Africa is a continent known to be rich in culture and filled with amazing individuals that love fashion. In Nigeria, one party or the other happens every weekend with a display of amazing fashion everywhere you look. Behind the scenes, making this happen, are fashion designers.
Previously, we interviewed Damilola Ibigbemi on the creative process behind her Blue Wedding Guest Dress. This week, we spoke with Oluwatosin Adegbesan on the creative process behind her powder blue lace owanbe outfit with fascinator.
Oluwatosin Adegbesan is a fashion designer, stylist, and the creative director of Teimams Clothing. Teimams clothing is a unisex bridal, bespoke, ready-to-wear, and children’s fashion brand. The brand also has a fabric department named Teimams fabric place that majorly supplies the fabrics for the bridal and couture outfit.
Teimams got its name from the nickname its creative director’s mother gave her, “Tosin Mama”. One who was always fashion-inclined right from a young age and was known as the fashionista in her university and high school days, she started her fashion brand by chance. After sketching bridesmaids dresses for a bride, she got the contract for the job without knowing how to sew. From there, she continued with a tailor who created it for her and the brand was born.
What was the Process of Making the Blue Lace Owanbe Outfit and Fascinator like?
The blue lace wedding guest dress. I wanted a timeless and yet classy outfit. The dress was made simply out of a lace fabric, crinoline and skin coloured sheer, which most people know as skin net. The fascinator was made from aso-oke material.
The Fascinator
I got tired of tieing regular gele to parties as it usually hurts my ears after a while. So, with the emerging of the Alice band new trend, I thought I could make it work for me. I then decided to use the aso-oke wrapped around alice band to make a fascinator.
The Dress
While making the dress, I had already decided from the start how I wanted the top to look since it was not the first time using crinoline for an outfit. I also knew I wanted a midi-length dress to show my shoes.
For the lower part, I stared at the fabric for like an hour thinking of ways I could drape the lace to look different. I tried out different styles till I got the design I used for the dress. It gave it the different look I wanted.
What Factors do you Consider when Making Bridal Outfits?
Through my time as a fashion designer, I have done various outfits for both white and traditional weddings. The outfits have ranged from being for the bride to being for the groom, and the bridal train.
The factors I consider first and foremost is the client’s style and budget. The above usually inspire the kind of fabric to look into in as much as it’s their wedding not everyone is willing to break the bank for outfits.
For instance, there was a couple I made a Yoruba traditional outfit for. The bride wanted burnt orange and the groom wanted royal blue, two very far apart colours.
I advised the bride to allows us to make a two-tone aso-oke to accommodate both colours with her preference as the bolder colour and the groom’s embroidery a pop of burnt orange and some wine. The outfit ended up being so unique as one won’t regularly think of that colour combo together.
What Factors do you Consider when Picking Accessories for Outfits?
1. My Intuition
Most times I go with my intuition in picking appliques. I just stare at it in the market and imagine a style for it.
But, of course, one has to consider if the applique will complement the outfit properly and most importantly interpret the style one is working with appropriately.
2. The Client’s Budget
Another factor in picking applique is the budget of the outfit. There are times clients request for outfits on a budget, one would have to use affordable appliques and some other times we going all out based on the clients choice.
What Factors do you Consider when Combining Fabrics?
In combining fabrics I have to have a destination style and them
1. Style
The first thing I consider is if the style can work with the fabric combination. If it cannot work I don’t bother going for it but if it can, I do it.
2. Colour
The second thing I consider is the colour of the fabrics to combine. I check if the colours will look weird together or not. This is very important in determining the overall outcome of the outfit.
3. Client’s Preferneces
Thirdly and most importantly is the client’s personal style, skin tone and even body shape. These factors are highly important in determining fabric combination.
In closing, she said, “In fashion, one can not be a stereotype thinker, you have to think out of the box and damn some rules to bring out your creativity. Don’t let anyone try to make you feel weird. Best fashion designers of all times have been called weird.”
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