R6147/1 Shirt by Nike Davies-Okundaye

a long cotton shirt dress made of indigo adire and aso-oke fabric

Shirt dress by Nike Davies-Okundaye (Museum Accession number R6147/1)

This women’s long shirt was created by Nigerian designer and textile artist Nike Davies-Okundaye. The cloth was hand-woven in 1910 by Mrs Ibitola, Nike’s great grandmother. Mrs Ibitola lived in Ede, Osun State and was the head weaver in the village before her death at the age of 86. The patches sewn onto the garment are made from blue striped Etu aso-oke fabric made in Ondo State. The garment was created by Nike in 1984, and showcases the generations of textiles and weaving skills in Nike’s family and in Nigeria. Collected as part of the Fashioning Africa project.

Creator: Nike Davies-Okundaye

Place: Nigeria, West Africa, Africa

Date: 1984

At the timing of writing, professional photography of all of the new collection has not been completed due to Covid 19. The image of the shirt featured here was take by researcher Harriet Hughes when she visited the Nike Art Gallery in Lagos. 

a woman wearing a bright pink aso-oke outfit and gele
Nike Davies Okundaye, shot in Lagos by Lakin Ogunbanwo

See more pieces by Nike Davies-Okundaye in the Fashioning Africa collection

an indigo adire coat
This coat by Nigerian designer and textile artist Nike Davies-Okundaye is made from adire, a cloth dyed with indigo using Read more
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Women's Buba with adire cowrie shell design by Nigerian designer and textile artist Nike Davies-Okundaye. Adire is a type of Read more
a blue tunic dyed with indigo being held up to the camera
This women's Buba made of adire fabric in a water design is by Nigerian designer and textile artist Nike Davies-Okundaye. Read more