By a Correspondent
According to Vogue Magazine, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect for Osakwe, either. The Arts University Bournemouth graduate had been building on her collection for six years and had finally honed in on who her customer was.
Pulling from her rich Nigerian culture and her experience as a black woman to imbue her line with a self-described “quiet confidence,” the label, which is completely inspired by Nigeria and Africa, reflects a more nuanced approach to exploring the African experience through design. “I always say the Maki Oh clothes are a form of communication. Every collection is inspired by the traditional way of wearing African garments, which were to relay messages, so they are forms of communication. Every piece has a meaning and the Maki Oh woman is able to embody it.”
The Globe Trotter magazine adds that, Amaka is a storyteller. A successful one. Very often, she taps from the well of her Nigerian roots to craft distinct pieces, what with some of her more recent deliveries like the Maki Oh SS17 assemblage- an obvious nod to the lavish lifestyle of Nigerians and their love for Owambe, then peep her AW17 collection- set on a typical Lagos Night in which various modes of public transportation such as Lagos’ infamous Danfos and the Okadas are spotlighted.
Established and founded in 2010 by Amaka Osakwe, Maki Oh is a womenswear brand that uses traditional African techniques and blends them with contemporary construction. The brand has been worn by Lupita Nyong’o and Solange Knowles, to name a few.
Osakwe is of the Igbo tribe. She studied at the Arts University Bournemouth where she received a BA in fashion studies. In autumn/winter 2010 she launched her label. Inspired by rural Ghana’s Dipo rites-of-passage ceremony, during which girls taking part are partially naked and ornately adorned, Osakwe has played with cloaking and ornamentation using traditional African fabrics.[3] Recently her label was discovered by the U.S. fashion scene in 2012, when she presented her designs at the New York Fashion Week.
