Today I want to talk about Ituen Basi. She is a Nigerian designer who I have followed, and watched grow, and admired for three years. Last night at the African Fashion Awards, she won Designer of the Year (Africa) for her collection that she showed at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Africa this past week. And I think that she was incredibly deserving.

First of all the intelligence of a designer who not only acknowledges their own evolution in each successive collection — but literally builds on it — is rare and special. Ituen took her traditional printed beads and fringing from her first collection and used it as the base of the print work for her third. How could she evolve from using traditional prints for modern silhouettes? Why, she simply appropriated them in her own form and translated them into reworked prints. Post modern prints if you will. Brilliant.

Then she didn't lose sight of her strong trend angle. Ituen doesn't forget that this is fashion. With a fresh approach to the fabrics, she then tackles the silhouettes, keeping them modern and very 'now' and therefore desirable to a fashion audience.

And finally, she makes her pieces stand out. I wore my 2009 Ituen Basi beads to the Awards last night. I lost count of the number of people who graciously complimented them. I, of course, told them every time that they were by Ituen Basi. And of course every time I felt great. That's what she does for a girl. Smart, stylish and standout. Congratulations to Ituen Basi on her well deserved award.
All photos courtesy of SDRPhoto