Abisola Kola-Daisi arrived at the grand finale of ARISE Fashion Week 2019 in Lagos looking every inch the style star, but it was the way she styled her ruffled BDC custom dress that made the look particularly memorable.
The luxury lifestyle entrepreneur wore a dramatic custom creation featuring a cobweb print across the peplum bustier, giving the traditionally feminine ruffle silhouette a more sculptural and fashion-forward character.
For the Abisola Kola-Daisi ARISE Fashion Week 2019 look,
BDC custom dress ₦250,000–₦500,000+
Aquazzura clear sandals ~$800–$1,000
Charlotte Olympia Fabulous Vanina clutch $1,165 original retail
Jewellery + bracelet ₦100,000–₦300,000+
Studded nail design ₦20,000–₦50,000
Estimated total ₦1.7m–₦2.2m+
The Charlotte Olympia Fabulous Vanina clutch is the easiest piece to substantiate: it was listed at $1,165 at retail.
For comparison, Aquazzura's clear/PVC embellished styles have historically retailed around $825–$995, depending on the exact model; current examples include an estimated $995 retail price for a PVC crystal T-strap and $450 for the Almost Bare embellished sandal.
Jaiyeorie fashion Estimated Look Value: ₦1.7 million–₦2.2 million+
Ruffles can easily push an outfit toward romance. Think garden parties, afternoon teas and deliberately pretty occasion dressing. Abisola's styling took the look somewhere else.
Instead of pairing the dress with an equally expected feminine shoe, she wore clear-strapped Aquazzura sandals. The transparency visually lightened the elaborate dress and stopped the ruffles from becoming overwhelming.
That contrast is what made the outfit work.
The dress was feminine. The styling wasn't predictable.
The BDC dress already had plenty going on: ruffles, a structured peplum bustier and a striking cobweb print.
Adding more obvious embellishment could have made the look feel excessive.
Instead, the clear sandals created visual restraint.
The result was a balance between ornament and minimalism — an elaborate dress grounded by an almost barely-there shoe.
It is a useful styling lesson: when one element of an outfit is doing most of the talking, the accessories do not necessarily need to compete.
Abisola kept the rest of the look within her polished luxury aesthetic, adding statement fashion rings, a bracelet, studded nails and a Charlotte Olympia Fabulous Vanina clutch.
The accessories supplied the “luxury sprinkles” without changing the central story of the dress.
The clutch, jewellery and manicured details also reinforced the idea that the outfit was designed as a complete visual composition rather than simply a dress chosen for an event.
Fashion moments from 2019 can date quickly. Trends change, silhouettes evolve and styling conventions move on.
But this look remains interesting because its strongest idea isn't a particular trend.
It is contrast.
A highly feminine dress is paired with an unexpectedly clean shoe. A dramatic silhouette is balanced with transparency. A playful ruffle is placed against a more sophisticated luxury styling language.
That is what gives the outfit longevity.
Abisola wasn't simply wearing ruffles.
She was showing how an exaggerated feminine detail could be made to feel polished, contemporary and distinctly personal.
Jaiyeorie's style take
The lesson from Abisola Kola-Daisi's ARISE Fashion Week look is simple:
When the clothes are already saying a lot, the best styling decision can be the thing you deliberately leave understated.
The ruffles created the drama.
The clear Aquazzura sandals created the tension.
And that tension is what made the look memorable.
