Article and Photos Courtsey of Sarah Mower, Style.com
LONDON, February 12, 2007 – Duro Olowu's show has finally brought the talent that's been cooking away in his Portobello Road store, OG2, into full sight. A Nigerian with a sophisticated eye for mixing splashily printed vintage couture fabrics with seventies-style tailoring and hoards of exceptional jewelry, he has steadily built a business—and many friends—around the first signature wide-sleeved, high-waisted patchwork dress he designed two years ago. Today's violet and bright-green African-print velvet coats instantly captured the essence of his appeal in their exuberantly luxurious swing.
"I wanted it to have practical volume," he said, "a regal normality. I called it 'Bamako Pompadour.'" Bamako is the capital of Mali, which, he explained, "had an empire of huge wealth and intellect—and beautiful women."
If it was smart to lay a foundation for a couple of years before deciding to show, the move also raised the bar for Olowu, setting him the task of proving he can do more than just that one dress. He pulled that off by orchestrating a total look, from leather headband visors to necklaces made from recycled belt buckles and beads to shiny patent shoes and boots—all sourced from craftspeople he found around London. His new squared-off agbada dress, in fluid brown, black, and gray color-blocked jersey, had an easy, drapey elegance that looked fresh. And though a too long section of gamekeeper tailoring in the middle broke the spell a bit, that was only a minor beginner's demerit in a collection that brought a welcome shot of energy to London's shows.
source: vogue.co.uk
Website of Duro Olowu
www.duroolowu.com
CURRENT reigning New Designer of the Year, Duro Olowu will be showing off his autumn/winter 2006-7 collection in Paris after a whirlwind 12 months that has seen him woo the fashion world and take the esteemed title at the British Fashion Awards in November. Trained as a lawyer, the British designer, whose father is Nigerian and mother Jamaican, launched his label only 12 months before taking to the stage to collect his award from Laura Bailey. And already he has the reputation for being the type of man who makes you want to wear his designs before you've even seen them. "I think fashion should be joyful – it shouldn't dictate to women but it should invite them into the fantasy of the designer who is making them," he says. Then you see the clothes, and it really is love. First discovered by Vogue's Sally Singer and Julie Gilhart, of Barneys, Olowu is known for stunning fluid dresses, made from vintage fabrics that he finds all over the world as well as new prints that he's been designing himself, and incredibly desirable one-off, vintage-inspired accessories. "I like to make clothes for women to feel good about themselves," he goes on. "And that they don't feel they'll see everywhere." With a less-is-more philosophy and an admiration for Alber Elbaz ("because it's evident from his designs that he likes women"), Olowu, who formerly designed clothes for the boutique on Ledbury Road that he owned with his ex-wife, hopes one day to show on the catwalk - but for now is determinedly staying true to his design philosophy. "Good tailoring is very important to me," he says. "It is the basis of even the most fluid dress." Call the London boutique on 020 8960 7570 for appointments.
You may have already heard of Duro Olowu - he did win the Designer Of The Year gong at the British Fashion Awards after all. With 2005 being the year of the dress, it's fair to say one dress of the year caused all the commotion and it wasn't Roland Mouret's Galaxy. Olowu's forgiving breezy printed kimono dress has become something of a legend. So the story goes, the dress was spotted in Olowu's Portobello boutique EG 2 by one Sally Singer, Fashion News Director of American Vogue. It was spied on her by the buyers of hip New store York Kirna Zabete who wasted no time in snapping up a quantity of them. As word spread of these divine throw-them-on dresses, pandemonium broke out each time new stock arrived.
Source: Handbag.com
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