Juma held its Fall Winter 2012 presentation on a bright cold Sunday afternoon at the Marvelli Gallery in Chelsea. Canadian brother-and-sister team Jamil and Alia Juma started their label in 2003, after stints in investment strategies and assistant designing at other fashion houses, respectively. Their designs are based on art generally and their own travels specifically - to Asia, to Africa, through Eastern Europe, and throughout North America. (Example: a print from the current collection features a blown-up shot of an orchid.) The digital prints they come up with are then splashed liberally all over their sportwear - leggings, asymmetrical dresses, skorts, camisoles - though these are now offset by more sedate outerwear. The result is a line that is abstract and futuristic, never skin-tight; conservative enough to wear to work (if you work in an art gallery or at an experimental theatre), but bright enough to wear to cocktails in a dimly lit bar.
Against a black-and-white backdrop image of a three-ring circus (insert Fashion Week joke here), attendants were shown into a small gallery space, quickly figuring out that they were to stand within the confines of a taped-off square in the center of the room. The models then proceeded to walk around the perimeter, which made so much more sense than a traditional runway show - this way, everyone could get a good close-up view/shot of each look. Once the models reached their places (marked with an X), they stood still; while attendants then freely roamed around taking pictures. Very efficient.
A redhead wore a crewneck asymmetrical dress with matching leggings, in a splotchy (good splotchy) turquoise, red, white, navy floral pattern. A blonde wore what looked like a belted shirtdress in a yellow, smoke-grey, and white pattern with thin red stripes.
The Juma (which means "Friday" in Arabic) siblings are now based in New York, after having launched their business in Toronto. They still travel widely.
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