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Today, we will be feeding our eyes with one of the latest collections from a fast-rising brand called Cosmopolitan. However, this time, we will be taking a different route with our criticism called Pick and Rate. But before we go into the intricacies of that, let’s tell you a little bit about Cosmopolitan.
Cosmopolitan is a women’s wear brand. Their mission is to create eccentric pieces that not only elevate beauty standards but also act as a power suit for women. To do this, they craft pieces that are functional, chic and suitable for any occasion. They are also committed to creating exclusive custom-fitted clothing that accentuates women’s bodies and brightens their appearance by incorporating the finest fabrics into their designs.
It is a brand that goes as far back as 2020 and whose prices have been showcased at prominent fashion events, including Fashion Finest Africa, African Fashion Week Lagos, and Port Harcourt Fashion Week. Thanks to their creative director and fashion designer, Arimiyau Kolapo Mustapha, the brand has been able to erect not one but two flagship boutiques located at 117 Sanusi Fafunwa in Victoria Island, Lagos, and No. 16 Balogun Fulani Road, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. The 2022 Cosmopolitan collection, is what we will be unpacking for you right here and now.
The 2022 Cosmopolitan collection is a full package of three spectacular sets of garments. Here are their details:
Dress number one is a classic. It’s a powerful combination of classy, smart, and confident in one outfit. It is a three-piece set containing a jacket, an inner wear and a skirt, and we will be dissecting all their features just for you, starting with the jacket.
This upper piece was created with a floral embroidered chambray fabric that interestingly resembles a Denim fabric because of its sturdy, twill weave. The jacket begins with a shawl lapel which, like its name implies, curls around the neck and runs to the mid-waist area. This feature is accompanied by two bracelet sleeves. However, there is a catch. The designer introduced an uptune to the left sleeve by adding another sleeve, called a flutter sleeve. As seen in the image, this flutter sleeve is composed of three layers, and its hems were whipped into a faced hem. As a finishing touch to the jacket, a single flat-faced shank button was added to the mix for closure.
Coming down to the lower facet of the set is a pencil skirt made from a generic fluorescent silk chiffon that looks awfully like a metallic dark silver fabric. Similar to many other pencil skirts, this piece includes a waistband located at the mid-waist and pours down in a straight slim fit line, to mid-calf, further accentuating the waist and hips. The last zesty addition to the skirt is the long slit found at the front mid-line of the garment.
The ratings
Over a ten, this first piece would be sitting on a solid seven, and this is why.
First things first, the piece is beautiful. The ideas and skills that went into it were no doubt commendable. However, it still has a few shortcomings. The first of which is the sleeve, while we understand that the designer was probably going for a unique look, the addition of an extra sleeve on the left side wasn’t necessary. The designer should have focused on using only the flutter sleeve or the bracelet sleeve. Secondly, there is no correlation between the upper and lower pieces of the set. Usually, a set should have some kind of similarity. If the same material is not used, then the same colour is used, and if that is not the case, then there is a sprinkle of something similar between them. That, however, is not the case in this piece. Therefore, Designer Arimiyau might want to consider recreating the set bearing this in mind.
Dress number two, talk about artistic wonder.
This next garment is also a two-piece. However, on the bottom is a pair of trousers rather than a skirt. This troupe was created from two fabrics, a double-face material and a two-toned printed chambray with an illusion of two different shapes of rectangles, stacked carefully like bricks.
The blouse here is a cut-off top with a plunging V-neckline that extends as enlarged cap sleeves. In fashion, this kind of sleeve, conjoined to the neckline, is called a raglan sleeve. It might shock you to know that the fabric used to create this part of the attire is a double-faced fabric. It is the upturned face of the same floral embroidery material in the first set. Another interesting feature about this piece is that the back of the top is also given a V-neckline, which makes it easy to switch the styling. You can decide to wear the front as the back and vice versa. The piece comes to a close with the two-toned fabric introduced at the bustline and a back-teethed zipper.
On the lower half of this set is a chic wide-leg pant with crisp straight lines tailored to fit the upper piece. The trouser has a waistband and have enough allowance from around the hips down to the leg area, which makes it very comfortable to wear and easy to move around in. Additionally, it completes the set, giving the full overview a smart and classy appearance.
The ratings
We would rate this set nine out of ten, and the reasons are obvious. It is very carefully put together, and the fabric choices are very beautiful. The only thing we believe can be improved on is the sleeve. The current one is indeed eye-catching; however, not a lot of women fancy plunging “Vs” or cap sleeves. To resolve this, the designer could also offer some substitute sleeves to fit different customers’ preferences.
Finally, Dress number three.
The final set of the collection is a wholesome blend of blue shades. It is a set containing a blouson and trousers made from different fabrics, A metallic shimmer silk and silk shantung.
Starting from the blouson, a blouse that looks like a gown, we have a strapless flare top. Due to the lack of sleeves, the dress is fitted tightly around the bust area to ensure firmness, then flares out around the mid-waist, down. The designer created this outfit in such a way that one begins to wonder if it’s truly a blouse or just a gown. This is because of the introduction of the asymmetrical cuts, as can be seen around the hem. To sprinkle some added sugar to the piece, the designer included two layers of ruffles to the hem, giving it a semblance to a mermaid dress.
On the lower half, the ink blue silk shantung comes to play in the form of a Palazzo, otherwise called wide-leg pants. This part of the piece is wittily supple in width and embodies a clear touch of expertise. The pants are neatly created with pressed lines to show for it. Unlike the second in the collection, these trousers also hold more volume and more room for comfort.
The ratings
Without further ado, this piece stands at a six over ten for us, and this is because of one thing. The design chosen for the blouson is a big ‘No, No’. This blouse would have been more fitting if it were a single gown and slightly longer. However, it being the top of this set doesn’t complement the pants. Why? Because the trouser already holds much volume, adding a flared upper bodice makes the set too full. Thankfully, this can be rectified if the designer considers taking the flare away and simply opting for a strapless cropped blouse.
Taking a trip around this collection has been an engrossing ride. What the Cosmopolitan is doing is no doubt inspiring. From the beautifully designed jacket in the first set to the power piece in the middle and the classy palazzo in the third set, the resource used speaks of quality and skilful craftsmanship. Designer Arimiyau is unquestionably pushing the brand to the next level. All that is left to do in this collection is to refine some little lapses that will take it from the standpoint of ‘Gold’ to ‘Platinum’, and we can’t wait to see it!
By Seun Emmanuel
