Anjolaoluwa Abiosun
When you think of Adire, the first thing that comes to mind is the agelong textile material designed with wax-resist methods that produce patterned designs in an array of tints and hues. A design and textile that has gone on to put Nigerian on the map in the fashion space.
However, when Netflix released Adeoluwa Owu’s new film, Adire on January 13, 2024, many were curious as to what the show had to offer beyond its stellar cast, which included Kehinde Bankole. They wondered what message the film was trying to convey and why it had to be Adire.
Adire tells the story of Asaabi, a young woman sold into prostitution at a very young age. During that time, she developed her art of making lingerie with Adire, and soon she sought a better life in a small town in Oyo State, where she changed her identity and came to embody and bear a new name, ‘Adire.’
History of Adire (Textile)
Typically, Adire is associated with freedom. According to history, Adire was first produced by Chief Mrs. Miniya Jojolola Soetan, the second Iyalode (Head of Women) of Egbaland, in Abeokuta, Ogun State, southwestern Nigeria. Since then, the tradition has been passed from generation to generation, spread to different parts of Yorubaland, as women remain specialists in the tying, hand-painting, and hand-sewing done before dyeing.
Over the years, the technique has created jobs for women across boards, and that’s exactly what both the textile and lead character Adire offers the women in the film. It was all about women’s empowerment and how a young woman could bring so much hope by just paying attention to the needs of her people.
When we spoke to Obijie Oru, the costume designer behind the film, she said: “You can see that the lead wasn’t wearing overly conservative clothes because that’s what most people will expect when you embark on such an initiative, but I wanted the lead to be as real as possible giving what her profession was in the film.”
Adire had always had a passion for lingerie making. She was an advocate of embracing your ‘inner babe,’ and it was only right that her outfits were not conservative. Still, she was in a conservative society where the men flocked to her and wanted to add her to their list of conquests because of how hot she looked in her clothes. A secret she shared with the community women and instantly made her everyone’s favourite.
The creative director simply wanted: a ‘rustic and quaint and African’ style. From the choice of hairstyles to the clothing materials, cut, makeup, and the overall setting, every element was reminiscent of people in the old Oyo town. But it took quite a lot to achieve the overall look.
“I spent about three weeks on the outfits. We were filming in Ibadan during Ileya, and I had thought I would hire tailors when we got there, but because it was a festive period, nobody was working. I had to come to Lagos, work in my workshop and then take everything back to Ibadan.”
Although the designs are a masterpiece, Kehinde Bankole’s carriage took these outfits to the next level. Obijie had revealed that the lead actress was her muse, which is no surprise. “I like that she embodies a regular African woman. The clothes also look amazing on her,” she said.
As much as Kehinde Bankole’s character stood out for her style, the story centred around her lingerie business, an element that took Obijie no time to create because she had sketched the designs way before the time of production.
“Designing a collection of lingerie wasn’t such a big deal for me. I sketch most time and just have designs lying around. In fact, I am humbled by the messages of appreciation I’m getting, I didn’t know it would be quite the hit.”
In partnership with the wardrobe manager, Oru Ema Janet, and assistant wardrobe manager, Adedapo Adewunmi Alaba, the costume designer conceptualised and executed ideas that made Kehinde Bankole’s character stand out in the film.
For over 15 years, Obijie’s catalogue has placed her among Nollywood’s leading costume designers, with a range from October 1, Coming from Insanity, Merry Men: The Real Yoruba Demons, The Milkmaid, to The Mystic River.
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