With all the owanbe that happens in Nigeria, lots of bespoke tailoring goes on in the fashion industry. Here, for whatever the event might be, there is always a fashion designer ready to make something specifically for you. Here’s the behind-the-scenes of one owanbe outfit.
Previously, we interviewed Bukunola Akindele on the making of her sassy asymmetric hemline skirt, called Shindiva. This week, we spoke with Adenike Adedoyin on the creation of her midi owanbe outfit with a side train.
Adenike Adedoyin is a chartered accountant and the founder of Vetirbymaygo. Vetirbymaygo is a fashion brand that specialises in designing and creating bespoke outfits for stylish women.
The journey into fashion entrepreneurship started for her since she was in the university. Having made up her mind to learn tailoring right from then, she started learning to sew in 2015 after 2 years in the university. Determined not to sit at home during the holidays, she got enrolled into a tailoring shop near her house by her parents. From there, she learnt the basics of tailoring and then brushed up her skills after her service year with a fashion school.
The inspiration for Vetirbymaygo was gotten from her fashion school, Torera Couture, where she got a wider view of what tailoring is. Shifting her desire to learn tailoring from wanting to sew outfits for herself to wanting to do bigger things, she started her brand in 2019. Vetribymaygo was coined from the French word Vetir which means dress me and her middle name, Margaret.
What was the Step-by-step Process of Making the peach Owanbe outfit with a side fringe?
The Inspiration
I got a client that wasn’t sure of exactly what she wanted asides from that she wanted a midi dress. To help her make a choice we both started looking for styles everywhere and exchanging pictures back and forth. When we realised the search was proving difficult, she gave up and asked me to do anything for her. Her decision left me sceptical but I decided to go along with it because we were in a fix.
After going over many styles, I picked designs from several of them and merged them. The inspiration for that came when I thought of my client’s body and what would match her body shape and highlight her best features. Judging from the colour of the dress, I decided to use a tulle net to give her outfit a soft look. I decided on that sleeve style because I didn’t want the conventional straight sleeves, so I came up with these gathered sleeves using the bridal satin.
The Fabric
Having a mental picture of what you want to achieve with an outfit makes the process of picking fabrics easier. I initially wanted to use bridal satin for the drape of the dress, but it didn’t quite it, so I went for tulle which gave it a softer look. That was exactly what I had pictured in my mind.
I also put a deeper shade of some nice flower trimmings at the sides of the sleeves to match its colour. I knew that if I used that, it would accentuate the design of the sleeves and draw more attention to the details of the dress.
The Making
The first step involved in making this outfit was deciding on what style I wanted to sew. Once I had decided on that, I got all my materials ready. The making came next;
Step One: Get all your materials ready. For this particular outfit, what I used were bridal satin, lace, stay, thread, bra cups, zipper, and tulle net.
Step Two: I cut the skirt of the dress from the lace and bridal satin fabrics.
Step Three: Next, I proceeded to sew it to my client’s measurements and ironed it thoroughly.
Step Four: I used a cut the bodice of the dress using a bustier cut.
Step Four: The stay came next and I placed it on the bustier cut. Afterwards, I sewed it according to my client’s measurement. I then put my bra cups in.
Step Five: I joined the bodice of the dress to the skirt to make a full outfit.
Step Six: I attached the zipper to the outfit.
Step Seven: I attached the veil net from the sleeves of the dress all the way to the side of the dress and left the rest hanging to create my drape.
Step Eight: Finally, I attached the sleeves and put the little flower trimmings on the sides of the sleeves to make it look really nice.
What Factors did you Consider when Making This Dress?
1. Fabric Colour
The colour of the fabric played a major role in the making of this outfit. If the lace was a different colour I would not have come up with this design. Colour matters a lot to me. Some colours bring out some designs better than other colours, and that was the case for this.
2. Quantity of Fabric Available
We had a limited quantity of this fabric. Since the fabric was not a lot, we had to come up with something that won’t take too much fabric. That majorly influenced the length of the dress and how much I could play around with the design.
3. Her Body Shape
Her body shape mattered a lot to me also. I wanted to make something that would sit well on her and accentuate her best features. As a fashion designer, this is very important in deciding what to make for clients.
4. Her Preference
Some clients are more conservative than others. While some don’t mind exposing certain parts of their bodies, others would rather have them covered. So, it is always best to ask what a client would want when it comes to exposing certain parts of their body.
That’s how the midi dress with a side train was made. What did you like best about the making process? Do let us know in the comments section below.
