Strutting the runway is a model clothed in a number from Lanre Da Silva’s (LDA) latest ‘Butterflies’ collection at the last Lagos Fashion and Design Week which took place at the Eko Hotel & Suite on Saturday.

The LDA Spring/Summer collection takes inspiration from butterflies, an ideology, Lanre Da Silva Ajayi, owner of the eponymous label have adopted for the last two seasons. For this collection, LDA has specially designed Butterfly prints in various textures of silk fabrics.

The choice of Butterflies for the designer symbolises many things from the hope of resurrection, to the reminder of how ephemeral life is. This is also a main inspiration for the collection. Each piece in this “Butterflies” collection is best viewed as a symbol of beauty, femininity, and the ability to be ever changing.

“I love Butterflies,” LDA says of her love for Butterflies, “I always have. Whenever I see one, I always have to stop what I’m doing to admire it. These fragile, colourful insects are a symbol of grace, beauty and elegance. I believe that if a butterfly lands on your shoulder, it’s considered a sign of good luck.”

With the collection, LDA has creatively combined pattern, print, exquisite and even traditional fabrics to produce day wear, evening wear, gowns and cocktail dresses that bridge time and make the label successful within and outside Nigeria.

Other LDA’s signature fabrics such as Lace, Velvet, Sequin and Silk were used to compliment these Butterfly prints. Also, this collection again goes to affirm that the brand’s pieces translate internationally as each piece is wearable across Africa, Europe and America with the collection coming in beautiful summer dresses, chic separates of skirts and blouses and more glamorous and heavily hand embellished evening pieces. Either way a woman decides to wear these pieces; day or night, it works stunningly well.

‘Butterflies’simply explain the concept of the LDA woman who is the personification of sophistication, femininity, brilliance and boldness, which are the inspiration for each of her collections. “Couture, colour and boldness with an edgy twist are the signature of my designs,” LDA adds.

FUNKE OSAE-BROWN