How Nigerian Fashion Gets Glitzy From Its Ancient Roots (Fashion & Style)

       Seyi Vodi , a leading trailblazer in Nigerian male fashion today  

Image courtesy: Google 

 Nigeria once suffered what is dubbed, "colonial mentality". This is the penchant to acquire foreign-made products at the expense of locally-sourced ones even though these ones may be more qualitative or suitable for that particular need. 

More than any other thing, this penchant is most noticeable in the preference for clothing and leather accessories like shoes, bags, belts, luggage, briefcases, etc. 

During the "oil boom" era of the 1960s in Nigeria, a period of marked economic prosperity following the discovery of oil and its attendant huge boom in local commerce, Nigerians ditched the usual local attires like tie and dye Adire, Ofi, local wrapper, and so on for imported "wonyosi" suits and ties, gowns, lace fabrics from Switzerland, Austria and france and leather accessories from England, Italy and Spain. Italian gold by 18 and 24 carat became the standard for jewelry in Nigeria as traditional beads and cowries, hitherto the normal jewelry, flew out the window. 

This trend extended to the children. Kids and teens were always arrayed in "ready-made" foreign clothes at special occasions. 

It was a status symbol. A sign of sophistication. The mark of belonging to the "in-ctowd". Those who fall short of this firm of dressing whether as adults or youngsters were looked down in in society and snubbed.

The only difference was "Cortina" shoes from the "Bata" shoe stores that school kids in secondary and other uniform-wearing institutions are instructed to wear for its durability on school compounds that are basically rugged.

Till the mid 2000s, this was the trend.

President Olusegun Obasanjo, spurred the cultural renaissance  (Google Image)

Until the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo who launched and promoted the culture of wearing Made-in-Nigeria products. To spur this on, civil servants and top government functionaries and appointees were compulsorily made to wear Nigerian attire. It became compulsory. That was the era when a US-based, Ivy League-educated and World Bank vice president in Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala not only started donning locally made wears but debuted her signature headtie "gele" distinctive style. 

Former Nigerian minister of finance now, DG, World Bank, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, apart from "dressing Nigerian", debuted her now iconic headgear she wears till today, during this period

Gradually, it started seeping into the general society. People no longer see local styles like agbada and sokoto, iro and buba, as apparel for the uncouth and lesser pedigreed. 

Now, donning a well-tailored traditional apparel is a signature of style, class and panache. 

Especially with the advent of well heeled and exclusive fashion designers specializing in tailoring of hitherto traditional styles like Soon, you g, vibrant and fashion-forward designers like Deola Sagoe, ,Lisa Folawiyo, Lanre da Silva Ajayi, debuted on the fashion scene to join veterans like Abbah Folawiyo, Vivid Imagination, Rose of Sharon, etc to make dreamy and exotic Nigerian styles with Nigerian fabrics. 

Some even showcased their designs at foreign fashion shows like New York Fashion Show.

Today, the ascendancy of the game hangers like Mai Atafo, Veeke James, Seyi Vodi, people now spend over one million naira to get arrayed in their designs. Presidents, prominent politicians, billionaire corporate gurus and business men are now proudly embracing being attired in these designs than in foreign suits and ties.

Naturally, this shift trickles down to the young uns. They are now donned in smart local wears. Some parents take it a nitch higher by sharing the same fabric and style with their kids, creating cuteness overload pictures. 

It's got to a level where you'll hardly find a youngster opting for foreign made outfits anymore. Nursery and primary schools spread it the more with the now nationalized "Cultural Days" in schools. Pupils feverishly but excitedly prepare for such days where pupils dress up in local cultural clothing, preferably that of another culture than where they originally hail from. Prizes are even awarded to the best dressed. 

Not done, this cultural fever has spilled out into hosting of larger society fairs and cultural festivals like Adire Day, Lisabi Day, alongside Ojude Oba Festival and Calabar Festival to name some.

Famed Nigerian actor, Richard Mofe Damijo (RMD), left, showcased Egba cultural attire though he is non Yoruba at Egbaliganza fashion show during 2025 Lisabi Day Festival 

At these events, it's indeed sublime to see array of colourful and ostentatious costumes donned by young and old with so much enthusiasm, sass and steeze. 

If the ancestors who embraced foreign fashion with gusto could look back and see us now, they are certain to be enviously impressed, that Nigeria indeed, has come full circle with our fashion evolution back to our roots.