Fashion in Nigeria

The fashion industry in Nigeria plays an important cultural role and contributes significantly to the country's economy. Casual attire is commonly worn but formal and traditional styles are also worn depending on the occasion. Clothing incorporates a variety of colors, fabrics, and embellishments (often beads). Many of the component cultures of Nigeria wear styles that are characteristic of their tribal society and customs. Nigeria produces fashionable textiles and finished garments and has designers who have achieved international recognition.

Traditional garments

Nigerians usually dress casually because of the hot climate. However, both formal and traditional clothing is also worn. Many African cultures have a characteristic traditional style of dress that is important to their heritage. Traditional garments worn in Nigeria include:

The agbada is a loose, wide-sleeved robe worn by North and Western African men. First adopted by the Hausa, it also has many other names. The agbada is formal attire, commonly worn as part of a three-piece set: an open-stitched full gown, a long-sleeved shirt, and sokoto (trousers fitted snugly at the ankle).

The isiagu is a men's pullover shirt similar to a dashiki that is worn by many groups in Africa. The traditional attire of Igbo men includes an isiagu patterned with embroidered lion heads, usually worn with trousers and a traditional striped hat.

Traditional Yoruba dress uses fine beads and textiles to reflect social status and religious affiliation as well as personal identity and taste.

The Edo also traditionally express their status and identity with beads, but also with raffia work, anklets, and bangles. Edo men traditionally wear coral beads of two kinds, ekan and ivie, with either suits or traditional robes; traditionally, they wear a white shirt contrasting with brightly striped fabric.

The gele is a traditional woman's head wrapping made of firm material. It may be worn as a fashionable accessory on formal occasions but can also be daily wear. Edo women wear a wedding crown called an okuku.

Muslim women in northern Nigeria wear various types of veil, including the gele and the hijab, which reveal the face but cover the hair and may cover much of the body. Veiling may take fashionable forms.

Nigerian fashion

Euromonitor estimated in 2015 that Nigeria accounted for 15% of a $31 billion fashion market in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Nigerian fashion industry grew 17% between 2010 and 2019, with events such as Lagos Fashion Week helping to promote it.

Nigerian fashion has been popularized by the Nigerian edition of the South African magazine ''Drum'', which was launched in Lagos in 1958 and featured images of the "new" Nigerians. In the late 20th century, several editions of the ''Dressense Fashion Catalogue'' were produced by fashion designers in Nigeria, aimed at the upscale market. The Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria was established in 1989 by Kola Kuddus to promote Nigerian fashion both domestically and internationally.

Designers

Nigeria has produced many fashion designers.

Shade Thomas (later Thomas-Fahm) became Nigeria's first widely recognized fashion designer. After studying fashion design in England in the 1950s, prior to Nigerian independence, she set up a shop at the Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos and a garment factory at the Yaba Industrial Estate. Specializing in simple designs using locally woven and dyed textiles, she became locally and internationally known in the 1960s and 1970s.

Fadipe Adedamola Olaniyi is CEO of Hoodies and Stones Clothing, which promotes African culture through its products.

Duro Olowu is a Nigerian women's wear designer with Jamaican roots who launched his own label in the 2000s.

Lisa Folawiyo uses traditional West African fabrics to produce modern tailored designs. She launched her label, Jewel by Lisa, in 2005e. She also produces custom luxury prints and accessories such as jewelry and purses. Line J Label, her diffusion line, showcases urban fashion with Afropop influences.

Philip Ojire launched his urban fashion label Freak Vault Clothing, formerly Shirt Freak, in 2017.

Omotoso Oluwabukunmi runs tWIF Clothing; the name is an acronym of The Way It Fits. Launched in 2012, the company produces branded apparel for businesses and other organizations, as well as own-brand menswear including shirts, pants, suits, and native attire.

Kenneth Ize, a menswear designer, won the Fashion Focus prize and was one of the first Nigerian designers to have his clothes sold at Browns in London.

See also

* Adire (textile art)

References

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External links

Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria
(archived on 8 August 2022)

Nigerian fashion
Nigerian clothing