How To Rock African Fashion

Asooke throwStyling African wears could demand lots of detail and attention, this is because for it to fit into the contemporary world one needs to pay close attention to detail and be aesthetic about it.

Lots of fashion designers have come up with flexible wear designs that could be styled for different occasions. 

Here is a list of ways and places to style up your African wear,

  1.   AFRICAN CORPORATE FASHION

Do you want to infuse your African wear into the corporate world? Do you often attend business fairs, meetings, and conferences and you need the best styling ways to fit into these places and not look too traditional. The idea behind slaying an African outfit successfully is to keep it classy and simple at the same time.

Michelle Midi Oeclat

O’Eclat Designs, an ethical Nigerian brand, makes use of premium leather, to craft beautiful handmade bags, with some having beautiful African design prints, these bags can be combined with nice suits/ jackets or beautiful gowns. You will just stun in this fabulous look and have eye-rolling. These bags are made of African fabrics and could be used to fit into the contemporary style of dressing. These beautifully made African bags will suit perfectly with corporate dresses or corporate trousers and suits.

 

Morin O has also put together collections of African-inspired bags, wallets, belts, and slippers. Morin O’s handcrafted bags will always do well in your corporate world, Men’s bags are not left out, quality men’s bags for the corporate world. No matter the occasion, you can’t go wrong with a well-sewn colorful fabric made with rich leather sourced from Nigeria.

 

     2. AFRICAN SOCIAL FASHION

 There is a funny saying ‘’Eni o wo Ankara o je semo’’ meaning; that the guest who does not wear uniform fabric popularly called ‘’aso ebi’’ will not eat at the social gathering. The fabric is worn particularly and uniformly for celebration. On a lighter note, it may serve as a gate pass to several social events. African print is usually worn to social events such as weddings, burials, religious gatherings, and a lot more.

Ethnik Africa is a global brand inspired by ancient asooke craftsmanship of western Nigerian and African culture. This brand is known for making beautiful loafers, travel bags, asooke inspired sneakers, that can comfortably be worn to formal gatherings. It can be worn in jeans, jumpsuits, gowns, skirts, or even shorts, traveling bags, sneakers, etc.

Adorning yourself with African wear to socials could be very versatile and flexible. It is popularly known to be worn mainly in African countries though it is slowly being adopted by the western world. Several celebrities have been seen to embrace this trend, a couple of western celebrities such as Rihanna, Beyonce, Sia, and others have been seen rocking African fashion dresses and bags for several outings. This is a big win for the African fashion industry, though slowly but surely, the aim is for the whole world to finally embrace this trend into their culture and social lives.

 

      3. AFRICAN HANGOUT FASHION

There are times you simply need an easy-going style to wear for hangouts, small parties, dinners, or dates. Ankara shorts, crop tops, skirts, and gowns could be your best guess. Ankara/ Adire pullovers and tops are flexible in their utilization and styling and ought to be a staple in each woman’s closet. Ankara coordinate sets are easy to wear as you can rock them with trousers or gowns and skirts. If free wear for fashion lazy or work-free day. The African hangout is a series of ready-to-wear items that one just picks up from the wardrobe.

Ethnik Africa bowler hats

 

The Asooke Inspired Brands You Should Know

Aso Oke is a short form of Aso Ilu Oke also known as Aso-Ofi meaning clothes from the up-country. It is the traditional wear of the Yoruba’s (the tribe of the southwest people in Nigeria, Africa).

The Yoruba’s are the second largest tribe in Nigeria after the Northerners. Aso Oke is a popular cloth that is worn on special occasions by the Yoruba’s usually for chieftancy, festivals, engagement, naming ceremony and other important events.

It is said that “the beauty of Aso-Oke comes out more when it is taken as Aso-Ebi (group of people e.g. friends, families e.t.c)”, however Bellafricana verified members through their creativity have changed the narrative and are showing the beauty of Aso-Oke in interior decorations, fashion, shoes, bags and many more. You should click here to read the culled history written.

Lets meet these amazing business owners and brands…

Meet Bayo Ademiluyi, founder Ty Tys Design (click images below)

Bayo Ademiluyi, founder of Ty Tys Designs bellafricana member

Mr Bayo Ademiluyi is a lawyer by profession and Head of Design at Ty-Tys. Design (an asooke inspired brand) A company that produces hand-made distinctive neckwear (i.e. ties, bowties), pocket squares, laptop bags, ladies’ tote bags, wall hangings and scarves using traditional African fabrics, predominantly aso-oke.

