As Nigeria celebrated her 60th
anniversary of Independence in this month of October, Fashion in Nigeria has always been
diverse,ranging from different cultures and
reflecting its many ethnic groups, religions, and tradition. Recently,
the Nigerian fashion industry has developed more participants, exposure,
structure presence, earnings, training
and creativity in the fashion world, the Nigerian fashion has evolved from the
1960s ,70s, 80s, 90s and now to the 2000s where our African prints textiles
(Ankara) are used to design and create contemporary pieces which are authentically
Nigerian but could compete with designs on any global platform.
Ankara beading, Lace
mixtures and Asooke are the popular trends of this period as individuals
sought to embrace Nigerian made pieces in a way that made them standout from
what our mothers wore way back then. Also, bespoke culture had always existed
in Nigeria prior to this period but prevailed more for traditional wear. The
rise of menswear designers like Mai Atafo, Bolaji Sparks and the Okunoren Twins
led to a greater understanding of bespoke suit making and fine tailoring.
Today, Nigerian fashion designers
have quadrupled in number.Nigerian fashion has created both female and
male entrepreneurs who have improved the
Nigerian economy by creating jobs and opportunities.
Gone are the days where fashion
labels were considered as ‘rich kid vanity projects’ and careers for failures
as Nigerian designers are proving that it takes hard work and a lot of
dedication to make it in the fashion industry. Style trends constantly evolve
thanks to social medial and our growing aso-ebi culture has brought back trends
like the Oleku, which has taken fast fashion into overdrive. Designers like
Orange Culture and Maki Oh have been at the forefront of leading the change for
Nigerian-made " ready-to-wear
pieces being welcomed into retail stores far beyond the shores of Nigeria.
Stores like Alara, Zazaii and our humble Grey Velvet have created spaces for
Nigerian designers to sell their pieces to the mass market who no longer have
to rely on foreign-made pieces.
History has led up to Nigerian
fashion stepping into a position of prominence in the global fashion world.
Now, more than ever, is the best time to be in the Nigerian fashion industry as
development is occurring at a very fast pace. As history is an ever-moving
phenomenon, we eagerly anticipate the direction the industry is heading to
next.
In the light of celebrating
Nigeria the Ferdral Government has included a Multi-media Fashion Exhibition,
aimed at exploring how the nation’s
socio-cultural ways have
influenced the forging of a national identity from the diverse cultures that
make up Nigeria, has opened in Lagos as part of the activities celebrating
Nigeria’s Diamond Jubilee.
Today at Citypeople, we will showcase the different
ways in which Nigerians celebrated there fashion creativity in different shades
of green and white....🇳🇬
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