Documenting changing fashion in Africa post-1960
This aso-oke outfit that was commissioned by the owner, Funmi, for her engagement ceremony in Lagos in 1995. Funmi and her husband Dotun had four wedding events in total, two in the UK and two in Nigeria. Aso-oke, which translates as ‘top cloth’ or ‘high status cloth’ is a formal textile, traditionally woven by men. 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 …
Description: This is a strip of aso-oke fabric. Aso-oke translates as ‘top cloth’ or ‘high status cloth’. It is a formal cloth that is traditionally handwoven by the men of southwestern Nigeria using a narrow strip loom. It is primarily made from silk and cotton and comes in thin strips that are then sewn together. Read More …
Description: This is a piece of aso-oke fabric. Aso-oke translates as ‘top cloth’ or ‘high status cloth’. It is a formal cloth that is traditionally handwoven by the men of southwestern Nigeria. It is primarily made from silk and cotton and is woven in narrow strips that are then sewn together. Aso-oke remains poplular with Read More …
This aso-oke strip is from a wedding attendee’s outfit worn in 2014. Aso-oke translates as ‘top cloth’ or ‘high status cloth’. It is a formal cloth that is traditionally handwoven by the men of southwestern Nigeria using a narrow strip loom. It is primarily made from silk and cotton and comes in narrow strips that Read More …
Description: This man’s shirt is made from cotton cloth decorated with the adire eleko technique – fabric dyed with indigo using a starch resist. Cassava paste is applied to cloth through a stencil or painted on. Areas where this is painted resist the indigo dye. This design is called Sun Bebe and refers to the Read More …
This Hausa indigo robe has been dyed with a concentrated indigo dye to give it a deep, dark blue colour and a glazed sheen. It was originally collected as a new, unworn piece in the 1970s from Northern Nigeria. The dye is so concentrated that it can still rub off on contact with other material. Read More …