As the technological revolution blurs the borders of Nigeria’s fashion cities, we see a lot more labels that previously would have been limited by geography gain national prominence. A lot of fashion brands from Port Harcourt, such as Akpos Okudu and Revamp have gained critical acclaim through the Lagos Fashion and Design Week showcase and a strong digital presence has kept them relevant. Port Harcourt based menswear brand Trendy Johnson is seeking to follow this tack, releasing his spring 16 collection, Men of Many Colours.
Inspired by the British Dandy of the 70’s Johnson tries to dress up for the formal suit by switching up the fabric choices. This is by no means a novel concept, as it is how brands like McMeka and Mai Atafo have gained our attention and respect. Johnson does a decent job of fabric choices and the designer is the first we’ve seen who has made miniature versions of the signature pieces of the collection for younger wearers.
But ultimately the collection proves that the designer might not quite be ready to play in the big leagues. The styling is deplorable and does a disservice to many of the designs and there are not enough pieces for us to deduce an informed opinion on the capabilities of the label. We’ll just have to wait for their next collection, it seems.
PHOTO CREDIT:
Models: Precious Valentine, Dapo Omotoso, Pete Nandi, Precious Valentine.
Styling and Creative Direction: HartxStyling.
