This Designer Relaunched Her Brand With a Shape-Shifting, Chic Philosophy

The collection has echoes of the original capsule wardrobe, created by Elsa Schiaparelli in 1946, at a time when women began to enter the workforce and leave the home more. The collection consisted of exact pieces that women would need on the go. In Ochuba’s case, all her offerings, from a slick black leather pump with cutouts to a hulking cream fur scarf, fit into her suitcase.

Ochuba realized she had made the perfect travel edit after she forgot to bring her own clothes on a trip to Paris and was left with only her collection. Luckily, she had a piece for every occasion. “I was so focused on the collection that I didn’t pack anything myself,” says Ochuba. “There were five pairs of shoes and outfits for every occasion—for a night out, for a business brunch, for cocktails. It fits into a medium-size suitcase that fits into the 20-kilo airline limit. It worked out in that way.”

Though there is the influence of Tbilisi’s all-black wardrobe, Ifeoma’s look book is relatively placeless, with no overt influence of any city. Instead it reflects the professional nomadic-woman lifestyle that Ochuba has adopted over the years. Each piece is utilitarian and personal and doesn’t evoke a specific city or country.