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At Africa Fashion Week, designers from more than 50 countries infused various traditional textiles and motifs into contemporary styles, all retaining unmistakable African flavor. Images by Dayo Awe © Africa Fashion Week London
At Africa Fashion Week, designers from more than 50 countries infused various traditional textiles and motifs into contemporary styles, all retaining unmistakable African flavor. Images by Dayo Awe © Africa Fashion Week London
At Africa Fashion Week, designers from more than 50 countries infused various traditional textiles and motifs into contemporary styles, all retaining unmistakable African flavor. Images by Dayo Awe © Africa Fashion Week London
At Africa Fashion Week, designers from more than 50 countries infused various traditional textiles and motifs into contemporary styles, all retaining unmistakable African flavor. Images by Dayo Awe © Africa Fashion Week London
At Africa Fashion Week, designers from more than 50 countries infused various traditional textiles and motifs into contemporary styles, all retaining unmistakable African flavor. Images by Dayo Awe © Africa Fashion Week London
At Africa Fashion Week, designers from more than 50 countries infused various traditional textiles and motifs into contemporary styles, all retaining unmistakable African flavor. Images by Dayo Awe © Africa Fashion Week London
At Africa Fashion Week, designers from more than 50 countries infused various traditional textiles and motifs into contemporary styles, all retaining unmistakable African flavor. Images by Dayo Awe © Africa Fashion Week London
At Africa Fashion Week, designers from more than 50 countries infused various traditional textiles and motifs into contemporary styles, all retaining unmistakable African flavor. Images by Dayo Awe © Africa Fashion Week London
At Africa Fashion Week, designers from more than 50 countries infused various traditional textiles and motifs into contemporary styles, all retaining unmistakable African flavor. Images by Dayo Awe © Africa Fashion Week London
At Africa Fashion Week, designers from more than 50 countries infused various traditional textiles and motifs into contemporary styles, all retaining unmistakable African flavor. Images by Dayo Awe © Africa Fashion Week London
The past five years have seen a dramatic evolution in the Nigerian fashion industry. Locals are increasingly embracing homegrown fashion over imported Western clothing, and the industry itself has made great strides — it’s seeing an influx of diverse participants, becoming more structured, and attracting a greater number of skilled professionals. As a result, the rest of the world is becoming increasingly aware of the country’s fashion scene, and Nigerian haute couture designers have multiple opportunities to showcase their contemporary designs on local and international fashion platforms.
By Loren Ijeoma Uche-Okeke
Nigerians have an innate flair for dressing up and paying special attention to their appearance
“One of the key influences on fashion is our culture of celebrations. Weddings, funerals, christenings, and naming ceremonies have shaped silhouettes and styles of clothing,” comments Yegwa Ukpo, a prominent designer and innovator in the country’s high-fashion space. Indeed, Nigerians have an innate flair for dressing up and paying special attention to their appearance. Traditionally, the country’s fashions are reflective of her vibrant and diverse cultures and ethnic societies, expressed in both everyday clothing as well as the more ceremonial garb referred to by Ukpo. This has been manifest in the traditional clothing worn in the precolonial era and the postcolonial times when trends became more contemporary and globalized, and imported fabrics and Western-type clothing were the style du jour.
Another influence is Nigeria’s rich tradition of weaving and dyeing, with the earliest records traced back to the 1500s in the ancient northern city of Kano; the craft was also prominent in the 1800s in the country’s east. Historical records reveal that a wide variety — more than 20 designs — of hand-dyed and hand-woven fabrics were exported from Kano to other parts of Nigeria and other countries. This is in fact what continues to make Nigerian fashion unique and distinctly Nigerian: Ronke Ademiluyi, founder of Africa Fashion Weeks London and Nigeria, notes that several well-recognized Nigerian designers take inspiration from and incorporate traditional motifs and fabrics like aso oke and adire in their collections, accessories, and accent pieces.
According to Ademiluyi, “There has been an infusion of various traditional fabrics into edgy contemporary styles. For example, Kunle Afolayan reimagines the traditional baggy pants known as kembe, and designer Blingshiki puts a twist on the agbada robe by incorporating decorative elements from dashiki shirts. Nigerian designers are becoming innovative with their designs.”
