In conversation with
Abisola Omole
Abisola Omole – or Abimarvel, as the majority of her community know her – is the Creative Director & CEO of contemporary lifestyle brand arva. We’ve always loved her style, and knew she was the perfect person for us to create a size-inclusive collection with. Working closely together on fit, silhouettes and colour palettes, our UK6-26 collaboration collection has been a true passion project for both RIXO and Abi – take a look at our journey.
“When Henrietta & Orlagh approached me with this opportunity, I was obviously excited but a little apprehensive because I knew that I might be seen as difficult because I was not going to be making concessions on this collection. It had to be size inclusive, it had to be structured in a way that made everyone feel comfortable when wearing it and it had to be fun & genuinely me. I said this in our first meeting and the team were not only in agreement but firmly stood by their words as they listened and incorporated all of my ideas throughout the process.” -Abisola
"The collaboration collection is cool, playful and chic"
“Working with Abi has been such a pleasure, and we have learnt so much about what it means to be size inclusive. Especially the importance of considered design details over blanket grading. The cleancut but vibrant colour-blocking feels like the perfect combination of Abi’s aesthetic and RIXO’s design DNA.” -Orlagh
GET TO KNOW @ABIMARVEL
Over the past 12 years Abi has launched numerous successful companies, written for publications including Harper’s Bazaar & Grazia, and consulted for a number of world renowned brands on creative direction, product development and global marketing activations.
Her daily focus is now her own brand; arva, Abisola says “Through experiences, products, content & more, here at arva we plan on paving the way to a more enjoyable life, our product line is constantly evolving and currently includes our Soft Drinks (arva spritz), furniture, decorative items, jewellery & more.”
Why is this collection so important?
This collection is all about providing more body types with access to cool, playful & chic styles – as they are often overlooked. We wanted to design a collection that felt different to what was currently available in this size range.
What is your favourite piece in the collection?
The Abisola of course! The rib knit is extra flexible so fits beautifully to the body – and it’s the perfect fusion of my classic style and RIXO’s renowned use of colour.
What is your favourite part of the design process?
It’s hard to choose... creating shared moodboards and selecting colour palettes was a real creative journey, but shooting the collection at The Berkeley was just so much fun!