Many of us know the brand Okiki Marinho, thanks to its very visible ready to wear line retailing in several of Nigeria’s most patronized high street retailers (including Grey Velvet and a new concessionary deal with Bohemian retailer Mei Dei). But Okiki Marinho has been quietly diversifying its brand, and has opened a luxury handbag line.
With dedicated mens and womens lines, the label’s hand bag line is even more accessible than its womenswear only ready to wear line.
How ever you assess it, the Okiki Marinho luxury accessories line is a great idea.
The Nigerian ready to wear market is already saturated by emerging and established brands and joining the luxury accessories market takes out a lot of the competition and allows the brand the time and luxury to truly innovate and create pieces that are transcendental. Accessories have always been the financial mainstay of many international fashion houses, providing the steady income that allows them become more adventurous with their clothing labels.
A photo posted by Okiki Marinho (@okikimarinholuxury) on
The label uses a number of exotic skins for its luxury bag line which is almost exclusively made in leather and has a distinctive button closure. The brand experiments with colour and texture for diversity, even going as far as sequins for one of it’s box clutches.
That level of experimentation and the absence of a proper fashion calendar for the line has allowed the brand cull out designs and colours that don’t work and streamline their production to meet their client’s tastes. There is also the added pull of the brand’s bespoke status; each bag is handmade by a local Nigerian artisan and worked on for upwards of 30 hours.
The price points for the bags are pretty decent for luxury bags, with prices start from N50,000.
Our only complaint is that the label’s bag line has a few impractical silhouettes. For a line of luxury items that a buyer will probably want regular use of out of for at least the next decade, function is of far more importance to a buyer than aesthetic uniqueness. This is one of the reasons why the Hermes Birkin bag has enjoyed enduring popularity; sans its history, it is an incredibly functional hand bag. This also rings true for Monsieur Gavriel’s understated bucket bag which gained popularity for it’s seasonless aesthetic and its functional appeal.
To shop the Okiki Marinho luxury line, go here.