What's Hot?
Court Orders Oxlade To Pay ₦5m Indemnity Over...
Artists gearing up for the Harlem fine arts...
International tourist arrivals doubled in 2022: UN
Amoako Boafo’s Launch of Ghana Residency Was a...
Morocco: National Finery Museum Reopens to Critical Aclaim
Five years after, Lagos Inaugurates Randle Centre for...
The future of global music is African
CAA Signs ‘Heroes’ Actor Jimmy Jean-Louis
Philly filmmaker Walé Oyéjidé captures the beauty of...
Rema’s ‘Calm Down’ Becomes Most Watched Nigerian Music...
The Culture Newspaper
  • Home
  • Arts & Exhibitions
  • Culture & Festivals
    • Culture Africana
    • Culture People
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Music, Movies & More
  • News
    • Travel News
  • Opinion
    • Reviews (The Critics)
  • TCN Literati
  • Tourism & Hospitality
Fashion & Lifestyle

Nigeria’s Yoruba women announce their arrival in style

by The Culture Newspaper June 27, 2020
by The Culture Newspaper June 27, 2020

Nigerian photographer Oye Diran reimagines the fashion of the Yoruba people in a stunning series of images.

Short presentational grey line

When an aunt sent Oye Diran an old family photo, he was mesmerised by the high sense of fashion and style exhibited by the Yoruba women of West Africa in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

The photo was of his mother and her sister adorned in iro and buba, the colourful two-piece outfit of wrapped skirt and top popular with Yoruba women in Nigeria.

Diran, a Yoruba himself and Nigerian photographer based in New York, noticed how the style of the iro and buba had evolved over time, but that the outfit still maintained its elegance.

Three models pose in A Ti DeImage copyrightOYE DIRAN
Presentational white space

Inspired, he ploughed through the internet looking for more vintage images of the outfit but was disappointed with what he saw.

“What I found were updated and modernised versions that people wear today which wasn’t what I needed,” he told the BBC.

He then picked up his camera and produced a series of images which he titled A Ti De (We Have Arrived).

Three models pose in A Ti DeImage copyrightOYE DIRAN
Presentational white space

The Yoruba are Nigeria’s second largest ethnic group with a reputation for loud celebrations and incessant parties – anything from a new child to a new house warrants a huge gathering of friends and family and music, food and drinks.

The centrepiece at gatherings, especially weddings, are the matching colourful outfits worn by guests.

For the women it is the iro and buba which in the past would sit at the bottom of the steel box awaiting its call for that special occasion.

But its glory days are long gone, replaced by the aso-ebi, when guests all wear outfits made from the same pattern.

As a sign of how times have changed, the aso-ebi doesn’t sit at the bottom of a heavy steel box, but hides in the darkest corner of a wardrobe, away from the light and other not so important outfits, as it awaits the special day.

“Yoruba fashion has evolved in different ways over the last few decades but has always maintained its authentic look,” Diran told the BBC.

Three models pose in A Ti DeImage copyrightOYE DIRAN
Presentational white space

“I feel we started seeing more of its modernisation from the 2000s up until today.

“For example, in the 1960s the length of the iro ended right above the knees. Today the length of the iro can go as far as the feet. We see influences from other fashion trends around the world on Yoruba fashion,” he said.

Model poses in A Ti DeImage copyrightOYE DIRAN
Presentational white space

Diran, a fine art and fashion photographer, was born in Nigeria’s commercial capital, Lagos, to a mother who was a visual artist and a father who was a veterinary doctor and businessman.

“My mother had an art studio in our childhood home where I would see old work she had done along with new pieces she was creating through mixed media, drawings, paintings and photography.

Two models pose in A Ti DeImage copyrightOYE DIRAN
Presentational white space

“I basically grew up surrounded and inspired by art.”

He fused his background in art and his interest in photography to create his current style which he describes as “conceptual with a degree of minimalism”.

Two models pose in A Ti DeImage copyrightOYE DIRAN
Presentational white space

He mostly creates with a palette of neutral and pastel colours.

“I try to illuminate a sense a beauty, empowerment and ideologies in my images,” he said.

Three models pose in A Ti DeImage copyrightOYE DIRAN
Presentational white space

The Yoruba fashion has evolved to incorporate trends, from flared sleeves to puff sleeves to off-shoulder blouses and narrower collars.

Materials that weren’t traditionally used, from chiffon to organza are now being worn and most importantly, the outfits that were traditionally loose are now more fitted.

Three models pose in A Ti DeImage copyrightOYE DIRAN
Presentational white space
Three models pose in A Ti DeImage copyrightOYE DIRAN
Presentational white space

“A Ti De is a phrase of confidence,” he said.

“It is used to announce one’s arrival in a celebratory fashion in most cases.”

For the party-loving Yoruba people, truer words have never been spoken.

Three models pose in A Ti DeImage copyrightOYE DIRAN
Presentational white space

Source: www.bbc.com

0
FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinWhatsappEmail
The Culture Newspaper

previous post
TIFF To Serve As Beacon Of Hope As Organizers Unveil Festival Plan
next post
Eiffel Tower Reopens Without Lifts After Three-month Shutdown

You may also like

Soludo Advocates ‘Made In Nigeria’ Clothes As Daughter...

September 19, 2022

​Ikoyi Club Launches Bespoke Main House, Golf Section...

September 13, 2022

Burkina Faso designers show there’s more to nation...

May 19, 2022

Sofía Jirau, 24, Becomes Victoria’s Secret’s First Model...

February 18, 2022

Highpoint Event Centre Berths On February 3

January 31, 2022

The world bought more champagne than ever last...

January 21, 2022

‘This is one of the worst Vogue covers...

January 17, 2022

Shatu Garko Stirs Hornet’s Nest By Winning Miss...

December 24, 2021

La Campagne Tropicana Beach Resort Debuts First Africa’s...

December 20, 2021

Mwanwa Inspired Ensemble Wins Best National Costume At...

December 20, 2021

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Recent Posts

  • Court Orders Oxlade To Pay ₦5m Indemnity Over Leaked Sex Tape
  • Artists gearing up for the Harlem fine arts show 15th anniversary
  • International tourist arrivals doubled in 2022: UN
  • Amoako Boafo’s Launch of Ghana Residency Was a Reminder of the Country’s Growing Arts Scene
  • Morocco: National Finery Museum Reopens to Critical Aclaim

Sponsored

Recent Posts

  • Court Orders Oxlade To Pay ₦5m Indemnity Over Leaked Sex Tape

    February 3, 2023
  • Artists gearing up for the Harlem fine arts show 15th anniversary

    February 3, 2023
  • International tourist arrivals doubled in 2022: UN

    February 3, 2023

Categories

  • Arts & Exhibitions
  • Culture & Festivals
  • Culture Africana
  • Culture People
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Music, Movies & More
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Photo News
  • Reviews (The Critics)
  • TCN Interview
  • TCN Literati
  • Tourism & Hospitality
  • Travel News
  • Travel Trends
  • Travelogue
  • What's Hot?
  • World Culture

Connect with us

Connect with us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • About Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us

@2019 - The Culture Newspaper. All Right Reserved. Designed and Developed by Zero-One

The Culture Newspaper
  • Home
  • Arts & Exhibitions
  • Culture & Festivals
    • Culture Africana
    • Culture People
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Music, Movies & More
  • News
    • Travel News
  • Opinion
    • Reviews (The Critics)
  • TCN Literati
  • Tourism & Hospitality