Maki Oh

Autumn-Winter

2011/2012

(by FASHIZBLACK)

Maki Oh’s vision for Autumn-Winter 2011/2012 is encapsulated in classical pianist, Ludovico Einaudi’s song titled ‘Love is a Mystery’ . The melodies in this piece of music are explored and interpreted as the emotional troughs, peaks and plateaus that are inevitable in the course of a romantic relationship between a young vibrant woman, her lover and her voice of reason.

In using the song as inspiration, ‘Love is a Mystery’  is divided into 20 equal parts, each of which corresponds to a piece in the collection which represents a snapshot, capturing her mind state as she makes this uneven, tumultuous, sometimes exhilarating, sometimes terrifying journey. The waveform representation of the emotive sounds made in ‘Love is a Mystery’ are directly infused into each outfit as embellishments.

Maki Oh again employs the use of traditional adire motifs, which add layers of meaning and context to the collection. The ‘Pakiti’ (mat) adire
motif which is traditionally used in Yoruba culture in gifts to newly wed couples (conveying the wish that they be blessed with the fruit of the womb), surfaces in this collection during the joyous periods of this young woman’s relationship. Embellishments strategically placed around the female erogenous zones, further help in evoking the emotional cadence this vibrant woman experiences in her journey.

Level Headed Greys, Diluted Baileys, Nude, Lustful Bourdeux, Steel, hues of Indigo and splashes of Hazardous Yellow -  the palette employed to illustrate this voyage.

Key Materials used  include traditional Nigerian Aso-Oke (loosened to form fringes), organically dyed silk charmeuse, shantung and silk organza,
local embroidery and dried water reed (sourced from traditional Nigerian sleeping mats)

Silhouettes are largely inspired by the Agbada (traditional Yoruba menswear), western formal wear, and the female body form. Textures are highly juxtaposed and tones fluctuate, all conveying moods captured in the extremes of falling in and out of love.

© Maki Oh

via fyeahafrica: