As the world evolves, fashion equally evolves. And so the tastes and expectations of consumers. Every fashion consumer longs for brands that will satisfy these cravings. However, what makes a brand distinct isn’t just the products but the story the products tell.
Storytelling has become the heart and liver of modern contemporary fashion luxury; transmogrifying culture, arts beliefs and motifs into fashion statements is the recent. Gradually, Storytelling is reshaping the fashion industry.
Because of the understanding of this dynamic, Mip’s World, fashion brand established by Raphael Oluwatimileyin, Ogungbire launches the ARA collection.
ARA is a Yoruba name for “wonder or wonderful”. Thus, the wears in this collection are not lesser than being wonderful. The ARA collection is not just a conventional look book of dress styles but a collection of male wears that protrudes cultural relevance, a tale of heritage, human diversity, authenticity and more.
As an Afrocentric passionate brand, the Mip’s World through this collection, ARA connects through the emotions of fashion consumers to create dresses that depict charm, identity and a feeling of satisfaction.
Since its establishment as a fashion brand in December 2016, the Mip’s World has been setting the standard of dress production through creativity, simplicity and traditionality. Therefore, for every dress in ARA collection, there is a rich story.
Such is a two-piece kaftan dress named AYANMO – wherein the explanation of the interconnectivity in human destinies is loudly transformed into a masterpiece dress. The AYANMO DRESS projects the belief that no human is created to exist or succeed by his or herself alone. Humans must be connected together through a relationship as no one has a lone destiny. The aesthetic designs (motifs) employed in the production of the dress offer a glamorous look as broken embroidery lines joined with one another exemplify the web of human interconnectivity. The black and white beads carefully and skillfully sewn on the dress are made to represent the male and female human respectively. The whole dress offers a fresh look if luxury and glamour. AYANMO is a reminder that no man created to prosper on his own without a connection to another man.
Another dress in ARA collection is another 2-piece male wears – IKAODOGBA. This dress presents a natural appearance of royalty. It is a storyline about the popular Yoruba aphorism (Ika o d’ogba) translated “fingers are not equal; which is transformed into an artistic fashion piece. Apart from the exquisite looks it offers, it’s also carefully crafted to portray the storyline behind its production. IKAODOGBA is a representation of identity and certainty of superiority from one man to another. The shorter lines sewn vertically along the chest area of the dress depict the average or poor man in life while the longer lines laid with golden chains depict the (super) rich men and their affluence. With this dress, one would readily settle that there is no human being who us not answerable to another superior human being. However, the dress also presents that one can decide his or her niché, whether to belong to the poor or average sect or (super) rich.
The ARA collection is a breath of luxury and distinction from Mip’s World. And beyond these ( luxury and distinction), the ARA collection is also a confirmation of the commitment of the Founder/Lead Content and Creative Director of Mip’s World, Raphael Oluwatimileyin Ogungbire to the promotion of Afrocentric fashion through storytelling.
