Designer Spotlight: JZO Fashion ng
I am a practicing pessimist. However, when it comes to the Nigerian menswear industry no one has been as optimistic as me for the past few years. Every time a new design line or collection pops up, I - unlike my usual nature – have nothing but high hopes. “Yes, the pictures look right, designforward pants!”; “yes, the shirts seem nice and weather-appropriate.” My optimism usually dies with my fingers on the screen. When I touch and feel or see the actual product it hardly ever is as good as what was advertised. This is not to generalize, though. There are a few excellent exceptions. JZO Fashion is one of them. It is a young, nascent brand probably still prone to mistakes and wrong turns but for now it is getting it right. For starters, one half of the duo behind the brand is a Pharmacy graduate. There is a certain meticulousness and eye for detail that being of such a field gives you and is certainly very handy when it comes to matters of fashion and design. They are definitely a brand to watch out for and I’ll tell you why…
GettinG it RiGht…
• The clothes are very well-made. There aren’t enough superlatives to describe how well-made they are. This should be the norm but it isn’t so I will always reserve special praise for those doing design right. Hype, fancy photo shoots can only do so much. At the end of the day I want to wear a shirt and not have it rip while I’m doing the Shoki, at a party. • They have cracked product manufacturing secret codes. Most design labels start with a big splash in Lagos, produce in Lagos, finish in Lagos and ultimately expire in Lagos. Costs of production here is extremely high with low yield. JZO Fashion however doesn’t produce in Lagos and is able to turn over a high number of goods. Means you can order something online and get it in a few days to weeks instead of months. • Designs are simple without being simplistic. Everyone can wear a JZO piece. And by everyone I mean everyone. The styles, the fabric are impeccably chosen where the fashion forward man would find something he likes and so would be conservative boring man who only wears neutrals. • The fabric choices are ace! The label is going back to the roots using aso-oke, interesting patterned linens, butter soft cotton.
not GettinG enouGh of…
• The designs. Yes, just right above a gave it a pass mark but when I look at the fashion brand’s entire body of work I don’t see much by way of innovation with the exception of their last bespoke collection which was pretty solid. The ready-to-wear palette stays the same. Although may be a case of if it ain’t broken but if the brand wants to move to underground fashion talent to major design juggernaut from the street, to the boardroom to the runway it would have to be a bit more adventurous. • The designs. Yes again, this time with more specificity. Not all the designs are functional. For instance, there are oddly-placed pockets on tunics which you would never be able to use and while they add a certain character to the piece, if it’s not fucntional, it doesn’t need to be there.