WWD - Studio 189 RTW Spring 2019

“We are all from the same place,” said designer Abrima Erwiah while previewing her energetic spring collection. “When you buy one of our pieces you immediately activate the supply chain all the way back to the first people, which is the farmers.”

The brand, a collective work between Erwiah and actress Rosario Dawson, has cause to celebrate, having just won the CFDA + Lexus Fashion Initiative for sustainability. The two aim to build a “fairer fashion,” with a brand that brings attention to artisans, women’s empowerment and poverty in West Africa. Sourcing the textiles, an arduous process that involves New York and Ghana, West Africa, takes about six months.

The result was a lineup of vividly colored and patterned frocks for men and women that felt vibrant and energized. The clean silhouettes at times boarded on androgynous with kimono tops, caftans and generous suiting that had movement when they came down the runway.