Over in Paris, Kenneth Ize presented his Spring 2022 collection titled ‘It’s A New Dawn’. After making his runway debut in Paris last year and having Naomi Campbell close the show, then collaborating with Karl Lagerfield to create the brand’s first capsule collection since the passing of the designer, Ize’s next collection was highly anticipated by the industry. He is atop the list of Nigerian designers injecting their culture into the global fashion conversation.
With this collection and Ize’s overall presence, he wants to change the narrative of Africa being a third world country – hence the name of the collection. He designs with a vibrant palette, which embeds a joyful energy into his garments. The brand manufactures out of their factory in Lagos, where most of Ize’s fabrics are woven, and finishings are done in Italy. His contemporary approach blends the roots of Lagos with a refreshed perspective on traditional silhouettes.
In addition, stripes are always present on a Kenneth Ize runway and have become one of his signatures. We can definitely identify an Ize stripe when I see one. The pattern combinations may seem unusual because they are, but part of Ize’s talent is blending them seamlessly and showing things that are assumed to not work together, actually can.
The relaxed suits and vibrant tones offer a fun and not-so-serious perspective to tailoring — the Ize clique is authentically cool and never trying too hard. Fringe is also a core element of this collection, adding a bit of pleasant movement to each piece. That’s not it, however. Kenneth also presented his first bridal dress, which was embellished with gold emblems that may point back to Lagos, and designed in an easy silhouette to make it the perfect, laid-back dress for a wedding in the motherland.
Check out the looks ahead.
