When Orange is the New on Black

For the last year, I've been dreaming of having my own collection of African inspired pieces. My mum is from Nigeria and my dad from Sierra Leone, so they always used to bring me back pieces. Unfortunately, I never liked or wore them because frankly, they were plain ugly.  When I didn't wear them, my parents would moan at me for not embracing my African heritage, and I didn't have the heart to tell them everything they brought back was hideous! I love the fabrics they got me, but the styles made me feel like a middle aged woman (with no fashion sense). Though there are some talented African designers in Europe and the US, I can't bring myself to buy anything because the the prices are ridiculous. Compared to how much I can get them done myself when I'm there, I decided to hold off till my next trip.

Thankfully I had the opportunity to go to Nigeria and Sierra Leone this summer so bought a whole bunch of Fabric and designed an entire wardrobe myself. This ensemble is one of my favourites. The orange colour pops and the geometric design caught my eye. I decided to go for a 80's themed shoulder high top and pencil skirt to match.

When you have anything tailor made, it just works so much better for your silhouette. I love the way the top and skirt sinches in my waist to the very... last ...inch! This fabric is not forgiving or comfortable which is why I now understand why my mum's collection is loose fitting.


The great thing about buying the fabric yourself is that you have enough left to make more things. I ended up designing a skater skirt and a halter top which i'll share in another post.
I  made way too many outfits to feature so I'll only be covering my favourite pieces.
All of my friends have told me to start my own clothing line because African prints and themes are on trend! I'm thinking about it but not sure how big the demand would be. What do you think?