Bold and vibrant prints and silhouettes characterize Africa Fashion Weeks London and Nigeria, where emerging and established designers represent many of the continent’s cultures and societies. It’s perhaps not surprising that the project’s founder Ronke Ademiluyi is Nigerian, given that Nigeria’s citizens are known for their sartorial flair and that its fashion industry is undergoing an exciting evolution. Images by Emerzy Corbin
Bold and vibrant prints and silhouettes characterize Africa Fashion Weeks London and Nigeria, where emerging and established designers represent many of the continent’s cultures and societies. It’s perhaps not surprising that the project’s founder Ronke Ademiluyi is Nigerian, given that Nigeria’s citizens are known for their sartorial flair and that its fashion industry is undergoing an exciting evolution. Images by Emerzy Corbin
Bold and vibrant prints and silhouettes characterize Africa Fashion Weeks London and Nigeria, where emerging and established designers represent many of the continent’s cultures and societies. It’s perhaps not surprising that the project’s founder Ronke Ademiluyi is Nigerian, given that Nigeria’s citizens are known for their sartorial flair and that its fashion industry is undergoing an exciting evolution. Images by Emerzy Corbin
Bold and vibrant prints and silhouettes characterize Africa Fashion Weeks London and Nigeria, where emerging and established designers represent many of the continent’s cultures and societies. It’s perhaps not surprising that the project’s founder Ronke Ademiluyi is Nigerian, given that Nigeria’s citizens are known for their sartorial flair and that its fashion industry is undergoing an exciting evolution. Images by Emerzy Corbin
Bold and vibrant prints and silhouettes characterize Africa Fashion Weeks London and Nigeria, where emerging and established designers represent many of the continent’s cultures and societies. It’s perhaps not surprising that the project’s founder Ronke Ademiluyi is Nigerian, given that Nigeria’s citizens are known for their sartorial flair and that its fashion industry is undergoing an exciting evolution. Images by Emerzy Corbin
Bold and vibrant prints and silhouettes characterize Africa Fashion Weeks London and Nigeria, where emerging and established designers represent many of the continent’s cultures and societies. It’s perhaps not surprising that the project’s founder Ronke Ademiluyi is Nigerian, given that Nigeria’s citizens are known for their sartorial flair and that its fashion industry is undergoing an exciting evolution. Images by Emerzy Corbin
Bold and vibrant prints and silhouettes characterize Africa Fashion Weeks London and Nigeria, where emerging and established designers represent many of the continent’s cultures and societies. It’s perhaps not surprising that the project’s founder Ronke Ademiluyi is Nigerian, given that Nigeria’s citizens are known for their sartorial flair and that its fashion industry is undergoing an exciting evolution. Images by Emerzy Corbin
Bold and vibrant prints and silhouettes characterize Africa Fashion Weeks London and Nigeria, where emerging and established designers represent many of the continent’s cultures and societies. It’s perhaps not surprising that the project’s founder Ronke Ademiluyi is Nigerian, given that Nigeria’s citizens are known for their sartorial flair and that its fashion industry is undergoing an exciting evolution. Images by Emerzy Corbin
Among this new wave of Nigerian designers are Nigerian-American Enna Attah Udemba, founder of Ena Gancio, who recently custom made an ankara suit for none other than Beyoncé; Ade Bakare, founder of Ade Bakare Couture in London; Emmy Kasbit, who has designed clothing for British Prime Minister Theresa May; Bayo Ademiluyi, founder of Ty-Tys; Deola Sagoe with her Komole range of occasion wear; Modela Couture; and Kenneth Ize. Brands Maki Oh and Post-Imperial both draw heavily from traditional adire motifs, incorporating and subverting the traditional uses of these elements, while Weruzo uses different yarns to create a version of akwete, a fabric from eastern Nigeria.
Ukpo believes that as Nigerian designers use more indigenous textiles and dyeing techniques, a distinct voice is beginning to emerge. And it’s the sheer number and vibrancy of voices within the country’s industry that have contributed to its uniqueness and rapid growth.
Special thanks to Ronke Ademiluyi and Yegwa Ukpo
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