Emerging Nigerian womenswear brand, Sisi by Oge owned by Oku Ogechukwu recently made its debut with the release of a ready to wear collection tagged Ndidi. There are a few things interesting about this brand; Ogechukwu is an accomplished fashion illustrator and has worked in the industry for a while. With Ndidi as debut, the label is finally making the much needed shift into proper design with a debut collection.
At this point, we are forced to ask a question that comes up whenever we review work from emerging or debut designers; what specifically is it, that they’re bringing to the table? The Nigerian fashion industry is tending towards super saturation, and we are already starting to find a ‘Nigerian’ aesthetic that has elements of handmade prints and ultra-feminine silhouettes. So where does Sisi by Oge fall? We’re not quite sure.
The label touches on many trends that have circled down the drain in the last two years; sheer bodices, excessive panelling, colour blocking, plus trying and failing to reinvent the wheel. Sisi by Oge is also very unimaginative with actual construction work, choosing to replicate many very common dress silhouettes in new fabric. All of which are disappointing but not totally unforgivable. What is,unforgivable here is the label’s choice of fabric.
In Nigerian fashion, fabric is the true decider of whether a collection will be distinguished from the slush pile and Sisi by Oge’s choice of fabrics is underwhelming. A good number of the pieces are done in the shiniest of bridal satin, a severely unflattering choice even on the models. The label’s attempts to mix prints fall flat too, the effect jarring instead of pleasing.
The Ndidi collection would have come out much better with some serious curation by a much more experienced hand.
Credits:
Models: @iampearl.o & @phina_berry
Photographer: @lucasugo2
Photographer’s assistant: @mzchilyberry
Makeup: @sugarfunaz
w!
