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Contemporarily, African fashion is evolving faster than people can keep up with their clothing needs. And amidst this garment evolution, Chimdalu Victoria Arinze’s creative work for Arivee is setting the pace for textile innovation in Africa.
Also, I find that people approach clothing stalls with an idea in mind, only to be tickled by new fashion ideas. This is because clothing brands like Arivee aren’t slowing their oars in the streams of catchy fashion designs.
Chimdalu’s choice of fabric and creative construction feels endearing to feminine eyes. The way she designs her blouse and the pleats stylishly attached to her gowns sets the lines for a dialogue between being cool and confident.
Furthermore, her fascinating designs, such as bell sleeves, net blouses, and corporate gowns, transform her well-chosen plain materials into wearable garments of Western and African inspiration.
Additionally, her clothing pieces bring to mind other established fashion designers such as Coco Chanel and Jeanne Lanvin, known for their modern, romantic, feminine styles.
Arivee is a ready-to-wear brand that prides itself on effortless femininity and timeless elegance. Each piece from Arivee is thoughtfully crafted to fit women of all shapes and sizes. They are also designed to inspire confidence and embrace individuality. Additionally, they are infused with bright colours and clean lines.
Chimdalu Victoria Arinze is the visionary behind Arivee. She’s a celebrated Nigerian fashion designer whose journey began with professional training in 2016. She’s driven by her deep-seated love for fashion, and she has a keen understanding of the market.
Furthermore, Arivee was born from Chimdalu’s vision of providing elegance, class, and chic style to the everyday woman at an affordable price. This is because she understands that Nigerians have an innate love for fashion and events.
To craft outfits that defend your social and fashion interests, and also to satisfy the ever-growing fashion needs of women, Arivee decided to launch the 2022 Catchy Collection, with clothing pieces that are thoughtfully and beautifully composed.
This beautiful outfit with a blouse and trousers is one of the fashion pieces of the Cathy Collection, 2022.
The blouse is layered with a net material. It’s perfectly see-through. There is another layer of burnt-orange material beneath. The net-top has sleeves that flow beyond the elbow, but stop midway from the wrist. It can’t be described as a long or short sleeve.
Also, the blouse leaves the upper part of the chest exposed by having a supposed neckline that flows from one shoulder to the next. The lower side of the net-blouse has a V-shape that makes the trousers more pronounced, and yet retains its presence and beauty.
But that’s not all. The net blouse is beautiful, but the downside is that the sleeves would have looked more beautiful if they touched the wrist. Also, a lower neck area that exposes more of the chest would give the outfit a better appearance and resonate more with women.
To take this further, the trouser has a plain burnt-orange colour that jars beautifully with the whitish net-blouse. It is large, but evenly composed, in the sense that it flows uniformly from the waist to the ankle.
Also, the trousers seem to be a little overlong, and it brushes the floor slightly. This may come across as a princess vibe to some women, especially those who ride in their private vehicles. But ladies in Nigeria who use public transportation and have to walk from their homes to the bus stop may find this style uncomfortable.
Apart from the length of the trousers, the seams look well executed. There are no gaps that may cause pulling along it. Also, the stitches are looking regular and properly done. Additionally, the features of this outfit are well aligned, without overwhelming each other. I think this is due to the styling and cuts.
The back view is similar to the front, in terms of styling, volume, and fabric.
Having mentioned all that, this outfit will resonate with certain kinds of locations and events. It will be appropriate for a party, talk shows, entertainment shows, fashion walkways, or even red-carpet events.
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This plain brown gown is another from these 2022 Collections. It’s a dress that speaks in corporate volumes. It has a cowl neckline. It’s soft and made in a fabric that hangs in a U-shape and folds along the neckline area. This style befits the style of the garment, and makes it look elegant and special.
Also, the outfit is armless. It reveals the beauty of the wearer’s fleshy arms.
This may resonate with women who feel confident to show off some beautiful skin. But the downside of this is that in tropical regions like Africa, where the weather is hot, sweating beneath the armpit can be easily noticed. Plus, it could be revolting to other people, especially when it drips along the arms.
But that’s not all. This dress has a matching belt that is attached to the waist and is fastened with a dark regular buckle. A panel of fabric is wrapped across the front of the waist. This creates an asymmetrical look.
Also, on the left side of this dress, the draped fabric extends into a ruffle that cascades down and runs vertically down the side of the outfit. There is a slit at the centre front of the skirt. It starts just below the draped waist panel.
Additionally, this slit at the front part of the outfit contributes beautifully to the dress; however, it could make a wearer feel uncomfortable when sitting. And most times, people go for comfort that is also beautiful. So, the designer’s use of a slit is a thoughtful idea, but it should have located it at a more comfortable position.
The back view shows how the neckline is joined to the garment. It has a zipline running along for easy wear. The colour is exactly as on the front, and the styling is the same.
So, this outfit will fit certain social settings like the office, religious gatherings, fashion shows, red carpet events, and entertainment shows. It can be worn on dates and also to corporate parties.
Additionally, this outfit will resonate with women who love to showcase their confidence. It will suit the official woman, since this garment exudes lots of courage for women who love to walk into a room and own their space.
This outfit is another beautiful piece. It has a plain burnt orange blouse and plain whitish trousers.
This outfit has a round neckline that befits it. The sleeves are long and have a bell-like shape. That is, they are narrower at the shoulders, but gradually spread out to the wrist.
These bell sleeves are beautiful, but they are on the wrong outfit. This garment doesn’t need this type of sleeves. It seems to be overwhelming the bodice. It isn’t in harmony with the other features. An evenly fitted set of sleeves would have been appropriate.
The blouse of this outfit has a fitted bodice that thickens a woman’s bustline. This may be an important feature of the dress to most women. This is because they always love dresses that show the beautiful curves of their bodies.
Additionally, the lower end of the blouse has an asymmetrical cut. It looks stylish, but it doesn’t contribute beautifully to the garment. It makes it look like the designer was just thirsty for innovative styles and seems to be overwhelming the outfit. A non-asymmetrical cut would have done the garment better.
Furthermore, the trousers are evenly voluminous. That is, they all flow in the same size from the waist to the ankle. This balances the slim bodice of the blouse. The whitish colour also makes the blouse stand out in hue.
But the glitch in the trousers is the overlength. It brushes the floor. This might make a wearer think twice before wearing it. This may also mean that this outfit will stay longer in the wardrobe than on the bodies of women at an event or occasion.
The back view is synonymous with the front view in fabric, texture, volume, colour and style.
This outfit can be worn to special occasions like a talk show, fashion show, or entertainment show, and it can also be worn on dates or to the office. It will resonate with women who love plain colours, women who don’t follow trends, but love to do something different with fashion.
All the fashion pieces from this Collection, are attractive, well-composed, and specially made for women who are courageous in the way they look and are particular about how they feel in an outfit.
Arivee’s collections and latest showcases confirm her as one of the fashion hands shaping the clothing moulds in Africa, in this generation and time.
By Seun Emmanuel
