MAISON ÀLU’LLA DEBUTS WITH “MADAMÉ” — A BEAUTIFUL STORY THAT NEVER QUITE UNFOLDS

There’s something almost poetic about a designer choosing to re-debut with a collection called Madamé, a word that, in its subtle dignity, carries both power and restraint. For Maison Àlu’lla (formerly Lullahouse), a newly re-launched Lagos-based label led by Lu Adesola, Madamé was introduced as “a love letter to the woman who becomes herself.” It promised introspection, evolution, and the fluidity of womanhood, a woman who shifts between boldness and softness, confidence and vulnerability, silk and steel.

But when the collection opened Lagos Fashion Week, it seemed the poetry never quite translated to the runway.

The words on paper were lyrical, empowering, intimate, which set high expectations for something stirring, perhaps even transcendent. Yet what followed felt muted. The designs were clean but lacked the edge or innovation that could make the sentiment truly land. The tailoring, intended to symbolize self-assurance, felt overly familiar. The softer silhouettes read more tentative than effortless.

It was, in many ways, a presentation of good intentions. The concept was there, the story was rich, the message necessary, but the execution fell short of its emotional weight. Even as models walked with composure and grace, one could sense a lingering disconnect between message and medium.

For a debut, and notably, the opening act of Lagos Fashion Week, Madamé left the audience asking a question no designer wants to hear: where is the design?

Still, there’s room to root for Maison Àlu’lla. Beneath the underwhelming surface lies a vision worth refining. The foundation is there, the brand’s voice, its understanding of womanhood, its poetic sensibility. Perhaps next time, the story will not just be told in words, but in garments that make you feel every sentence.