Scissors. Needles. Chalks. These may be mere objects to some. But to a fashion designer, these are vital instruments of creation. In the hands of an artist, these tools transform from lifeless kits into the architects of style that carefully shape fabrics into masterpieces. A single snip of a designer’s scissors can breathe life into a cloth. A swift glide of their blade can refine the details of the design vision, and a delicate stroke of chalk can sketch the future of fashion. At the same time, others see ordinary materials and a fashion designer sees possibility, precision, creativity, and the poetry of design unfolding with each cut, every line, and all stitches.

This is the true essence of a fashion designer, the characteristics that every fashion brand is expected to embody, and one which they are judged to separate the wheat from the chaff. And this brings us to this moment – deciphering fashion design brands that are ‘wheat’ and giving them the accolades that they deserve. The standards are high, and so are the metrics by which they are gauged. With each fashion house doing its best to dish out quality designs to its target audiences, Lukabi remains an interesting brand.

This ready-to-wear brand is a great embodiment of effortless femininity and has been creating pieces with flattering designs that are tailored for women of all body types. Under the leadership of Lukman Ayorinde, the snazzy cuts and dexterity in the brand’s approach to design are appealing, one that undoubtedly instils confidence in their wearers.

In Lukabi’s 2024 collection, The Immaculate Trio: Colour, cuts and curves, the first attire is an excellently crafted two-piece attire. The colour, a combination of brick-red and black fabric not only gives the outfit a perfect blend but also exudes power and wealth. It is a known fact that one of the core things that people look out for in choosing their outfits is how it makes them feel and how it portrays them. Also, every woman wants to be perceived as classy, elegant and sophisticated, which is exactly the language that this garment speaks.

This two-piece features a beautiful canoe-necked crop top with short sleeves paired with floor-length palazzo trousers. Its front view appears simple yet elegantly crafted. The crop top is styled with a canoe neck design, which perfectly complements the slightly puffed sleeves that sit pretty on the shoulders of the wearer. It had been neatly pleated and meticulously stitched to the main body of the top and hemmed to the arms of the wearer with elastics at the base to form the ideal bell shape.

The front view further incorporates darts on both sides beneath the chest and towards the underarm of the wearer. This ensures that a cup shape is formed to accentuate the upper features and femininity of the wearer. Not only does this trick make the top look firm and smart, but it also reflects Lukabi’s artistic abilities.

With the stylish back view of this top, one can tell that this design was creatively envisioned before being brought to life with ultimate professionalism and attention to detail. The interesting cuts and shapes create a sense of style in this attire, making it fun to wear and exceptional amongst other outfits with similar ideas.

From the front view, the canoe neck runs down to a half-opened back that is held together by a rectangular piece of brick-red crepe fabric. At the base, however, a more sophisticated closure is introduced in the form of a belt that is knotted in a bow shape. These two innovative designs infused at the back of this attire replaced the traditional zippers or buttons that customers are overly used to. It also doubles as a stylish feature, revealing a large portion of the wearer’s back.

Although this might displease modest dressers, it is a key factor that designers use to highlight the femininity of women further. However, more attention needs to be paid to the finishing touches. As lovely as this attire is, its finishing is not neat enough. Especially on the back view of the top, you could see threads hanging out, and the joining is barely aligned. It could be the posture of the model, but it seems crooked, and this is a stitching error that Lukabi needs to look into.

The high-waist trouser is made with highly sustainable cotton fabric with some elastane components. This choice of fabric shows how ethical Lukabi is in sourcing materials that are safe for customers to wear, durable, and eco-friendly to the general environment. The trendy floor-length palazzo trouser perfectly blends with the creatively curated crop top, revealing just how good the brand is at harnessing innovation with trends to create a ripple effect of trend-setting designs.

The back view of the top might be the highlight of this two-piece attire, but the pieces of pleated brick-red crepe fabric that are stitched to the two sides of the trousers evoke style, putting a perfect finishing touch on the piece. It makes the attire blend even better and further makes it look more captivating to the general masses. The free style of the trousers allows for the movement of the wearer and makes them perfect for any occasion.

Throw a pair of shades and covered heels on this gorgeous attire, and best believe that you will make a grand entry.

Another outfit, nicknamed The Pink Arthropod by fashion lovers is an elegantly curated pink long dress. This name is coined by the interesting segments created with a series of pleated satin fabrics wrapped around the wearer from the waist area to the knee level. The satin choice of fabric, coupled with the horizontal pleats, can be likened to the shiny segmented body of a millipede or a centipede.

It also features ropes that control the compactness of the pleats to the owner’s desire. Frankly, this feature is excessive and makes the dress look unnecessarily baggy, but its functionality in the design is apparent. Perhaps the ropes might have been made shorter or tied better rather than left hanging and draping, making the design look funny in some way. Also, the floor-length design can be inconvenient for wearers. It’s elegant, but the ropes are unnecessary.

Meanwhile, the runway-worthy garment has an armless style that makes it even more interesting. The shoulder area features another set of pleated satin fabric. This design seems to have a lot of pleats going on, and it somehow waters down the overall appeal of the dress. Not so? Like gigantic hands grabbing each shoulder from top to waist level, the fabric embraces the shoulders down to the upper waist areas at both the front and back views. This leaves the vertical centre part of the dress bare, slightly flashing the skin of the wearer and for comfort’s sake. The back view features a short zipper at the lower half of the dress from the waist area for ease of removal.

Beyond passion, the brand has shown sound skills in catering to the everyday woman, ensuring that every piece empowers her to look and feel her best, irrespective of size or body type. If Lukabi continues to evolve and improve on its flaws, it could be a force to reckon with in the fashion and design industry