Nkeiruka-Fruche SS16 Collection
or Spring/Summer 2016, Nigerian fashion brand Fruche is inspired by the human pursuit of happiness. The collection is named after the creative director’s mother, Lilian Nkeiruka Aghuno. In Igbo culture and socialisation, we pray for life, children, good harvest and most important happiness. The name ‘Nkeiruka’ is an Igbo name that means ‘what is to come is greater’ which reminds us of what rainbow signifies. It was important for the brand to incorporate the colours of the rainbow in the colour palette of this collection as they exude happiness.
We all aspire to be happy. According to the great philosopher Aristotle, “Happiness depends on ourselves.” More than anybody else, Aristotle enshrines happiness as a central purpose of human life itself. As a result, he devotes more space to the topic of happiness than any thinker prior to the modern era. For Aristotle, happiness is a final end or goal that encompasses the totality of ones’ life. He was convinced that a genuinely happy life required the fulfillment of a broad range of conditions, including physical as well as mental well-being. it is more like the ultimate value of your life as lived up to this moment, measuring how well you have lived up to your full potential as a human being.
The designer draws inspiration for naming this collection from a line in the 1960 film- psycho. “A boy’s best friend is his mother”, spoken by Anthony Perkins playing the character of a shy but homicidal schizophrenic, Norman Bates. A woman named Marion Crane played by Janet Leigh stops running from the law for a night at a quaint little motel- The Bates Motel. She sits down for a bite to eat with the gentle innkeeper, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). He’s a good boy, managing the motel of his mother. Sure, Mother seems a bit overbearing (Marion heard her screaming earlier), but Norman Loves her. When Marion asks Norman if he ever goes out with friends, he says, “A boy’s best friend is his mother”.
“My mother was a fashion designer back in the day and I have watched her all my life. I would sneak pieces of fabric from her work area into my room and create things that nobody could really even wear and put them on my sister, Nkem. After a while, she saw me doing this and randomly started giving me her ankara head-ties to make whatever it was I wanted to create. My mother is one of my biggest sources of inspiration and happiness. She helped a lot with me juggling, creating this collection for Lagos Fashion and Design Week and my final exams. Lagos fashion and design week has done a lot for the brand and for myself through the fashion focus programme as well as fayrouz and I’m forever grateful. My journey has just begun, I have a whole lot more to learn, I see growth and that, of course, makes me very happy.” - Frank
Our SS16 collection is also 70s inspired, as the early 70s were referred to as the hippie days. A hippie is one who embraces life to the fullest, promotes peace, love and happiness, but as well sticks up for what they believe in. There’s a hippie-chic vibe with flared pants and sleeves, running shorts and tanks, culottes and short skirt. We have incorporated our signature thigh-high slit once again, swarovski crystal applique, stucture, sashes that mimic an ikpele and shapes. There’s also a strong androgynous vibe with the collars and sleek pants for womenswear and organza jacquard shirts and high-waist pants for menswear. We used crepe chiffon, crepe Georgette, duchess, mesh, wool and cotton fabrics in colours of red, orange, blue, green, wine, purple, pink, champagne, grey, and black.
Once again, we collaborated with the creative director’s twin Fred Aghuno on the set design for this lookbook. The background basically mirrors the collection in the sense that it’s about reflection and finding happiness in making old things new again.