South-West directors of culture meet in Ogun for fashion week

Directors of Culture in all the Yoruba-speaking states will meet tomorrow in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, to deliberate on the region’s coming celebration of Yoruba fashion culture and its business exposition tagged ‘Ile Kaaro Oojiire Fashion Week’ slated for the last quarter of this year.

With the motto: “From Farm to Fashion,” the week-long activities are being organised by the Yoruba World Centre, in collaboration with the Ogun State Government, to educate, demonstrate, and expose the arts of Yoruba fashion and the hidden investment opportunities in its process to national and international publics. It is majorly tailored for youth development and women empowerment.

It is a week of history of Yoruba fashion, as packaged by Crystalline World Heritage, where a demonstration will start from the planting and harvesting of cotton, the process of turning cotton into yarn (grinning), from where cloths distributors and retailers sell to the public before it gets to dressmakers for different styles.

The Ogun State Commissioner of Culture and Tourism, Mrs. Motunrayo Adijat Adeleye Oladapo, who is to host the directors, reiterated the importance of the programme, saying: “It is one of the best ways to assist youths and empower the womenfolk, as well as foster investment relations at national and international levels.”

Director of the project, Akinwale Atepe, who spoke on behalf of the Yoruba Centre, said that the week-long activities would be carnival-like as ministries of culture in Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo are preparing their cultural troupes for the special event.

“I have visited most of the states, met with commissioners, permanent secretaries and directors. We are all prepared for the meeting from where the ball will be set rolling because it is at this meeting that date will be picked between the end of November and early December for the programme,” the director stated.