At the age of 31, Christabell Ifietekhai may have only graduated from the Aisy Fashion Academy, one of the topmost fashions and accessories teaching and re-training schools in this part of the world, but the always smiling designer and creator is on the right path of etching a golden name for herself in the challenging world of fashion. Focusing on and promoting Nigerian family values where marital bliss is celebrated as the foundation and the bedrock of the society, the class of 2023 graduate champions for her final project an exceptional and unique bridal dress that is sure to glow-up the bride and make the wedding event an everlasting memory.
The graduate collection entitled ‘The Bliss,’ presents a silky exceptional look, combining flamboyant design and traditional Nigerian modesty with no-skin-out to bare. The collection pays incredible homage to some of the powerful beliefs and inspirations that Christabell holds sacred – Nigerian family values and modesty pursued by many Nigerians from all walks of life which has seen the country and its people been described as one of the happiest in the world. The Bliss collection features a satin-draped, long flowy dress stylishly sliced to reveal a neckline tilted toward the right shoulder with a carefully designed top-folds that give the top body a unique and stylish figure. The simple but well-crafted long arms of the dress and the flowy extras which is intricately attached from the bottom-down is an eccentric attention grabber either willingly or otherwise.
Christabell’s early inspiration and design concepts began from her home, looking through the family album of her parents wedding where her mother adorned a stunning snow-white wedding dress. The smile on the face of Christabell’s mother in that blissful wedding dress is still very much radiant several years after, and this is one of the greatest inspirations for the Bliss graduate collection design. The glam of the wedding dress is very much sacrosanct in Nigerian ceremonies where the bride is the cynosure of all eyes with wild celebrations. The joys, frills, fun and the road to lifetime marital partnership is the dream of millions of young girls across Nigeria and The Bliss graduate collection fulfils such dream for brides to be at their stunning best in their most memorable moment.
Interestingly, the unique, yet simple design of the Bliss graduate collection received exceptional enquiries for a graduate collection as described by the Aisy Fashion Academy platform. In a matter of few weeks of the collection release, thousands of enquiries came in with several indications of admirers commenting and commending the design for its bold celebration of contemporary modernity and Nigeria’s traditional modesty in which the bride is the best kept secret even in glamorous outfit for which the Bliss collection is likened.
The wedding industry is a multi-billion-dollar industry in Nigeria with wanton resources invested. For almost every bride, the wedding dress irrespective of the resources invested is only worn once in their lifetime, only during the celebrations. Christabell’s Bliss graduate collection realistically envisions this normal practice and have creatively made the dress a multi-purpose outfit that is suitable for beyond the wedding day. When the extras stylishly fitted from the bottom-down of the dress is pulled off, the Bliss collection can easily be worn for dinner dates, corporate evening functions and other numerous ceremonies. This multi-purpose creative thinking and exceptional design by Christabell justifies the recurring discussions by many – why in this part of the world do people invest so much on the wedding dress, only to be worn just once?
With a predominant use of satin material, an historic and popular fabric choice for fashion renowned for its luxurious sheen and smooth texture, the Bliss graduate collection aligns with today’s and the future world of sustainability and eco-friendliness where the well-being consideration of the environment is extremely important. Sustainability and preservation of nature and the environment is a major influence on the design concepts and ideas in which Christabell holds dearly.
The Bliss collection is an amazing and exceptional design piece that showcases the creative prowess of Christabell who promises to be a name to reckon with soonest in the complex world of fashion.
