R6041/14 Shirt; Buba, R6041/15 Trousers; Sokoto

Man's White and gold African lace outfit on mannequin

This two piece outfit was commissioned by the owner, Dotun, for his wedding ceremony in 1995. It is made of a synthetic fabric called African lace (actually industrially produced embroidery originally imported from Austria) that is very popular in Nigeria and West Africa. African lace can be worn as an outfit or teamed with aso-oke garments. Collected as part of the Fashioning Africa project.

Creator: unknown

Place: Nigeria, West Africa, Africa

Date: 1995

Brighton Museum collected several of the outfits worn by Dotun and his wife Funmi at their wedding events. Dotun explains:

“…the number of times you change depend on the people having the wedding, because different people might get you different outfits that you would offend if you didn’t…wear them. So you’d have to change gazillions of times.”

See more of Funmi and Dotun’s wedding looks:

a man's blue and gold aso-oke cap with two triangular flaps on a mannequin head
This abeti aja (aso-oke hat) is part of a groom's outfit, made in Ibadan, Nigeria and commissioned by the owner Read more
blue and gold aso-oke agbada robe
This aso-oke agbada (robe), and sokoto (trousers) are part of an outfit that was commissioned for the owner, Dotun, to Read more
stripwoven aso-oke fabric in stripes of gold white and blue
This aso-oke gele is an elaborate Yoruba headwrap, part of an outfit that was commissioned by the owner Funmi for Read more