Pieces* Expresses Individuality Through Denim

Pieces* c/o Ugo Anyamele

Art Direction by CreaCo

Styled by Ugo Anyamele

Photography by Kemka Ajoku

Pieces* by Ugonna Anyamele is an enticing new fashion house founded in Lagos, Nigeria. Pieces* is an artistic piece of fashion commentary that can take many different forms and denim fabric for Pieces* is the canvas in which the brand chooses to express its creative freedom. Pieces* has a powerful expressionist take on Jeans that separates them from the rest of the market. The high level of craftsmanship is an attractive element that gives you no choice but to be seduced by the unique perspective of the clothing. For Creative Director Ugo, Pieces* is a fashion house, under studio umbrella Creaco, that sells artwork rather than clothing. The highly limited pieces are collectors’ items for their audience.

- New Wave Magazine Issue VII

Pieces* recently executed their first runway/installation at the New Wave Magazine Issue VII launch event in late June. The presentation was an engaging and well curated piece that felt like a grand entrance for the brand and the level of presentation they hope to carry throughout its existence.

The crowd surrounded the four-cornered of the space as they were greeted with music to introduce the show. Four red steel beams supporting the ceiling in the center of the space was the stage for the installation. As the show began, audio of the Kid Cudi song 'Swim In The Light' permeated the space as the audience waited to be presented with the new Piece* garments designed by Ugo and his team. As the models walked around the perimeter of the 'stage' one after the other, they entered the space enclosed by a strand of leaves. The first model walked into the space wearing a black denim jacket stylised with purple dye, donning the Pieces* logo below the collar with neon green asterisks. The model stands in the center of the space, over the spray-painted pieces logo in the middle of the enclosed space. The following models showcased other pieces with similar bright and vibrant tones over a neural denim garment. Clothing for both men and women were exhibited at the show to the eery hums of Kid Cudi and Mike Dean production, a well-considered contrast to the boldness and presence of the clothing on show.

In our recent interview with Ugo for New Wave Magazine Issue VII we discussed many aspects of the brand, especially the garments themselves and the direction Ugo looks to take the brand in with regards to the current denim market, here is an extract from the interview:

Take us through the process of creating a Pieces garment.

All my artwork is based around the fundamental of flow, everything has to flow. So, for most of the patterns, they are “almost” repeat patterns, but they are not repeated from the same pattern. Therefore, you know the fundamental pattern but then it’s slightly different if you go two steps further. That is a big part of how I design. It’s just like when you’re painting, you put the canvas at an angle, so when you put in your paint strokes, the paint then drips [down the canvas]. That is a big part of my design process, also trying to use that art and then putting a brand behind it. The idea of how I brand the art is then calculated after because you want it where people can see that the idea behind Pieces*, the art comes first, and the name comes after.

The denim market seems to rely on trends, how does Pieces* break the mold?

I feel like the denim market is stagnant because of the image Levi’s has built based on their jean trousers. They’ve always been at the forefront of youth controversy and the youth taking power.

Pieces* wants to bring power to the new generation of youths. Denim hasn’t really been in anything our generation has been pushing recently. At a time in America and Europe, young women wearing Levi’s jeans was the image for women empowerment movements. We haven’t had that since so I think denim should come in and be part of that again.

We believe it’s a brilliant thing to inspire and wanting to make t-shirts and denim trousers too.

Because pants mean something, it’s more than just an addition to something else. It’s like a jacket or a long coat, it weights an entire fit.

Read full interview here

As the models take their positions at all 4 corners of the marked area and pose the crowd is able to view the pieces from their designated positions. Shortly after the models leave the stage one after the other with a few seconds of delay between each exit. soon after the last model leaves the space and Ugo comes out to greet the crowd while met with a room full of applause.

The pieces exhibited are daring and are a vibrant commentary on the brand's urge for individuality and separation from the norm. From the embroidery on the garments to the fit of the jeans, Ugo continues to build upon the brand's ideas and experiments with new patterns and finishes. The installation also featured some exclusive 1 of 1 Pieces* Nike Air Force One's to complete the looks

Pieces* is a brand that we believe has a great deal of potential and we are excited to see where they go from here. Pieces* will be releasing their official website very soon but for now, the best way to keep in touch with them and their new releases is via their Instagram page @p_ieces

Check out more photos from the editorial here