Contrary to the summer vibe, which is a perfect excuse to travel
and shop outside the country, we are doing something different this
year. We are packing our bags and travelling around Nigeria, ticking off
our shopping bucket list our country’s most treasured traditional
fashion finds.
Not sure where to start?
Maki Oh Adire. Photo: Maki Oh
The Nike Art Gallery in Lagos is a great starting point. Adire is the
most commercialised of our traditional dyeing and weaving techniques,
with Adire prints popping up everywhere from Orange Culture to Maki Oh.
But their Adire prints don’t hold a candle to the authenticity of the
Adire motifs in the gallery’s fabric archives. It is the storied
material worth investing in.
Chelsea Adefioye in a peach gold Aso-oke Komole iro and buba by Deola Sagoe. Photo: Instagram
Not too far from Lagos are the historical walls of Owo Town. With its
stellar take on the traditional Yoruba fabric, aso-oke, Owo has some of
the best weavers in the world. While they adapt to meet the times, each
piece of aso-oke spun in that town is a true historical fashion relic.
And designers like Deola Sagoe are bringing the art to its most advanced
form.
Akwete. Photo: Instagram, Emmy Kasbit
Theresa May Photo: 234Star
Next stop is Asaba which holds some of the best-hidden fashion
treasures in Nigeria. Their most enduring cultural emblem – akwete, was
incorporated in the celebrated Emmy Kasbit Summer 2018 collection. It
shows how versatile the graphic motifs and nubile fabric can be in a
stylish person’s wardrobe. Would you dare?
Adesua Etomi wearing coral beads for her wedding. Photo: Instagram
On the other side of Asaba are the gorgeous artist communes in Benin
City. Benin City has celebrated its own history, immortalising its kings
and queens through visual and written art. But one of its hidden
treasures is its coral jewellery industry. Snag yourself a costume
jewellery set or decorated bangles and revel in contemporary fashion
with roots that go deep.
Zashadu bag. Photo Instagram
Finish your trip at Kano. With 600-year-old walls that still stand
and a culture vibrant as it is mysterious, Kano’s cultural history spans
several centuries. The Kano dye pits still house pits that Mansa Musa
must have bought cloth. Visit its tanneries and get quality hide, the
kind that has come to signify brands like Zashadu.
