Fashion: Uju's Meena links Nigeria-Cameroon roots

Nigeria's fashion designer, Uju Offiah launched her 2016 spring/summer collections under the label Meena. She has simply called the custom-made prints ‘Ochiagha’, their first venture into custom-made prints.

“The symbols were arranged in clusters to tell a story of victory, resilience, love and hate, peace and unity of a Nigerian,” Offiah says. “Details are influenced by strips (ropes) to create a bound effect of unity and peace amidst the challenges and insurgencies (in the Northern part of Nigeria) we are faced with as a nation. Further details are flap layerings of shapes - trapeziums, triangles and rhombus. Hand embroidered Nsibidi symbols also run through the collection. Architectonic undertones which is our core is visible in origami details and sophisticated cuts.”