OVER the years, the Most Promising Designer of the Year award winner of Arise Africa Fashion Week in Johannesburg, South Africa, Ayole Adede, has been able to distinguish herself with her creativity. The brain behind Eyola combines the reformist Victorian era with the liberal 21st Century designs to bring out the definition of true art. The Nigerian-born, United Kingdom-based designer, who has a master;s degree in Fashion Communication and Styling at Istituto Europeo di design (IED) in Milan, has a first degree in Business Management in UK. In between both degrees, I worked for designers including Alexander McQueen. She recently showed at the crazy-headgear show by sending her models walking down the catwalk sporting animal hairpieces.
She tells OYINDAMOLA LAWAL the secret of her designs.
When did you first start taking an interest in fashion?
It’s been something I have dreamt about and worked towards since a very young age.
How was it going into the fashion industry?
Well, to be honest it was exciting to finally showcase my ideas to the world. Few things I hope to bring back into the world of fashion such as exclusivity and a unique brand identity. You see many of the same designs repeatedly and I feel my brand is trying to raise the flag for exclusivity and people who want to dress in a unique style and in a brand, that only produces limited editions. You get this in Africa at the moment. In Africa, there's an art to dressing that, involves experimentation and individuality. I think the rest of the world used to share this vision but now fashion is becoming uniform and Eyola's mission is bringing back individuality.
What stands your designs out?
What stands out about Eyola is the special blend of tradition and innovation, craftsmanship and creativity. Each Octette has a distinctly fashion-forward signature so each piece is timeless and original, limited in number (only eight made of each design) and doesn't follow the trend of the moment. The concept of grouping each collection is also something different. Each group of designs is called an Octette (a name inspired by the figure 8 shape created by Victorian corsets). These 8 designs come in brightly coloured fabrics again inspired by this wonderful period's discovery of colourful fabric dyes. So, at Eyola, our focus is not only on creating one of a kind of designs, we also take pride in creating a unique brand identity.
Where do you get your inspiration?
The Victorian era. For me, this is the most important period in fashion's history. From the craftsmanship and detail that went into each piece to the discoveries such as bright colourful dyes, the sewing machine and new technologies in materials and fabrics. Of course, you also see during the end of this period the introduction of mass production, which is rather ironic. It is a complete contrast to the couture-led movement and that made the Victorian era such a seminal turning point in fashion. But this just shows the diversity of the period. I draw inspiration from the revolutionary couturiers of the time that in turn were inspired by newly discovered cultures and new approaches and techniques in dress making. Each individual garment had the full heart and soul of the dressmaker coursing through its veins, which is an attitude ingrained in Eyola's DNA.
Role model?
Can I have two? My parents
Your muse?
The couturier- Paul Poiret. He was a master of many firsts in fashion and is undeniably a major influence to all designers after him all the way to the present day. He was innovative (freeing women from the corset, introducing the brassiere and suspender belts to hold up stockings, experimenting with fabrics such as scraps of umbrella material and created very modern clothes inspired by different cultural dress), he encouraged women to be more daring in the way they dressed, he constantly evolved his style, he developed new methods of advertising and was the first to build a ‘brand’ expanding his product line beyond fashion to include accessories, interiors, perfume and even a school. Poiret to me was truly revolutionary. What’s the idea behind the names of your collection and clothing?
It's a play on word. For example, the new Octette is called `Tarcotsira', which is an anagram of the word Aristocrat What kind of fabrics do you use where do you source them? All my designs are made using the highest quality fabrics sourced in the UK from dealers who supply the biggest brands in luxury fashion. I am a big fan of fine wools and silks I guess because of the juxtaposition between their contrasting elements: fragility, strength, fluidity, and severity.
What do you look out for before designing?
Before I sketch, I look into my extensive library of vintage Victorian fashion, details and accessories. A particular detail on a hat, for example, might trigger an idea for a jacket. This idea-generating concept doesn't just start at the beginning of each Octette. Each design has its own story and unique identity from the others, as I tend to steer away from basing my entire Octette on a repeated theme like you frequently find in most designers’ collections. I make a conscious effort not to look at what other designers are doing or follow trends.
Shows and exhibitions you've showcased your outfit? Awards?
It was a great honour to win 'Most Promising Designer of the Year' Arise Africa Fashion Week where I also showcased my designs on the catwalk in Johannesburg. I have also exhibited in UK and USA. My designs have also been recognised by influential publications from UK’s The Times and The Independent newspapers to Vogue Italia to name a few.
Challenges?
Every industry is not without its challenges especially for an emerging brand entering the market. There are many obstacles and challenges you must face from striving for recognition for emerging brands to sustaining recognition for established brands. The challenge for each industry and each firm is really to keep evolving with the times but still keeping its core brand identity. Projection into the future More Octettes, more stockists, which are already in the pipeline including an online shop… the sky is the limit so watch this space!
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