Wearing one of her big hats and dark glasses, Nigerian designer Bubu Ogisi brings a group of models into the latest outfits in the days leading up to Lagos Fashion Week — one of the cultural highlights in Nigeria’s financial capital.
Dressed in black and white and black creations with handmade bracelets and collars, models walk by as Ogisi examines parts of her Spring/Summer 2024 collection titled ‘Shadows’, with the idea of exploring protective materials and fibres.
One of Nigeria’s leading designers, Ogisi may have appeared in Vogue and worked with Victoria’s Secret, but she remains resolutely driven by her exploration of African stories and traditional materials.
Describing herself more as a researcher than a designer, Ogisi travels to Africa in search of inspiration to incorporate traditional materials and techniques into her designs for her brand IAMISIGO.
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“I think I’m just continuing my process and actually expanding the materials I’m researching,” Ogisi told AFP at the installation at the 16/16 boutique hotel in Lagos.
“It’s what I love to do every day.”
Kenya, Ghana, Ivory Coast and her native Nigeria are among the African countries that inspired Ogisi — who worked in the oil and gas industry before studying fashion in Paris, finding her creative voice and eventually forming the IAMISIGO.
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“Everything I create is always either assembled there or I bring all the magic elements or ingredients for the soup I created between Nigeria and Kenya,” he said.
“But I like to source whatever I find in these different places.”
IAMISIGO artistic director Roxane Mbanga said Ogisi’s work sought to bring back stories from the past “erased by colonization”.
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Later, at Lagos Fashion Week, Ogisi’s models, henna-marked hands and faces, walked slowly across the sawdust-covered floor in front of the seated audience.
In a logistical problem faced by many businesses in Lagos, where the power grid is unreliable, the show ran without air conditioning until late because there was not enough fuel for the generator.
But the show went on despite the heat, accompanied by artist Sheila, who performed a chanting ritual paying respect to shadows and spirits.
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“For me, what Bubu represents in a global, not just African, perspective is the need to understand that craftsmanship is at the heart of fashion,” Omoyemi Akerele, founder of Lagos Fashion Week, told AFP.
“I see Bubu as an artist and I see her as a harbinger, so to speak, of artistry, you know, coming out of her comfort zone to travel to communities.”
Increasingly, Nigeria’s creative industries are making their mark around the world, with Afrobeats music stars Burna Boy and Sake packing stadiums and winning awards, while Nollywood films become hits on Netflix streaming platforms and Amazon Prime.
For Ogisi, who has collaborated with musicians and other artists, Nigerian fashion naturally merges with the other worlds of entertainment.
“You can’t, you can’t ever, ever, take the costumes off any of these musicians,” he said.
“Directors need their films to be just as visually stunning for the audience, and you can’t have that without an amazing set of body parts.”