Ty tys Design draws inspiration quite extensively from the Nigeria heritage, being that the main raw material is sourced from within the country and the ethos of the business is based on local culture and heritage.

Asooke inspired brand Ty Tys Design asooke laptop bag made in Nigeria Bellafricana verifiedAsooke inspired brand Ty Tys Design asooke bow ties, ties made in Nigeria Bellafricana verified

 

 

 

 

 

Asooke inspired brand Ty Tys Design made in Nigeria Bellafricana verified asooke patchwork

Meet Gbemi Johnson, founder O’Eclat Designs (click images below)

Gbemi-Johnson founder Oeclat bellafricana founder, made in Nigeria quality bags

O’Eclat Designs (pronounced O-eyklah) is a derivative of Oluwagbemisola and Eclat which means Style, confidence, distinction etc. She wanted a name that is not entirely eponymous and would not be too much hassle to register as a business name.

O’Eclat Designs is a Nigerian ethical leather handbag and accessories design label, birthed in 2010 by Gbemi Johnson.

Oeclat Mila bag asooke inspired brand made in Nigeria Bellafricana verified Oeclat Mila bag asooke inspired brand made in Nigeria Bellafricana verified Oeclat Mila bag asooke inspired brand made in Nigeria Bellafricana verified

 

Meet Tunde Owolabi, founder Ethnik (click images below)

Ethnik by Tunde Owolabi, an asooke inspired brand is about making aso oke accessible to the fashion-forward modern man and woman. Beyond accessibility and creating fashionable pieces for brand savvy trendsetter, Ethnik is about promoting culture and giving back to the community.

Ethnik believes that sustenance is the key to preserving our heritage. To this end, a core element of our social responsibility means we invest in our local artisans and create an enabling environment where they can continue to weave aso oke the way it is done traditionally, a skill that is passed down through generations.

Ethnik sneaker bellafricana verified asooke inspired brand made in NigeriaEthnik bucket bag bellafricana verified asooke inspired brand made in NigeriaEthnik by Tunde Owolabi laptop bag bellafricana verified asooke inspired brand made in Nigeria

Meet Tosin Oshinowo, founder Ile Ila (click images below)

Tosin Oshinowo, founder Ile Ila made in Nigeria furniture brand asooke inspired brand bellafricana verified

Ilé Ilà (translated “House of Lines”), an asooke inspired brand was started by Tosin Oshinowo in 2017 to celebrate her native Yoruba culture. It is a lifestyle furniture-line designed and hand-made in Lagos, Nigeria. They design period-conscious furniture with a contemporary African content, hand-made with love, in Lagos Nigeria.

Tosin Oshinowo, an Architect behind the design and execution of the Maryland Mall has a natural affinity towards product design. She is particularly interested in the functionality of chairs, but also placing them in a Nigerian-African context.

Ile Ila Made in Nigeria Chairs asooke inspied brand bellafricana verified Ile Ila Made in Nigeria Chairs asooke inspied brand bellafricana verified

 

 

 

Ile Ila Made in Nigeria Chairs asooke inspied brand bellafricana verified

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What is a community without people? As for us at Bellafricana, we are so passionate about our league of talented creative members, and you should be too.

Interested in joining the community and getting your creative brand known by more customers? or know someone that should? Then email me at [email protected] cc [email protected] or call 08086363970.

CLICK TO BECOME BELLAFRICANA VERIFIED TODAY

For the love of asooke, have these products below

Oeclat Adire bag bellafricana verified made in Nigeria leather and adire bag

Moroks sneakers Moroks xpressions shoes asooke inspired brand made in Nigeria bellafricana verified

What really is this Bellafricana about? Bellafricana is the leading platform that empowers, supports and provides creative Indigenous Businesses with a platform to showcase their business and connect to their global consumers looking to patronise and trade with them.

Need quality creative products, think bellafricana!

What is your Mission: To Make Finding Quality Indigenous Businesses Easier.

