FEBEN’S SS22 collection named X-Pression is described by the brand as a ‘contemplation of the hectic, emotional landscapes we’ve all wandered’ during the past year and a half in the pandemic.
According to that description, the imagery that one would conjure in their mind would most likely be of garments in sombre hues and shapeless silhouettes. The collection designed by Feben Vemmenby depicts an alternative narrative.
A bright colour palette bursting with hot pink, chartreuse, neon teal and mustard permeates the collection. The garments are begging to be worn on a night out with their vibrant fabrics and body-baring silhouettes.
One stand-out look from the presentation is the hot pink, subtly shirred jacket and mini skirt set complete with a satin collar.
Handbags hand-beaded by artisans in Ghana boasting the brand’s name and initials acted as a delightfully personal detail.
The brand debuted its first-ever menswear designs. They included mustard, baggy trousers created by fusing strips of jersey. The texture echoes the effect of hair strips found in extension packs in the designer’s local African beauty supply store – her favoured excursion during the lockdown.
Feben’s collection is celebratory, and the sentiment is universal – there is “common ground to be found in living through a time when everything shuddered to a halt”.
And while the majority spent those months rewatching the same Netflix series, Feben dreamt up an optimistic and oh, so timely SS22 collection.
by Jamison Kent
All images courtesy of Feben