Critical Review: The Fashion of Money, A Review of ZainabIbraheem brand’s Owo collection

There is something particularly interesting about watching a Nigerian designer take a symbol that feels deeply familiar across West Africa and make it speak through fashion.

That was my first reaction to ZainabIbraheem Brand’s Owo Collection 2026.

As a Ghanaian, I did not encounter the cowrie as a foreign object. I encountered it as something that belongs to a much bigger West African story — one that crosses borders, languages and generations.

And perhaps that is what makes Owo so intriguing.

The collection takes the Yoruba word for money — Owo — and builds its visual identity around cowrie shells, historically associated with currency and exchange in parts of West Africa.

At first glance, it is beautiful.

On closer inspection, it is actually quite clever.

Concept & Storytelling — 19/20

I have seen cowries used in fashion before. So the mere presence of cowries cannot be the selling point.

What ZainabIbraheem Brand does differently is make money itself the story.

The idea is simple enough to understand immediately: something once used as currency has been transformed into fashion embellishment.

But there is another layer that I particularly appreciate as a Ghanaian.

West African cultures have always shared ideas, materials, traditions and aesthetics across borders. We may speak different languages and interpret certain symbols differently, but there are cultural threads that keep appearing.

The cowrie is one of them.

So while Owo is unmistakably Nigerian in its Yoruba reference, the visual conversation does not feel exclusively Nigerian.

Score: 19/20

Cultural Relevance — 19/20

This is where the collection connected with me most.

African fashion sometimes falls into the trap of explaining Africa to the world instead of simply allowing African culture to speak for itself.

Owo feels more confident.

It takes an object with historical meaning and says: this is beautiful, this is ours, and it can still have a place in contemporary fashion.

As a Ghanaian watching a Nigerian brand do this, there is a small sense of recognition.

The story may be Yoruba, but the cultural memory feels broader.

That is the beauty of West African fashion when it is done thoughtfully.

Score: 19/20

Design & Creativity — 18/20

The obvious danger with cowries is excess.

Put too many on a garment and the design can quickly become costume. Put too few and the concept may disappear.

ZainabIbraheem Brand walks that line reasonably well.

The cowries give the collection a recognisable signature while allowing the garments themselves to remain important.

I particularly like the fact that the collection does not seem afraid of making a statement.

Fashion is supposed to provoke a reaction sometimes.

And Owo certainly does.

Score: 18/20

Craftsmanship & Detail — 18/20

Cowrie embellishment requires patience.

Every shell has to be positioned, attached and considered in relation to the garment beneath it. It is the kind of detail that can either elevate a piece or expose poor finishing.

Here, the craftsmanship gives the concept credibility.

The collection reminds us that cultural fashion is not simply about having an African object on a dress. It is about the skill required to transform that object into design.

That distinction matters.

Score: 18/20

Wearability — 16/20

Now, let me be honest.

Not every woman is going to wake up tomorrow and decide she needs a dress covered in cowries.

And that is perfectly fine.

This is a statement collection.

Some pieces feel better suited to weddings, cultural celebrations, fashion events, editorials and occasions where making an entrance is part of the brief.

I would, however, love to see ZainabIbraheem explore how the Owo language could filter into more understated pieces.

Give us the cowrie without always giving us all the cowrie.

That could make the collection's influence even wider.

Score: 16/20

Originality — 18/20

I would not give ZainabIbraheem Brand credit for “inventing” cowrie fashion. That would be historically and stylistically unfair.

Cowries have been used in African fashion, jewellery and art for generations.

The originality here is in the conceptual framing.

The brand has taken the idea of money and translated it into a fashion language.

That is where Owo becomes interesting.

It is less about saying, “Look, we used cowries,” and more about saying, “Look at what cowries once meant — and look at what they can mean now.”

Score: 18/20

Contemporary Relevance — 18/20

African designers are increasingly being asked to do more than reproduce traditional aesthetics.

There is a growing expectation that heritage should become a source of innovation.

Owo answers that challenge in a fairly direct way.

It takes something historical and gives it a contemporary setting.

And seeing the collection presented in the United Kingdom makes that even more interesting.

A Nigerian brand carrying a West African cultural reference into Britain creates a conversation that extends beyond Nigeria.

For me, that is one of the collection's quiet strengths.

Score: 18/20

Visual Impact — 19/20

Let us be honest — Owo knows how to get your attention.

The cowries photograph beautifully.

They create texture, movement and an immediate visual identity.

You see the collection and you know what the designer is trying to communicate.

That is valuable in today's fashion landscape, where a collection may first be experienced through Instagram, TikTok, a fashion blog or a single editorial photograph.

The collection has that “wait, what am I looking at?” quality.

And I mean that positively.

Score: 19/20

Final Score: 145/160 — 90.6/100

Category Score

Concept & Storytelling 19/20

Cultural Relevance 19/20

Design & Creativity 18/20

Craftsmanship & Detail 18/20

Wearability 16/20

Originality 18/20

Contemporary Relevance 18/20

Visual Impact 19/20

Overall 145/160 — 90.6/100

Final Thoughts

As a Ghanaian, perhaps what I enjoyed most about Owo is that it reminded me that African fashion does not always have to be divided by national borders.

Nigeria has its stories. Ghana has ours. Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, Togo and the rest of the continent have theirs.

But sometimes the objects tell a bigger story than the borders do.

The cowrie is one of those objects.

ZainabIbraheem Brand has taken a symbol connected to value and exchange and given it another form of value — fashion.

Is Owo perfect? No.

Its reliance on one dominant material means the collection has to work harder to demonstrate variation, and I would like to see its language translated into more wearable pieces.

But does it make a statement?

Absolutely.

And did I find myself looking twice?

I did.

Perhaps that is the simplest test of fashion that wants to be remembered.

From money to adornment, from history to contemporary fashion, ZainabIbraheem Brand's Owo Collection 2026 proves that sometimes the things our ancestors valued can become the things that inspire us again.

As a Ghanaian, I can appreciate that.

As a fashion critic, I can respect it.

90.6/100.

ABOUT THE CRITIC

“Portia Arthur is an acclaimed Ghanaian fashion journalist, literary author and leading independent cultural critic with over a decade of experience defining West African lifestyle narratives. Serving as the pioneer Fashion Editor for YEN.com.gh and formerly the Lifestyle Editor for Pulse Ghana, her sharp, analytical commentary dissects contemporary African design, cross-border fashion economics, and regional textiles.An alumnus of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and a Google News Initiative certified digital reporter, Portia’s journalistic portfolio spans high-impact celebrity image consultancy, industry features, and cross-continental trend reporting. Beyond her critical work in fashion, she is a published author and the founder of the Book Per Child Initiative, a literacy drive recognized across Ghana. Her critiques regularly shape consumer trends and elevate local designers to international prominence.”