Tia Adeola is a masterclass in opulence

I predicted that Tia Adeola’s runway show was going to be opulent, and that’s exactly what we got. This eponymous brand has been steadily growing in popularity for its elegant yet highly wearable pieces, and Tia Adeola’s spring 2023 RTW collection is everything her supporters could’ve dreamed of.

Adeola dedicated this collection to the legendary fashion designer Manfred Thierry Mugler, who passed away earlier this year. The show opened up with a solo dance performance and a voiceover of Nina Simone. Simone’s voiceover concluded with the quote, “To me, we are the most beautiful creatures in the whole world, Black people, and I mean that in every sense.”

Tia Adeola blessed our eyes with sensual knits and gorgeous headpieces. Adeola loves to incorporate ruffles and feathers into her designs, and these elements are beautifully featured in this collection. I truly appreciate how Adeola did not overly rely on sheer fabrics to make her designs stand out. She romanticizes the human figure through sheer fabrics, yes, but she keeps each sheer look visually distinctive by never being creatively lazy. Some of my favorite sheer moments from this runway are accented with thin straggly, almost vein-like threading.

Adeola harkens back to her designer-defining “Black Jesus” motif with some models wearing rosaries and one look in the black, Black Jesus hoodie.