Teen Vogue Generation Next Alum Tia Adeola Debuted at New York Fashion Week 2020

Teen Vogue Generation Next alum and a part of our 21 Under 21 Class of 2018, designer Tia Adeola debuted her latest collection the opening night of New York Fashion Week 2020, but she’s not new to the industry. Guests gathered in excitement for what would be Tia’s first collection of clothes to grace a fashion week runway, and she did not disappoint. Formerly known as “Slashed by Tia,” Tia took the opportunity to announce the brand’s name change, now under her moniker “Tia Adeola.”

Inspired by the Renaissance and her Nigerian upbringing, the show’s mood was set by playing Nigerian artist Fela Kuti’s Kalakuta Queens music, paying homage to Tia’s roots. “I’ve always had this ongoing theme of the Renaissance period, rewriting history through fashion and inserting Black women in places they may have been excluded from during that period, like in paintings. [I try] to find innovative ways to modernize trends from then and make it wearable for every girl.” Her signature sheer and graceful organza designs have always been inspired by Tia’s love of history. We saw that inspiration from the second the show opened. Guests were wowed when a vibrant blue sultry dress featuring a deep open neck and deep back, adorned with Tia Adeola’s signature ruffles for a high low finish.

In her Teen Vogue Generation Next interview, Tia told us, “In Nigeria, adults look down on you when you’re wearing something too revealing or sheer pieces of clothing. But honestly, that’s such a backward mentality. For designers like myself and other Nigerian designers, it’s up to us to just keep making what we want to make.” And that’s one aspect of her designs she keeps consistent, sheer sexiness. Her signature organza frilled tops graced the runway, followed by sheer feather-adorned dresses, pants, and jumpsuits.

The collection was a dynamic one that represented the shift of the brand. “Slashed by Tia was a name I playfully came up with when I was in my dorm in 2016 and as I go further into my design career it’s important I stay true to myself and my roots and what better way to do that than to literally put your name on it?” Tia tells Teen Vogue. As she progresses in her career, so do her designs. Not only did her OG signature designs hit the runway, but we saw clothing like colorful tweed sets and a ruffled skirt with printed Renaissance art, but with a Tia Adeola flair.

There was an array of hairstyles from floor-length braided ponytails, Bantu knots, and finger waves; styles that are worn and recognized in the Black culture. The beauty featured barely-there eyebrows, while bright pink and blue eyeshadows stood out to steal the show. The accessories were minimal, as the clothes did the talking, but a few models wore pearl-embellished headpieces that complemented the looks.

Tia says that the preparation process for her first-ever show felt “robotic.” “I would wake up every day very early for about a month, eat something healthy and then just work from the morning until the night around the clock. I just tried to focus as much as possible on the clothes and not get too carried away with everything else,” she says. Putting on a fashion show is hard and a lot of challenges arise, but the end result is all worth it. From our view, her long process of long days and nights was worth it, as her debut show was the perfect representation of who Tia Adeola is.

Teen Vogue is so proud of Tia and her continued growth as a designer. She “feels amazing” after her debut show and appreciates the support “because it takes a village.” We can’t wait to see what she does next!

Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue