EMERGING DESIGNER

Asake Agoro

IN THIS FEATURE: Meet Asake Agoro Fashion Focus

n 2009, Nigerian-born designer Asake Agoro was invited to present one of her design collections for a fundraiser at the London Metropolitan Fashion and Dance Charity Show. It was this presentation that subsequently led to the official launch of her highly-elegant label, AsakeOge Couture.

Asake is a third generation seamstress and as a child, she was surrounded by the creative energy of a couture household. By the tender age of fifteen, Asake had already developed the skills to design and craft garments for herself.

Over time, Asake honed her innate skills by working with local tailors to create one-off pieces that soon drew the attention of all those around her, which led to many requests for Asake to create custom garments for this emerging clientele.

Since then, her skills have continued to grow and the AsakeOge label has since styled artists and personalities for numerous events and festivities, and her label has also been chosen as a runner up for the African Tourism Awards. More recently, Asake has been nominated for the 2010 BEFFTA Awards as the Best Female Fashion Designer.

The inspirations behind her eclectic designs come from Asake’s roots. The 2010 haute couture collection features exotic African animals and scenery hand painted with jewel embellishments. The ready-to-wear collection features cutting edge designs in bold prints and tailored silhouettes with the ethnic influence apparent. First seen on catwalks in 2009, the reappearance of wild animal prints and colorful African graphics in the London Fashion week and Paris Fashion week 2010 shows us that tribal prints are here to stay. What was once considered ‘ethnic’ and merely ‘afro-centric’ is now called ‘avant-garde’ and ‘luxe’.

Asake herself says, “Everyone is now keener than ever to embrace the rich and vibrant culture that emanates so effortlessly from Africa, from the textures of the natural cloths to the prints and colors that appear so boldly and combine effortlessly”. “My passion for individuality is apparent in every work I create - for me the wow factor is non negotiable in my hand made garments. I love to enter a room and make heads turn.”

And from the look of Asake’s creativity, she will continue on the path to greatness and people will continue to take notice!