Kick those boots and sweaters
to the curb, spring is officially here and it’s time to break out those flowery
whimsical pieces. During a pop up show at Atlantic Station on April 22, 2014.
There were many upcoming designers ready to showcase their own interpretations
of this year’s spring wear. Let’s not forget that the Pantene’s color of the
year is Radiant Orchid.
This pop up show was organized by the Atlanta
International Fashion Week team Spear headed by Paula Whittle who is the CEO of
the company. It is the temporary, blink-and-you-miss-it innovation
of "pop-up" culture.
The popular shopping complex,
Atlantic Station was transformed into a super chic runway for designers to
showcase their designs to the world at no cost. The event was made to be
interactive as well as a taste of many cultures as there were over eight
different countries represented by the designers who participated.
“This pop-up show is an innovative way for us to always keep
our clientele in the loop as well as anticipate or customers of what is yet to
come in our big fashion show during the fall” said Paula Whittle.
My favorite
designer of the night was by far Cinnamon & Pearl.
Half Cinnamon, Half Pearl, Whole Woman
Ugonna
Ibe-Ejiogu is the creative director for the fashion house Cinnamon & Pearl,
born and raised in London, United Kingdom. Ibe-Ejiogu has had the privilege of
touring and studying fashion in the most fashion forward country in the world.
She moved to America for undergrad and masters where she attended Harvard
University.
While at Harvard University, she
pledged the sorority of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. and that is where the
name of her clothing line comes from. All she wanted to do was make black women
feel comfortable in their skin. Her clothing line is for everybody of all
shapes and sizes and it is custom made but also very ready to wear.
Her love for tailoring started as a
young girl but she didn’t really blossom into it until her university days
where she started sewing and taking various classes to perfect her craft. The
motto of her life in regards to her fashion line is “No Days Off”.
The concept of Cinnamon & Pearl
started officially in 2012 but it took a year of preparation and intense
creative sessions before I showcased any garments. CP was created for the both
the ambitious woman who strives for excellence in the workplace and the woman
who wants to boldly stand out at social engagements with the perfect blend of
style and sophistication –These are the women that we want to see wear our
label and feel their best in our clothes. The one thing that’s synonymous to my
designs would be my technique with Ankara. I respect the adoption of Ankara by
African culture and so I wanted to incorporate it, while staying true to the CP
aesthetic. I developed a technique using Ankara and Organza (we coined it
“Akanza”) in which we take a unique and distinct approach to the treatment of
Ankara, which sets Cinnamon & Pearl apart.
“My aesthetic for this spring
collection is a lot of bright colors and bold statement pieces. I just wanted
the woman to accentuate her curves and embrace the weather. My collection is
also multi-faceted” said Ibe-Ejiogu.
Ibe-Ejiogu has dressed a lot of Nigerian celebrities from the
President’s wife to social butterflies like Eku Edewor and Genevieve Nnaji. She
aspires to take a sabbatical next year to the home of textiles in Paris and
work more on her craft.
“The best of Cinnamon & Pearl is yet to come!” said Ibe-Ejiogu
Some Backstage Pictures Of The Night
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| Faith Monago, Photo By Uchenna Amajor |
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| Faith Monago, Photo By Uchenna Amajor |
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| Faith Monago, Photo By Uchenna Amajor |
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