Maiden TFAF pop-up exhibition promises fun, innovation

This Sunday, the 20th of August 2023, the first ever Textile as a Form of Art and Fashion (TFAF) exhibition in Nigeria will hold at SOTO Gallery in Ikoyi, Lagos and is promising to bring both art and fashion in never seen before ways.

To mark the first ever TFAF, B.O.B Bespoke and Santos by Afrocentric Textiles will be partnering to exhibit fashion and Art proudly made in Africa.

Textile as a form of Art and Fashion is set to be a yearly project by Eyimofe Rita Ideh and will exhibit fine-crafted fashion items, wearable art and wall art; all made in Africa with locally made fabrics and craftsmanship.

This she said is to urge Africans and the world at large to support art and fashion brands in Africa.

B.O.B, founded by twin brothers, Benjamin and Benedict Okoye, is a premium clothing brand that aims to showcase the beauty of Nigerian cultural heritage through its unique and handcrafted clothing collection. Each piece is designed with intricate attention to detail, incorporating a fusion of traditional Nigeria aesthetics and contemporary fashion.

B.O.B aims to preserve and promote Nigerian culture through a diverse range of clothing pieces that are specially woven to showcase tradition and elegance. The brand’s recently launched eCommerce website, bobbespoke.com, offers customers from all around the world the opportunity to embrace and experience the elegance of Nigerian heritage fashion through various handcrafted garments.

Santos by Afrocentric Textiles (SBAT) is a fashion brand that depicts the African Dye culture and the art of Aso Oke. Founded in 2020, SBAT’s dream has always been to preserve the culture of locally made fabrics. A fusion of African textile art in urban street wears, casual outfits and bespoke craftsmanship shows evolution and adaptation while still celebrating the indigenous art and culture of locally made fabrics. It shows people from other demographic how eccentric African fashion is and it prevents the African Textile art from going into extinction.

Ideh, SBAT’s founder, believes there is something special about making an outfit from scratch, designing patterns, working on colour pallets to suit the clients taste and personalities. In her words, “There is a reason why 80 per cent prefer the traditional oil or acrylic paintings to digital paintings. I love every form of Art, In fact it is easier to manipulate shapes, forms and colours in graphics. But there is this sacredness that comes with the traditional way of doing things, the smell of oil paint, the textures of hand-painted art. This is how I feel about locally made fabrics. As a visual artist, creating new and easier ways to produce local African fabrics while preserving the true African culture is my aim. The process of creating something new and original from start to finish gives me life and I love to share this passionate side with the world. We invite you this Sunday to come experience African Art and Fashion while we dine and network as a community,” she said.