In A Nutshell

This article is about an upcoming designer who was part of what I will call the most revitalizing runway I have seen in years. Her clothes where simply breathtaking with a concentration with an eye for detail. Ugonna Ibe-Ejiogu, Founder of Cinnamon & Pearl is the new Alexander Wang.

The Perfect Silhouette.....

The Perfect Silhouette.....

A Weekend In Fashion

            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

Faith Monago, Photo By Uchenna Amajor

Faith Monago, Photo By Uchenna Amajor

Faith Monago, Photo By Uchenna Amajor

A Weekend In Fashion

           This was the week in fashion, or should I say, the weekend in fashion. As models strutted various designers clothes down this eloquent white polished and classy visionary of a runway held at Atlantic Station on April 22^, 2014.

            I could not help but notice the dazzling collection of Cinnamon & Pearl in which the tailoring was too perfection, the hair and make up was exquisite and the models alone were breathtaking. The head honcho of this line is none other that the radiant Ugonna Ibe-Ejiogu. I had the privilege of interviewing her to know exactly where her passion and gift for such comes from.

            Cinnamon & Pearl came to life in 2011 while Ugonna was attending Harvard University. It 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.

Ugonna’s favorite quote to describe a CP woman is “Half Cinnamon, Half Pearl and a whole lot of Woman.”