By Josephine Awosode
Through expertly crafted suits, Jojane Atelier’s Power and Style Collection offers women a confident, powerful and professional image.
The collection features a diverse range of fabrics, including luxurious wool blends, silky cotton, and velvety soft tweed in a predominantly neutral colour palette, with pops of bold navy and emerald-green.
Launched in 2024, just a few weeks before the International Women’s Day celebration, the Power and Style Collection is well timed as a perfect gift for women.
The suits and skirts in the collection showcase exceptional craftsmanship. The peak lapel on the suit is crisp and smooth. The front pockets at the lower sides of the suits, the single-breasted/single button that further accentuates the garment construction, show how much effort was put into ensuring that they not only project the designer’s intended mission, but also the wearer’s comfort.
The peak lapel design pays homage to the 1980s power suit era, echoing Giorgio Armani’s iconic styles. Technically speaking, the single-breasted button and expertly crafted shoulder pads demonstrate exceptional tailoring skills.
Offering two skirt lengths adds versatility to the collection. There is the below-the-knee length and above-the-knee length for wearers to make their choice. There could have been trousers made from the same fabric but their absence is good, as it makes the suit versatile. But then, it can be worn as a suit blazer, a full suit with pants of similar colour with or without shirt, or even as part of an ensemble for another style entirely. The style ideas are limitless.
The Power and Style Collection aligns with the legacy of empowering women through fashion, as seen in Christian Dior’s ‘New Look’ and contemporary brands like Alexander Wang. Its emphasis on femininity and professionalism also aligns with the growing trend of female empowerment in fashion, as seen in recent collections from designers like Stella McCartney and Rei Kawakubo.
The collection’s launch coincided with International Women’s Day, making it a timely celebration of women’s empowerment. So, it’s no wonder that the suits on display at the unveiling sold out, while a few more had to be pre-ordered for the next batch.
Despite the collection’s strengths, there are some visible areas for improvement. The absence of other types of lapel for women who may prefer them is a little too limiting, as anyone who needs a style switch-up may not be able to effectively do so such that it will still be different and classy. To address this, future collections could incorporate additional styles such as shawl or notch lapels, to cater to diverse tastes and preferences. Alternatively, one may consider pairing the existing peak lapel suits with statement accessories like bold brooches or patterned scarves, to create a unique styling twist.
The absence of a pant suit is also of mixed feelings, because the fabric colour makes pant choices a bit limiting, and thus wearers are limited to grey, black or even other warm hues.
Also, the absence of a vent at the back of the suit might be a problem for the wearer, as there is less circulation of air, which means the wearer may need to unbutton the suit more often, for proper ventilation.