I am fragile

Onalaja SS18

I am Fragile

Gathering the array of broken, disjointed, distorted pieces in an effort to lace and sew back up the vivid memory of what was once whole. In the whirlwind of life, we are tossed through heartache and pain that stretches us to the limit of faith, in the reality of real love. A new love presents its self in the form of an aid, promising a renewed state of wholeness. This love manifests and breeds confidence and vigor; we are floating in a cloud of expectation and cupidity.

And then it happens.

Things come crashing down and we realize that there is nothing or nobody that can change or mend us. Pain and hurt are our only companions.

Do our hearts learn to love after being broken? How can we feel when we’re frozen by all our wounds and scars?

And in that moment of desolation we begin to see glimpses of our true selves. Broken. Fragile. Delicate. In learning to love our flaws, hope glistens through our lives like rays of sunshine.

This seasons concept of fragility, Onalaja stays true to its ethos through the continual practice and preservation of hand craftsmanship. Modern techniques and materials are juxtaposed with the traditional weaving craft of Aso-oke (from the indigenous Yoruba Tribe) and traditional hand embroidery techniques.

The bleeding heart prints, florals with contrast optical illusions signify the intense shift between love found and love lost sentiments, visually bold they are in fact reminiscent to the distinctive African stroke. The fusion between culture and fabric is crucial to transforming the Onalaja Woman into a living art form.