By Itunuoluwanimi Shodayo
In the Nigerian fashion world, one name is about to start making waves – Miladé. Created by the young and visionary Temilade Oso, Miladé is more than just a fashion brand; it’s a testament to the fusion of culture, confidence, and style. With the launch of their latest collection, which is their second collection, “Zawadi,” Miladé is set to redefine elegance and empowerment.
Temilade Oso, the creative force behind Miladé, has a background steeped in passion and perseverance. Her sole purpose of creating this brand is to satisfy the human need to stand out in style and class. From humble beginnings as a Lagos-based tailor, Temilade is journeying to the forefront of the fashion industry. Her odyssey is one of self-discovery and finding her place in the fashion world. Temilade started with taking history classes, watching historical movies, and reading books to deepen her knowledge in the essence, ancestry, and culture of the African woman. Temilade has crafted a brand that celebrates individuality and authenticity.
Miladé launched in August 2023 with the first collection called “The 101 collection”. Before the launch, Miladé started out as a young Lagos tailor shuffling her fashion hobby with her education and the need to get her university degree. Practice makes perfect so Temilade started by making dresses for her relatives, friends, for hangouts and for herself. In the first month of the launch of Miladé and the 101 collection, the brand totally sold out two designs. To get to this point, where her second collection has been launched took an entire community – as the Yorubas say, “it takes a village…”.
The genesis of the Zawadi collection stems from a desire to empower the “girl next door” to embrace her feminism and uniqueness with confidence. Zawadi is Miladé’s gift to women.
Through a blend of soft prints, dreamy and bold colours, and traditional Adire fabric, the Zawadi Collection embodies the essence of the modern African woman – bold, graceful, and unapologetically herself. Each piece in the Zawadi collection tells a story of its own. From the flowing Zuri Kimono jacket to the mesmerizing Leila Dress, the Adire halter-neck ruched top and maxi skirt called the Nia set, the super dressy comfortable halter-neck knee length Mira dress and finally, the spicy Kali party at the back dress. Every piece is meticulously crafted to accentuate the beauty and curves of the woman. Unique design elements such as ruffles, puffs, belts, strings, a party at the back and of course a maxi piece add an element of excitement and flair to the collection. With all these elements, Miladé hopes to empower an expression of one’s identity through clothing.
The journey from concept to creation was not without its challenges. The Zawadi collection had been in the works long before the launch of Miladé Brand itself. The vision was to create a collection with go-to dresses for any kind of event, so the task was daunting. Temilade and her team faced the task of sourcing the perfect fabrics and materials to bring their vision to life. To find quality silk, durable Adire and the perfect mesh yarn wasn’t a walk in the park. Temilade and her team had to reach out to sources in Abeokuta, Ogun state to make the Adire pattern on silk from scratch and finding mesh fabric that isn’t see-through was another challenge. They went as far as Aba in Abia state, scouring for the finest mesh fabrics. It was important that each piece met the highest standards of quality and comfort so although the Zawadi collection initially started with 11 designs, after testing for durability, continuity, availability, and comfort, six of the designs were vetted out. Milade also did a pre-launch sale for the Friends of Milade. They gave feedback on each piece which was one of the criteria for choosing the designs that remained in the collection.
At the heart of the Zawadi collection lies a simple yet powerful message – you are your best self when you are comfortable, confident, and happy. With each stitch and seam, Miladé seeks to empower women to embrace their uniqueness and express themselves boldly through fashion. The Zawadi collection was officially launched on the 28th of March via Miladé’s Instagram live and website. For those eager to catch a glimpse of the stunning designs, promotional photos, and a 4-slide lookbook are available on the website.
As the curtains rise on the Zawadi collection, Temilade Oso already has her sights set on the future. Plans for a Beach/Resort collection ’24 and the introduction of men’s wear mark just the beginning of Miladé’s journey towards fashion excellence.
In the world of fashion, where trends come and go, Miladé is about to become a beacon of creativity, empowerment, and style. With the Zawadi collection, Temilade Oso invites women everywhere to embrace their inner beauty and step into the spotlight with confidence.
