Beyond Styles and Forms- Waju Concepts Trailblazing Collection at the African Fashion Week Nigeria-2024
By Yemisi Suleiman
For a very long time, African designers were not able to evolve past authentic African fashion concepts and styles and adapt them into contemporary pieces that the rest of the fashion world can connect with.
The problem with the idea that African clothing can only be African if it retains its original forms and styles is that it overlooks how versatile the concept of fashion should be, regardless of its origin. A more realistic example of the problem this school of thought creates is the fact that not many people are able to wear free-flowing boubous or kaftans to work, nor are these fashion choices wearable during seasons where warmth is required.
However, these past few decades have seen extremely intelligent fashion designers of African heritage pushing the African fashion narrative beyond the choice of fabrics and colors and into much more relatable and adaptable choices for the entire world. Waju Concept is leading this course within the community of notable African fashion designers of the decade.
Leveraging the African Fashion Week Nigeria 2024; a platform with a shared belief that African fashion is a cultural experience that is both versatile and universal, Waju Concept proved, through their very thoughtful collection named “Igba,” that their craftsmanship is one the world should be watching out for.
“Igba” showcased the dynamism of some of the key features and items in African fashion. Rather than focusing on just style and form, Waju Concept’s focus was also on the adaptiveness and dynamism of true Nigerian fabric and colors native to their Nigerian heritage. It is satisfying to see “Igba”, a collection that beautifully blends tradition with modern elegance, alluding to the controversial saying that no true fashion is in itself authentic but the ability for any fashion to conform to times and seasons as well as socio-cultural influences underscores true craftsmanship.
Waju understood that the world is curious about African fashion, not because it cannot simply be imitated, but because certain elements and key features such as weaving techniques, fabrics, and colors make it truly authentic. No wonder “Igba” features true Nigerian fabric choices like “Aso-Oke” and “Ankara”, as well as other fabric types including linen and velvet that have been subsumed into Nigerian fashion scenery through socio-cultural exchanges of their colonial past.
The “Igba” collection did not do too much and did not play it safe either. Take, for instance, the navy blue striped suit with exaggerated lapels. The suit exemplifies classic tailoring yet embodies a completely hand-woven “Aso-Oke” fabric intricately designed with a cosplay of rich colors that the Yoruba people are familiar with when it comes to color dyeing.
Most designers would rather showcase a two-piece suit with exact classic tailoring but by using patterned “Aso-Oke” with a little bit of velvet for the jacket and their signature “sokoto alabe” in navy blue crepe fabric, Waju understood that pairing African fabrics with other types of fabric does not reduce their authenticity but rather showcases brilliant assimilation to ensure global acceptance. Designing the suit with a matching rich blue velvet fabric, a fabric that has been present in the fashion scenes of Yoruba aristocracy for over four hundred years, is an impressive fashion statement from Waju that every piece from their collection is a pottage of rich fashion history intentionally refined for this time and season.
Another success was the bold striped “Ofi” streetwear piece inspired by the Yoruba “dansíki”, reworked into a modern hoodie which was matched with a pair of plain loose-fit trousers with pieces of the “Ofi” sewn vertically on the outer sides of both legs. Gone are the days when African designers imprinted anything vaguely African on any contemporary styled hoodie and called it an “African Hoodie.” Now, you can walk the winters of any clime comfortably embraced by Waju’s “Ofi” hoodie, handwoven from the source by hands that cared to learn the art of “Aso-oke” weaving, a technique rooted in the past with a history of over a thousand years. The earthy tone stripes on the “Ofi” hoodie give it a rustic yet vibrant feel, making it wearable and urban cool at the same time. This look spoke to the designer’s youthful inclination while considering climate conditions.
The third outfit was a kaftan with an interesting choice of fabric. An arts-inspired “buba”, in bold abstract prints of black and white, with hints of peach, giving a hand-painted and unique effect. Although designed to be men’s “buba”, the craftsmanship gives it the appearance of a beautifully finished painting waiting for the right body to embrace. The “buba” was styled over a slim black “sokoto alabe” and finished with black boots for an edgy and futuristic vibe.
The next piece was a perforated kaftan which was obviously one of the most daring of the collection because if not done right, it could have been an epic fail. The kaftan’s deep black cotton fabric is dotted with tiny and round metallic cutouts that caught the right amount of light. It had a relaxed fit with mid-length sleeves and side slits that allowed the model to move effortlessly and was paired with their black “sokoto alabe” having an extra piece of fabric in wine colour sewn vertically in the inner thighs. Anyone familiar with the Yoruba warriors of the past would understand what Waju’s vision is here; a modern man in a futuristic Yoruba-inspired war shield with protective metal rings, ready for everyday battles.
Waju’s collection, aptly tagged “Ìgbà” (which means ‘time’ or ‘seasons’ in English), meticulously paid homage to Yoruba cultural heritage, yet reimagined some iconic fashion elements from this heritage into pieces that are relevant even for the present moment, reminding us that style, like time, is eternal. “Ìgbà” was an expertly made collection that confirms Waju Fashion Concept’s maturation as a house of refined and approachable fashion. The collection is daring, it’s expressive, and rich in cultural identity. It also shows a designer unafraid to experiment with mixing African heritage with other global fashion influences and tailoring.
