seem like it will overwhelm a slim-bodied person, and its volume is rightly balanced with the bodice. It has a split on the side, which should aid the wearer’s movement. The fabric of the dress is also right for the design’s volume.
Like most dresses in fashion, this one also exudes some feelings. It will make the wearer feel more powerful and at ease. It imbues the feeling of confidence and elegance. It’s a dress that will mostly resonate with women who love power and command, ladies who love to be the centre of attention. The prints and textures are harmonious.
The dress is sleeveless, and it has a round neck. Since the gown is long and flowing, the designer must have thought it right to make the bodice more fitted, to create balance and harmony, without one overpowering the other.
The choice of fabric seems to be right for the dress. The quality of the fabric matches the supposed longevity of the dress. The fabric seems to be joined smoothly, without puckered seams and no mismatched fabric tension or pulling.
A close examination of the dress seems to reveal that there are no raw, unfinished seam allowances inside the garment, which could make it look messy.
However, the bodice doesn’t have a regular flow to the midriff. The split along the side of the hem seems to be over-extended.
The hues are conflicting and overpowering. The combination of the accent colours seems to riot and may harm the overall visual appeal. The idea of the combination doesn’t seem to suit the dress style. One colour would have suited this dress better.
The dress is beautiful but lacks originality. It offers no fresh perspective. It is common and looks more like a derived design, or the designer seems to be following a trend.
This dress is made for exclusive parties and fashion runways. It could be appropriate for religious functions and office dinners.
This is another beautiful piece from the 2023 AfroWest Collection. It is a two-piece attire. The closures are secure; the zipper, which camouflages with the dress, seems to operate smoothly without sticking.
This dress could be worn to religious functions and exclusive shows, but it’s not made to be appropriate for dinner parties.
However, the garment has an irregular silhouette. It is a Western-inspired jumpsuit style but woven with Nigerian Ankara fabric. The style is Bohemian with lace details. The prints and textures don’t seem to align harmoniously.
The proportionality and balance of this dress are questionable; it doesn’t seem like the kind of garment that a wearer will be comfortable wearing. The relationship in size and visual weight of the bodice, sleeves and neckline is distorted. The length of the trousers doesn’t feel proportionate to the bodice, and the bodice seems to overwhelm the sleeves. The shoulders don’t look balanced, perhaps that’s because of the irregularity of the sleeves.
The visual appeal is slightly affected by the imbalance and disproportionality in the dress. The fabric is not appropriate for the style, and neither is the print style good enough. Maybe a plain colour would have been best, instead of Ankara stripes.
The design is not unique; there is no special innovation in its elements. The designer was trying to follow a popular trend in a new way. It’s a common jumpsuit, except for the designer’s attempt to use traditional attire for a Western-style to inspire innovation, but you could say it’s a failed attempt.
The irregularity in the silhouette of this dress could be a result of uneven seam work. The seams don’t look straight or even, and neither do they lie flat. They seem to be puckered, and this indicates a poor sewing technique or mismatched fabric tension.
Moreover, the dress’s exterior already shows the possibility of the existence of raw, unfinished seam allowances, which can fray and make the inside of the dress look disorganised and uncomfortable.
The poor seams framework could also have resulted from individual poor stitches. There seem to be gaps or skipped stitches along the seams, and it looks inconsistent throughout the garment.
This third piece is an elegant ensemble from the 2023 AfroWest Collection. It is a two-piece garment with a blouse and trousers. It has a regular silhouette. The sleeves are short and balanced. The neckline is created from the styling of the blouse, which forms a similarity to a V-neck garment. There are layers of pleats at the hem of the blouse. The bodice is fitted especially at the midriff.
The trousers are loose-fitting fittings flow regularly from the waist to the feet and balance the bodice. The shoulders are even and balanced with the sleeves. The stitches and seams are perfected, and there is a visual balance in the overall design. The wine colour is appropriate for the dress, and the plainness suits the design.
This is an outfit that can be worn to multiple places: religious gatherings, exclusive dinners and parties.
Overall, the SedCaz 2023 AfroWest collection is predominantly composed of beautiful, elegant pieces that will resonate with individuals of class and glamour. This collection is a celebration of beautiful and elegant fashion pieces that help women feel great, confident and expressive. The seamless blend of culture and tradition between Africa and the Western world is an emblem of innovation. Well done to Tolulope and her team.
Abisola Omolade
