Velvet fabrics have been on trend since God-knows-when and have kept making a comeback often and often. However, it suddenly came to a screeching halt years ago, when some non-fans of the fabric likened it to cushion cover and also destroyed its stylish reputation by referring to the shiny, smooth, thick and yet, soft fabric as akwa oche (Igbo translation reference to a cushion cover cloth).
During that period, if an interested buyer goes to a fabric market and asks for velvet, the fabric seller would look confused but when you say akwa oche, he would burst into a huge grin and roll out bale of different colours of velvet for her to choose from.
Fast forward that periods to now, velvets are making a huge fashion comeback, as they are proving to be the perfect red-carpet look in Hollywood and now, Nigerian celebrities are jumping on the bandwagon.
While stylish male celebrities like Gbenro Ajibade, Banky W, Swanky Jerry and other fashion forward male celebrities are rocking velvet blazers and suits to red carpet events, their stylish female counterparts too like Rita Dominic, Beverly Naya, Chika Ike, Ugonna Omeruo are also melting hearts with cocktail velvet gowns, and sewing fancy styles with different shades of gorgeous coloured velvets.
It is exciting to note that calling velvets akwa oche has fizzled out like a smoke in the wind, and has been replaced with the word ‘va va voom velvets’, thanks to celebrities slaying the look at high profiled events!
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