Who Wore What + Shop For Less: Mrs O in Duro Olowu

There must be something pretty special about Duro Olowu's Spring/Summer 2010 collection for Michelle Obama to have worn pieces from it 6 times. She is pictured here wearing a tank (same motif as the sleeves in the photo on the left) at the Washington Nationals vs. Chicago Cubs baseball game Wednesday last week. This brings Michelle Obama's Duro Olowu count to 10 (and one accessory).

Need a piece of Duro in your closet? Quite a few of his pieces are available in the Net-a-Porter and Barneys sales. Shop here and here.

- SLiq

Pictures courtesy of Style and Mrs. O

Collage by Shop Liquorice

Shop Africa: Zed Eye Launches E-Commerce

Screen capture of Zed Eye's E-shop

Early this year, we wondered if 2011 might be The Year of E-commerce where African designers are concerned. Five months later, we can't say we've seen giant leaps, but we're certainly excited to see more and more designers catch on.

Zed Eye debuted their shop portal on June 6 with pieces from their Tribal Romance and Tribal Romance Revisited collections. Shop a colorful variety of classic cuts and print infused looks ranging from harem pants to baby doll dresses, and make it a point to do your bit where supporting African designers is concerned. As we like to say at Shop Liquorice - every day is a good day to Shop Africa, and that includes today.

Select Zed Eye pieces are also available at Agnes and Lola.

- SLiq

Who Wore What: Michelle Obama in Duro Olowu

We speculated yesterday that there could be yet more Duro Olowu appearances in South Africa, courtesy of Mrs. Obama, and here we are again. Mrs. O has clearly taken a liking to Duro Olowu's Spring 2010 collection (notice the blue motif in the look on the right corresponds with Mrs. O's shirt). This is her 5th look from the collection and her 9th Duro Olowu piece. She is pictured here speaking to high school students at the University of Cape Town.

- SLiq

Image credit: The Associated Press

Collage by Shop Liquorice

This Just In: Ohema Ohene Spring/Summer 2011

Ohema Ohene is probably better known for their fresh print-covered kicks, but they've got clothes covered, too. Our favourites this season are two spring essentials: the little white dress and the must-have trench (hello temperamental weather!). Ohema's take on the LWD involves lace and a contrast print peter pan collar, while their belted reversible trench comes in a gorgeous electric blue highlighted contrasted with print and pops of pink, and being reversible, it's like getting two jackets for the price of one -- what's not to love? Get yours here and here. And if you're in London, pop down to their store for more variety: 63 Atlantic road, Brixton, London, SW9 8PU. Remember, every day is a good day to Shop Africa, and that includes today :-)

- SLiq

Revamped & Reloaded: Mataano Website

[A silk chiffon romper from Mataano's S/S '11 collection. Available here, courtesy of The W.]

We believe that websites should be living, breathing entities, not static pages that say 'coming soon' for yonks. Ahem. That said, we really like Mataano's new and improved website: straight to the point, fresh, uncluttered and not unlike the brand in those ways. While their e-store is missing in action (a feature we fondly remember from the first version of the website), you can shop two pieces from their S/S collection online, courtesy of The W -- yes, the hotel chain. Pretty big deal, no? The W has a range called Global Glam, and while a Duro Olowu piece featured in their first collection, the spotlight is now on the Mataano girls.

Enjoy their new website (and recent Arise Magazine Fashion Week collection) here and shop here.

- SLiq

Photo courtesy of The W

FIRST LOOK: Bunmi Koko Bridal

There are moments and there are moments -- that split second when we laid our eyes on the first looks from Bunmi Koko's new bridal range, especially with the backdrop of the day's breathtaking grand royal wedding, has turned us into piles of mush and desire. We're always beside ourselves when it comes to beauty and everything about these looks is exquisite and everything but ordinary.

Bunmi Olaye and Francis Udom have always had big dreams for their Bunmi Koko label, approaching it as more of a lifestyle brand than a ready-to-wear line alone. With their expansion into bridal territory, evening wear and men's accessories, their dreams are certainly taking shape, and we're charmed by them, to say the least.

Are Bunmi Koko's pieces making you reconsider your go-to designer for your wedding dress?

- SLiq

Photos:

Bunmi Koko

Who Wore What: Duro Olowu, 2 Springs Apart

There's a certain woman that wears Duro Olowu convincingly, and Thelma Golden (Director and Chief Curator at the Studio Museum, Harlem, NY and Mr. Olowu's wife of 3 years) ranks pretty high on that list. Here she is at the Art Production's Good & Plenty Benefit (April 11, 2011) wearing a Spring 2008 piece. She almost always wears Duro Olowu, and most certainly wears him well.

A few days earlier (April 7), Michelle Obama wore her 5th Duro Olowu piece and her 3rd from his Spring 2010 collection. Mrs. O is a good lesson on how to approach a Duro Olowu piece if you're colour or pattern shy: contrast with a solid!

- SLiq

Photos:

Billy Farrell Agency
Mrs. O
Style
Vogue

Lookbook: Lola Faturoti A/W 2011 [Ethnic Modernism]

Regular readers may have caught our sneak peek early last month and had their appetites whet in preparation for the main course - which itself makes us wish Lola Faturoti would hurry up and give us e-commerce already. She always brings a distinct sophistication and mastery to her treatment of print and her Fall 2011 Ethnic Modernism collection juggles everything from 60s Op Art to leopard print and polka dots. Silhouettes are at once relaxed and fitted, giving ample room juxtaposition and movement. Other highlights include her toughening it up with leather and fringe (our alter egos would totally wear the Maureen Jacket), the darling bows and pleats, and her use of coral, which we wish we got a little more of.

Thoughts? Any pieces in particular calling out to you?

- SLiq

Photos c/o White Noise Showroom

FIRST LOOK: Omer Asim A/W '11 [Sudan/UK]

Passionate as we are about Africa's blooming fashion scene, there have been few moments when we've been moved to tears (well, almost) and such irrational bouts of extraordinary excitement that we thought we'd explode. Sudanese designer Omer Asim accounts for a great percentage of those moments - his boundless creativity, his keen eye for detail in the most unexpected places, and the lingering sense that he brings something no one else does to the table make him the object of our obsessions season after season.

Omer Asim's A/W '11 takes it back to black with touches of sheerness and velvet as well as his signature take on pleats and draping. As expected, Omer Asim once again tows the line between perfect and imperfect - while each creation is exquisite, we often oscillate between feeling each piece is perfectly incomplete. A certain wordlessness abounds when one attempts to describe the most beautiful things, so allow the pictures to take on a life of their own for you:

Also worthy of mention is Omer Asim's collaboration with fellow Sudanese jewelry designer, Maya Antoun, whose work we'll explore in more detail shortly.

- SLiq