Nigerian-born Ngozi Ochonogor markets her striking designs in
London and Japan. She will show her new collection on Thursday evening
at 6:30 as part of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Africa.
How did you wind up working in Japan? I started
selling clothes at the Portobello Market in London with my first brand
GOZI, while still at fashion school. A Japanese stylist took a liking
to my work – she organized shoots for magazines using my clothes and I
got a few clients in Japan. Soon after that an Italian designer who
loved my work, asked me to join him in an exhibition during London
Fashion Week. I was selling well at the market,and in a couple of
boutiques in London and Paris. It was a whirlwind journey filled with
brilliant moments but which required hard work. Eventually, I moved to
Japan and started U.Mi-1. Oddly, it felt easier, even though I was miles
away from home and couldn’t speak the language.
What is the fashion scene like in London and Japan? Vibrant. Londoners set the fashion pace round the world. They are the innovators, so the look is always raw. The Japanese add a spin on everything and perfect the look. The Japanese are very stylish but I find sometimes that there is a lack of individuality. The ones who stand out are very quirky.
Tell me about your latest collection.The latest U.Mi-1 collection is all about shirts, so we use predominantly cottons. We use light wools as well for trousers. The collection is based on Mondrian and Nicholson in Parallel. I bought a postcard from this exhibition at the Courtauld gallery in London, which struck a chord. I am a fan of the cubism movement. Both artists were initially influenced by cubism but their work evolved beyond it. U.Mi-1 is on the same path. As the brand has progressed, we have embraced simpler forms but smaintained our strengths. We have retained our signature use of contrasting colours. The shirts come in various shades of blue, and then you get a splash of red, orange and white, which really makes the blue pop.
After our last collection, we have been experimenting more with
patterned fabrics, so this collection includes dotted fabrics and
African prints. We used tape on some of the shirts to create softer
lines. The tape runs along the body contours creating the illusion of a
slimmer silhouette on the wearer. I feel we have managed to get the
right balance of art and commercial fashion.
What is the fashion scene like in London and Japan? Vibrant. Londoners set the fashion pace round the world. They are the innovators, so the look is always raw. The Japanese add a spin on everything and perfect the look. The Japanese are very stylish but I find sometimes that there is a lack of individuality. The ones who stand out are very quirky.
A previous U.mi-1 collection
Tell me about your latest collection.The latest U.Mi-1 collection is all about shirts, so we use predominantly cottons. We use light wools as well for trousers. The collection is based on Mondrian and Nicholson in Parallel. I bought a postcard from this exhibition at the Courtauld gallery in London, which struck a chord. I am a fan of the cubism movement. Both artists were initially influenced by cubism but their work evolved beyond it. U.Mi-1 is on the same path. As the brand has progressed, we have embraced simpler forms but smaintained our strengths. We have retained our signature use of contrasting colours. The shirts come in various shades of blue, and then you get a splash of red, orange and white, which really makes the blue pop.
A previous U.mi-1 collection
Women's clothing from U.mi-1
Culled: timeslive.co.za
NIGERIA FASHION LEBEL GOZI TO SHOWCASE U.mi-1 COLLECTION AT MERCEDES BENZ FASHION WEEK AFRICA
![NIGERIA FASHION LEBEL GOZI TO SHOWCASE U.mi-1 COLLECTION AT MERCEDES BENZ FASHION WEEK AFRICA]()
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