If you ever come across an Agbada, the chances that its wearer is confident in their talents are towering. A popular Yoruba men’s fashion, the centuries-long outfit is significant for its ceremonial uses, mostly social gatherings that involve big parties. And within the halo of ‘Adetoke’, Paul Williams brings its allure to full luminesce.

Green, sharp, relaxed, a perfect description for the phrase: less is more, the ‘Adetoke’ Agbada couture drips with Swarovski jewels that flatter the attire as a luxe-leaning regalia. Its tender hue bellows besides the brilliant tailoring that transformed the soggy silk to a machismo-gaited outfit.

When ‘Adetoke’ billows in the breeze, its neat monogramming reminds us of our prime African aesthetic, spiralling with Adinkra symbols that illustrate transience. Paul Williams merges this belief, again, with Swarovski-futurism, glossing the monograms with the distinct allure from the shiny jewels. His artistic interpretation with these monograms also suggest a riveting affinity for minimalist traditional art, a kind that impressively conjugates the extroversion of the Agbada. It’s a head-turner that invites observers to revel in its intrigue, with each closer look!

The tiny perforations in ‘Adetoke’ surface like clever punctuations, tweaking the Agbada’s typical ‘stiff’ look with a free-spirited mesh-esque or see-through appeal. It’s an exclamation mark on an already arousing garment, well suited for bohemian personalities with sophisticated taste.

Paul Williams’ atelier definitely brought out the future into 2025, with the two-piece short-sleeved Agbada and jumper trouser standing audaciously as complete looks, without the need for an overall. Its matching Fila (Yoruba hat) adorns the look, in true spirit with the Agbada style, with the tiny perforations and detailed tailoring highlighting the artsiness in the fit.

The complete look smoothens out perspectives, expectations and doubts, dribbling the eyes towards the goal of utter satisfaction. It’s a collection that fills the observer with recollection, of a swagger that once kept Africans in noble gaze, and, of a finessing that tucks both the wearer and their observers in the shores of the future.