Frank Aghuno’s Fruche has had a spectacular three years since it first debuted in 2013. Fruche was chosen as one of the sixteen finalists for the LFDW Fashion Focus Programme, and was one of the brands chosen to study at Instituto Maragoni as part of the fund’s continuing education initiative. Fruche also entered for and won the second season of the Fayrouz L’Original competition, winning as part of Team Meddle Lane. So news of Aghuno choosing to collaborate with a menswear brand on a capsule campaign piqued our interest.
Aghuno partners with Ayoola Morafa, a menswear designer with an eponymous label whose signature is colour blocking and discordant textures. The collection ‘Caught in Motion’ collection is interesting for several reasons. Fruche has always shown a mixed collection in all its runway shows, so it doesn’t necessarily need a menswear perspective. But with Morafa bringing aso oke to the table, we understand why the deal would have been impossible to resist.
Morafa debuts a cache of white blazers with discordant as0 oke sleeves. It’s an interesting angle for menswear and Morafa takes it a step further, fringing some of the sleeves for that rock star effect.
Aghuno on the other hand continues to explore tailoring possibilities with his dresses. Long legged models show off a sunshine yellow asymmetric dress with a thigh high slit and a waist band that mimics an Obi belt. This exaggeration of detailing cuts through all the pieces; a cherry red mini dress is livened with an exaggerated bow, a slink of a lace bodice is offset with layers of chiffon skirting. The fabric lets down the construction only marginally, satin puffing up lines that should have been bone straight.
What ties in the very different styles of both designers is their choice of sheer fabric. Aghuno is a maven with lace, he plays it to his advantage, creating delicate pieces out of the detailed hems of his pieces. Morafa is not as nifty. His shirts are pedestrian, the lace detailing not nearly enough to elevate the clothes from generic to desirable.
Aghuno’s experience shines in this collaboration, and in the light of that, everything looks better, it would be amazing to see him get the financing to help him turn his ideas into a thriving house.
