The results are unique clothing pieces, each with its own bold yet timeless feminine flair suited for today’s woman to wear at a variety of occasions.
The website, jessiquedesigns.com, is easy to navigate and showcases clearly and concisely the available clothing designs. Click each icon for a closer look with high-resolution photos that show the dresses and other apparel, or choose Product Details for a description and the essentials such as price, cleaning recommendations, available sizes and a link for questions regarding each product.
The clothes are all fashioned by owner and designer Janet Opoku who ensures that all of the clothes are made of locally purchased 100 % African print cotton made with java and real wax. Her influences for the designs don’t only span over continents, but over fashion eras as well, yielding the perfect blend of the cool Western chic epitomized by the 50s and 60s and the warm, vibrant hues of the African kente prints.
“Jessique’s designs are influenced by my admiration for Western elegance of the 1950s and 1960s and also my love of flamboyant African prints,” says Opoku. “I am particularly fond of the kente cloth, the kente cloth is a classic design, rich vibrant and globally recognizable.”
Even though today’s fashionable women always seem to be searching for something new, Opoku hints that with each new trend, women are in pursuit of the same basic qualities in their clothes: beauty, elegance, and personal expression. And that, Opoku states, is just what Jessique offers its customers.
“I believe today’s fashion conscious women are looking for individuality and elegance in their attire” tells Opoku. “Jessique offers clear cut pieces that are feminine, flattering, and also versatile. Jessique is for the modern day working woman with a defined sense of personal style.”
As it turns out, the appeal of these simple qualities embodied by Jessique’s clothes are also met with growing appeal of the vibrancy of African prints. This represents a trend of growing demand that Opoku’s observed for international fabrics—a new twist on the West’s age-old thirst for exotic inspirations.
“Recently, there has been an interest in African print designs, which has become increasingly popular,” says Opoku. “Within the last year we’ve seen the use of exotic fabric in the international fashion community vastly increase. I’m hopeful that this current trend will maintain trajectory.”
The future of this trend and of the emergence of a more permanent space for African fashion in the Western spotlight is dependent on world’s old and new African-inspired designers’ choices regarding targeted consumers.
“This will largely depend on the already established, and the emerging African-inspired designers to aim for mainstream fashion, making our products more accessible and affordable to the fashion buying public,” says a hopeful Opuku.
Here are a few of the sites most popular designs with descriptions from the site:
Tilly - This dress has a flattering wide collar, three quarter length sleeves and impeccable details, with 2 side pockets and a zip at the back. This vibrant dress needs no accessory, a simple shortcut to effortless chic. Cotton fabric, fully lined. Day to evening wear.
Candice - This summery tea dress is a perfect addition to any woman's wardrobe, featuring a side pockets and flattering cap sleeves, comfort and gentle pleating adds shape to the skirt. With a zip at the back. 100% Cotton. Fully lined. A perfect day to evening look.
Kente Wrap Dress - This sleeveless wrap dress in vibrant kente print is versatile, easy to wear. Feminine and timeless piece, simply gorgeous! 100% cotton. Perfect for any party or evening wear.
