Meena is a rising Nigerian fashion label headed by Uju Offiah. The five-year-old design house produces cosmopolitan ready-to wear-and custom pieces.
The brand's spring/summer '16 look book is titled, Ochiagha. It's an Igbo word that the label says means Neoteric Warrior.
On their Instagram account, the label offered more insight into the collection's inspiration.
As our first venture into custom made prints, we were influenced by ‘NSIBIDI’. Nsibidi is a pre-colonial symbolic means of communication among the Ibos, in the South Eastern part of Nigeria. The symbols were arranged in clusters to tell a story of victory, resilience, love & hate, peace and unity of a Nigerian.
Details are influenced by strips (ropes) to create a bound effect of unity and peace amidst the challenges and insurgences ( in the Northern part of Nigeria ) we are faced with as a nation. Further details are flap layerings of shapes - trapeziums, triangles, and rhombus. Hand embroidered Nsibidi symbols also run through the collection.
Architectonic undertones which is our core is visible in origami details and sophisticated cuts.
Credits: PHOTOGRAPHY: Lakin Ogunbanwo (@lakinogunbanwo) | ART DIRECTION: Lakin Ogunbanwo & Uju Offiah | Model: Aduke (@adukebey_) of@bethmodelafrica | MAKE UP: Stella (@stellasaddiction ) | HAIR: Bernard (@bernardsmiless )
