“I have always been fascinated by military gear and wanted to create something that would look like African body paint, but not tattoos, an elegant, chic and somewhat formal representation of what this body paint tends to look like,” explained Sagoe.

The collection features signature scissorwork, resulting in clean stripped, sliced, shredded detailing. The stripes are a take on geometric body markings found on the bodies of Maasai warriors within Eastern Africa

The collection is titled “Above the Fray,” a play on a phrase culled from classic military jargon, often used to depict kings and generals peering down from mountain tops overseeing fighting soldiers. The phrase, “Above the Fray” connotes a person or entity, standing a cut above the rest, a testament to the Deola Sagoe the person and the brand with 21 years of design under her belt.

Click here to see all the images from the Fall 2010 collection.