But Why: We noticed a vast increase in the number of unique quality creative products made in Nigeria (Africa) but noticed a huge gap between local creative Indigenous Entrepreneurs and consumers.

Hence, we created this platform to bridge that gap. What better way than through online, which gives it a global opportunity.

Click here to Learn more about how to grow Your Unique Indigenous Business with Bellafricana

What if I just want to advertise on bellafricana website/newsletter? : That’s totally possible, just email [email protected], cc [email protected] or call 08086363970

The History Of Aso-Oke Textile

aso-oke-weaving-production-bellafricana

Aso-oke is the traditional wear of the Yoruba’s (the tribe of the southwest people in Nigeria, Africa). The Yoruba’s are the second largest tribe in Nigeria after the Northerners. Aso-Oke is a cloth that is worn on special occasions by the Yoruba’s usually for chieftaincy, festivals, engagement, naming ceremony and other important events.

It is said that “the beauty of Aso-Oke comes out more when it is taken as Aso-Ebi (group of people e.g. friends, families e.t.c)”, however Bellafricana is prepared to show the beauty of Aso-Oke in interior decorations, fashion, shoes, bags and many more.

Cloth weaving (Aso-Oke) started centuries ago amongst the Yoruba’s but predominantly amongst the Iseyin’s (Oyo-State), Ede (Osun State) and Okene (Kogi State) and some areas in Ghana. The fibres used for weaving are either locally sourced or brought from neighbouring states (northern parts of the country).

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You Are Invited! Labor Day Pop Up in Houston Texas

[dropcap custom_class=”normal”] Hello beautiful people, a good Labor Day Pop Up is an amazing way to celebrate the holidays, right? Are you in Houston Texas this coming Labor day holiday?
Bellafricana, Laura Uju and Intellectual Nigerians in collaboration with Tamris and Misty’s Beauty Bar have got something great planned for you.
As the summer is slowly drawing to an end, take this time out to indulge yourself in some good shopping. There will be top quality products available for purchase at very reasonable prices… [/dropcap]
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Pictures from the Launch of Ethnik by Tunde Owolabi

[dropcap custom_class=”normal”] The rise of creative and innovative brands in Nigeria (Africa) is so exciting. Here’s another amazing brand Ethnik Tunde Owolabi that was launched on the 29th of May, 2016 at Araba’s Cafe, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The founder of Bellafricana, Bukky Asehinde was there to support Tunde and other socialites in Lagos, bloggers, fashion enthusiasts, stylists, fashion editors and much more.
Ethnik presents a fresh line for the fashion forward individual who is interested in creative ways of blending cultural fabrics specifically Aso-oke with contemporary designs. This line of fashion, was founded by Tunde who is also the creative director of Ethnik. He is a man of many talents; he’s an artist, photographer and designer. In line with all of these, Tunde also found his own studio and named it the Tunde Owolabi Studios. [/dropcap]
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Aso-Oke Inspired Tie By Ty-Tys

Aso-Oke Inspired Tie By Ty-Tys

Aso-oke has in recent times become more versatile in its use and is no longer limited to its traditional uses. The cloth is fast evolving into the fabric of choice for cutting edge fashion and trendy accessories in different countries and world regions.

Vibrant Aso Oke Bowties by Ty-Tys Designs

Ademiluyi did something creative with neckties! Instead of cotton or usual silk materials that ties are often made of, he decided to make ‘Aso-oke neckties’, a hand loomed cloth intricately woven predominantly by the Yoruba people, using techniques that were developed centuries ago and passed down through generations.

Vibrant Aso Oke Bowtie & Tie by Ty-Tys Designs

The Yoruba people are from Southwest Nigeria. With a population of over 30million, they are also found in many West African countries and diasporic communities all over the world. The Yoruba people wear Aso-oke fabrics sewn in traditional styles on special occasions such as weddings, birthdays or christenings. Ty-tys neckwear is hand made and can be customized to meet your needs.

Source: http://kemiogunniyi.wordpress.com/2012/08/06/fashion/

https://mariamtijani.com/aso-oke-trend-vibrant-stripes-season/

https://www.kemimobuse.com/2017/09/i-am-lawyer-by-profession-and-i-make.html

To reach Ty-Tys, call +234 805 054 0564 or email [email protected] or visit www.ty-tys.com

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