Vibrant Ghanaian Patterns & Classic NY style: 'Venus Over Water'

Emerging label Venus Over Watercombines Ghanaian patterns and fabrics with ready-to-wear ultra-feminine pieces.  The prints are pretty unique and stand out really well. We worked with Venus Over Water for our Style Guide"Prints, Patterns... and Prints!"editorial and we can tell you how the result of this first collection is stunning and embellishes a woman's silhouette. Founded by Lucia Eastman and Kayvon Firouzi, Venus Over Water will provide you with what we could call the "cute dress"— when you need the piece to work for you. There's no need to add many layers, Eastman knows how to pick the best prints and make the best of it. Inspired by energetic New York City design and colorful Ghanaian patterns, Eastman delivers beautiful, unpretentious clothes for the one-of-a-kind stylish, active woman. We chatted with Lucia Eastman about her fashion vision and collection.

Poundo: Introduce yourself.

Lucia: My name is Lucia Eastman, and I am a New York based, Liberian-American trained Architect and Fashion designer. Design and how it fits into everyday life means everything to me.

P: What does fashion mean to you?

L: To me, fashion is self-expression. It is art. It allows me to create a garment or an accessory that I love, and in turn, allow someone else to see my work and say “yes, I love that too. This is how I would choose to express myself as well." That feeling of connection is beautiful to me. The ability to share my art, and giving my fans the ability to express themselves through my work: THAT is fashion.

P: What is your signature brand?

L: My newest line is called VenusOverWater. VenusOverWater is a brand of clothing that combines West African themes and aesthetics with modern designs.

P: What was your inspiration for this new collection?

L: Inspiration came from the everyday woman who is looking for chic and effortless comfort.

P: What makes a good look?

L: I make dresses that I think are beautiful: vibrant colors, chic and elegant cuts, and comfort for the everyday woman wanting to add an air of sophistication to her life. When I design dresses, the most important thing to me is staying true to the fabrics, and to my style. A well made, tailored garment punched up with some personal accessories are the first steps to creating a "great look."

P: What do you think are the current and future trends in fashion?

L: Fashion is hard to predict. It is a current of colors, fabrics and cuts, and women and industry experts will decide which ones are the most flattering and complementary to the times. With resources like Kickstarter and Etsy, I think we will see more unique, off the beaten path designs pop up.

P: Today, we have the emergence of many "African fashion" week in many countries. This evolution proves the existence of African fashion, should African designers be present in "regular" fashion weeks, is there any discrimination?

L: I think the distinction might be a bit subtle, but the implications are important. Black Fashion Weeks ought to celebrate Black Fashion, not Black Designers. I think if designers and tradesman like those at Ralph Lauren or Dior want to study, explore, and express their interpretation of Black Fashion, we would have a whole new plethora of designs that allow for sharing art and self-expression which I think is wonderful. Personally, I don’t think there is a “regular” and a “Black” Fashion week. I think there is a general fashion-week for everyone and a specialized fashion week that focuses on a particular design, not the designer per-se.

P: What do you think of "African fashion" and its evolution?

L: African fashion is interesting. No matter how much it evolves, it is still quintessentially and traditionally the same. You see African fashion and you know it belongs to us. And that is a beautiful way to honor our heritage and embrace the future as well.

P: How does it feel to be featured in Pret-A-Poundo?

L: To be mentioned in the same place with the likes of Laduma Ngxokolo, Duro Olowu, and Yumnah Najah is beyond words to me.

P: What are your upcoming projects?

L: My co-founder, Kayvon Firouzi, and I just launched our Venus Over Water's Kickstarter campaign and are very excited and hopeful that we will fully fund our project.

P: Describe VenusOverWater in one word.

L: Vibrant.

P: A word about Okayafrica.Okayafrica is ...

L: The voice of an up-and-coming African art and artist.