Womenswear label BenRia debuts with cold shoulders and reams of Ankara

Its undeniable that the Nigerian fashion industry is a dichotomy. On one hand, many insiders have spoken at length at how the fashion industry in the country while at it’s infancy is already heavily saturated with brands that have similar aesthetics and forbidding price points. On the other, is the potential that Nigerian 80 millions youths before 35 and their purchasing power. Where this problem and this potential intersects is what many suggest is the sweet spot for making it in fashion. And it is that spot that emerging women’s wear label BenRia is trying to find.

The women’s wear label just released campaign images for it’s debut collection, as yet unnamed and a brand statement to go with it.

In a manner of speaking the brand lives up to many of it’s proclamations. The tailoring of it’s pieces are excellent, far better than we have come to expect from emerging brands, and the brand makes the calculated decision of working its first collection almost entirely in Ankara, a gamble that failed far too many design labels. It also rigs the game by harping heavily on the (tired) trend of the season, cold shoulder blouses/dress in every shape and silhouette. It is somewhat underwhelming but considering the brand is primarily interested in dressing the Nigerian women and considers abstract elements like original design and innovation secondary objectives, we really cannot fault them.

The collection has not been properly priced yet and so we can only make assertions to potential price points, but if BenRia is able to keep up this level of tailoring while finding price points that do not discourage buyers, they might have a fashion coup on their hands.