A REVIEW ON JULANGE COUTURE’S NEW EDINPA SS 2023 COLLECTION
By Tosin Clegg
The ever-fascinating and versatile Ankara fabric is predominantly popular amongst Africans, synonymously knitted in its people’s culture and identity. But did you know that this fabric was neither first designed nor made in Africa? Incredible, right?What’s more shocking is that it was created ultimately by mistake.
Over the years, the Ankara fabric has emerged as one of the most sought-after fashion looks across Africa, interwoven in the pride and identity of the natives. Because the fabric has become a preferred choice for African fashion designers including Juliet Sarkodiethe Ghanian fashion mogul; what sets one brand apart from the other then becomes a matter of creativity, design and tailoring skills amongst other qualties.
Juliet Sarkodie has worked judiciously to distinguish her brand – Julange Couture – from others since its inception in 2016. To garner for herself the majority ofthe market share in the fashion industry, the brand has turned out a new set of collections – The Edinpa SS Collection – that feature creatively curated Ankara garments. With the belief that the brand’s creations are not mere garments, but rather vessels that embody the belief of an African woman; Julange Couture is on a mission that is greater than the brand.
However, with unwavering dedication to this mission, leveraging terrific craftsmanship without compromising on quality, Julange Couture presents to fashion lovers, a captivating collection that marries the essence of Ankara Fabric and contemporary clothing trends of colourblocking that creates an audacious dose of charismaticdesigns. Let’s dive right into exploring each of the designs in details.
This first piece that we will assess is a two-piece attire consisting of crop top and high waist trousers made from two different Ankara fabrics, yet with barely similar patterns and matching colours. Not only does this cast our minds back to the previously faced-out trend of colour blocking that is currently resurfacing, but also an expression of culture, a display of artisticcapabilities and a show of market awareness by the brand. The choice of intricate patterns and attractively coloured layouts make this piece immediately standout.
The crop top features a heart-shaped neckline with puffed sleeves that stop just before the elbow of the wearer. The heart-shaped neckline ensures a flash of flesh of the wearer which highlights the femininity of the wearer. There is no doubt that this piece is giving the vibe that customers require. There is meticulous attention to the comfort of the wearer without compromising on style and trend.
At the top of both shoulders, a piece of pleated fabric is used to further adorn the top, making it more feminine. A band is introduced at the belly area that serves as a band that perfectly clings to the body of the wearer, emphasizing their curves and body shape.
The high waist trouser is a simple and straight cut yetperfectly complements the top. With the infusion of pockets on both sides of the pants, the trouser evokes style and comfort. The hidden zip at the upper left side of the pants ensures that wearers can easily put on and pull off the garment when the need arises. As we know, there is nothing appealing about a garment that isn’t comfortable and Julange couture completely gets this.
The two differently patterned Ankara fabrics were perfectly combined to make this piece blend so beautifully. Perhaps, it’s the Yellow colour that they have in common that made it an eye-catching and seamless blend or fabric block. Indeed, this design reflects thebroad categories like culture and ready-to-wear clothingupon which the brand is built.
This next attire is also a two-piece outfit that features a crop shirt and pant trousers just like the first. The idea of merging two differently patterned Ankara fabrics in a piece is really working for Julange Couture and if well mastered, could be its signature. Unlike the yellow common colour in the previous piece, this beautiful outfit blends two fabrics with differing patterns, but with navy blue as the common colour that blends in lighter shades le sky blue and lilac col.
Essentially made with a plain navy-blue crepe material, the crop shirt incorporates long sleeves with elastic bands on each wrist to make it firm, forming a little puff at the helm. The button-down shirt also features a collar and an elastic band at the lower part of the shirt, ensuring it firmly clings to the body of the wearer. The lower chest area of the shirt is blended with an Anakarafabric that perfectly suits the crepe textile, yet sits perfectly on the trousers despite being of dissimilar patterns.
For the pant trousers, the fact that the fabric was cut in a vertical manner to create an illusion of height in the wearer shows just how knowledgeable the brand is in the art of fashion. The moderately free style of the trousers also shows that Julange Couture has the comfort and freedom of its customers at heart. The pockets on both sides of the trousers also create a sense of style that evokes power and strength without the wearer losing their effeminacy.
Paired with minimal jewellery and whatever footwear you feel comfortable in be it heels, sneakers or flats, this outfit can undoubtedly fit into any casual outing that ensures you’re relaxed, yet wearing a stunning look. With a pair of sunshades, the attire is elevated to that ‘never to be caught unfresh vibe’ that every woman needs.
The final garment that we will be reviewing in the Edinpa 2023 collection is also a two-piece. Although others have a uniform colour blend, it is not the case for this as two dissimilar colours have been combined or ‘colour-blocked’ as the fashion trend calls it. We therefore have more than an Ankara block on this attire, but also a colour block.
The design would have been more appealing to the eyes if the choice of colours were better combined. As it is, the first look at this attire can be displeasing to many just because of the mismatched colours let alone the patterns. The style however, especially the top is nothing less than dashing and thoughtful, evoking the feminine energy.
The long-sleeved turtle-neck top is elegantly curated with flay wrists and pleated flaps at both shoulders that create a sense of style. Fitted in style, the fabric is cut to highlight the shape of the wearer and pronounce their femininity. The loose trouser complements the design of the top with their flat edge and high waistband. This attire is generally stylish but the choice of colour and patterns isn’t as appealing as the designs. The colourand fabric prints seem to have watered down the beauty of the design. But meanwhile, this is fashion and what’s poison to one person might be food to another person.
That being said, one way that this attire can be rocked is to wear them separately. The top is absolutely giving and can be worn on a plain pencil skirt, or perhaps blackplant trousers. A pair of baggy jeans can even switch up the style another level such that it better stands out more elegantly. It’ll undoubtedly suit a church outing or even a casual date when styled that way and worn with a pair of heels and purse to match. The trouser can also be rocked with a white shirt or top and styles with a belly belt. Whatever goes wrong in fashion can always be tweaked to arrive at an elegant look.
Generally, the fashion-forward Ankara designs from Juliet’s Edinpa collection reflect her creativity design mastery and attention to detail. The use of the versatile Ankara fabric and prints in this showcased Edinpa 2023 collection, provides a great opportunity for the brand to experiment with different colour combinations. This in turn has paved the way for the brand to work with locally made Ankara fabrics.
Also, the dynamic brand through its latest collection has also shown that it embraces sustainable craftsmanship at a time when the fashion industry is being forced to reckon with its impact on the environment. Through its robust mission of dedication to providing quality and longer-lasting Ankara designs to the taste of its customers, Edinpa collection has redefined the changing Fashion trends of Ankara designs creating a healthy chunk to the admiration of many.
