Documenting changing fashion in Africa post-1960
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 Read More …
This men’s gbariye short tunic is made from aso-oke cloth. Aso-oke is narrow strip cloth woven by Yoruba men, and this type of cloth and tunic has a long and enduring history. It is similar in style and shape to garments like the batakari tunic worn in Ghana. The aso-oke is a classic design that Read More …
This occasion or bridal wear woman’s outfit consists of a buba (blouse), iro (wrap skirt), pele (shawl) and matching gele (headwrap). It is made of hand woven aso-oke fabric, tailored and embellished with crystals. It was designed and made by Abiola Aso-oke, a generational aso-oke fashion business in Lagos. It took eight weeks to produce Read More …
This fila was worn by Martin Sholagbade in his role as the Father of the Bride to a wedding. A fila is a Yoruba man’s cloth cap, worn with a matching agbada (large robe), and sokoto (trousers.Aso-oke translates as ‘top cloth’ or ‘high status cloth’. It is a formal cloth that is traditionally handwoven by Read More …
This man’s aso-oke agbada was worn by Martin Sholagbade in his role as the Father of the Bride at a wedding in 2009. It is an example of sanyan, a classic style of aso-oke, typically worn by celebrants and close family at weddings. Aso-oke translates as ‘top cloth’ or ‘high status cloth’. It is a Read More …
This aso-oke agbada (robe), and sokoto (trousers) are part of an outfit that was commissioned for the owner, Dotun, to wear at his London wedding reception in 1995. Dotun and his wife Funmi held four wedding events in total, two took place in the UK and two in Nigeria. The Museum collected several of their Read More …
This aso-oke outfit was worn by the owner, Funmi, at her London wedding reception in 1995. Aso-oke, which translates as ‘top cloth’ or ‘high status cloth’ is a formal textile, traditionally woven by men. It is primarily made from cotton or silk, woven in long narrow strips which are sewn together and then tailored into Read More …
This indigo buba, iro and gele was bought by the owner, Rounke, in Nigeria in the late 1970s. She remembers wearing it to a party when she was a university student in the early 1980s. It is made from woven blue striped cotton fabric. A buba is a tailored blouse, customarily worn by Yoruba women Read More …