As Moses Ayodele Gbaluwe took to the runway at last year’s African Fashion Week, the admiration and fascination of the audience was not only palpable, but a sense of pride rent the air, particularly as a result of his flagship piece, which came with rich trappings of historical symbolism.
Gbaluwe masterfully employed the use of intricately woven embroidery patterns to depict the story of Ori Olokun, a Yoruba historical colossus, whose historical symbolism bestride courage, pride and royal power dynamics. This fashion piece celebrates the Yoruba historical heritage, and models the profound impact of culture on fashion.
Gbaluwe thus demonstrated his artistic ingenuity by transforming a heritage textile into a canvas for retelling history and merging art and fashion.
On African Heritage Deftly Blended With Contemporary Western-Styled Fashion, Ayodele of GCC Clothings, as he is fondly called, says he belongs to a crop of contemporary African fashion designers, who are redefining African fashion pieces through a cultural innovation that fuses traditional heritages, contemporary visual resonance, and an appeal to Western influences.
For instance, his meticulously crafted agbada designs, adorned with sophisticated embroidery and sparkling stones, pleasantly accentuate the luxurious feel of indigenous fabrics. While his bold statements through an impressive range of Ankara suits and stunning blazers are a blend of contemporary Western-styled elegance steeped in African cultural roots. This latter part of masterful conceptual designs, have the potential to broaden the appeal of African textiles to new audiences within contemporary global fashion norms.
On what the future holds for creative African fashion designers like him, who re-interpretes traditional wears using a modern lens, he said: “Such integration of African fabrics and style into globally appealing designs have significant potentials for international markets considering the heightened global appreciation for unique cultural identities, and the growing awareness of the African brand.”
He said the luxurious Agbadas and Anakara suits have the versatility to appeal to both the casual luxury market made-up of fashion-forward youths and enthusiasts, and the market of trendy professionals seeking bold new looks.
Notable Nigerian designers (such as Deola Sagoe, Lisa Folawiyo, and Mai Atafo, among several others) have made their mark on the international fashion space with success, and Gbaluwe is energetic about contributing something unique to the current success stories.
He has quite a rich catalogue under his trade name GCC Classy Clothing and has the potential to take on the world!
