Lavie by CK is a fashion brand that creates garments for both men and women to showcase their natural beauty and style. The brand aims to design garments, not only based on the theme and style of where the items would be worn but also the environment.
The brand was founded by Claude Kameni, a Cameroonian, who merges her roots and traditions with today’s modern style to produce brand new creations that are unique in the fashion industry. The brand’s outfits have been worn by various celebrities including Janet Jackson, Tracy Ellis Ross, and many more and this has increased her audience globally. Lavie by CK recently launched a 2020 swimwear collection, and here are our thoughts.
Collection Story
Lavie by CK launched their 2020 Swimwear Collection, The Voyage Collection, and it is a unique blend of bold, vibrant and aesthetic prints made into bikinis, one-pieces, zip-up rash guards and many more. Claude Kameni, just like she shared had always wanted to tap into the swimwear aspect of the industry, but she never had the chance until the pandemic came along.
“Being forced to be home allowed me to really brainstorm my vision for this collection. Since vacation plans were cancelled, I wanted to bring the tropics to the people.” – Claude Kameni.
She was also motivated to design this collection based on the current global desire to travel again due to the pandemic. By viewing the pieces in this collection, she aimed to give customers all the inspiration they need to decide their next travel destination after the pandemic.
Design Creativity
Channelling her inspiration which was gotten from the majestic waters surrounding the coast of Cameroon, she was able to bring a unique sense to the traditional African prints to create the pieces.
The story behind the colourful and bold prints used in this collection comes from her Cameroonian background. The collection features prints such as geometric black and gold micro-print, floral patterns, and flattering cut-out details.
“I decided to focus on my roots with the swimwear collection because I always want to remember where I come from, which is very important to me in all my collections.” – Claude Kameni
Uniqueness
One thing that is unique about the Voyage Collection is the prints used, as it is not very common for designers to utilise African prints for contemporary swimwear. And just like the designer shared, her biggest challenge was choosing the right fabric and executing it to her liking, as they had to look through thousands of fabrics first.
The styles in the collection were also made to cater to all body and skin types as it is important to Claude Kameni to celebrate and promote inclusivity.
The Voyage Collection was put together and delivered quite nicely especially in a time like this, considering the fact that the materials and manpower needed might have been tough to come by. Also, the Afrocentric designs make them more acceptable and unique to the general audience.
