The Simiteds Egungun SS24 Collection is a fashion must-have

Nigerian fashion has slowly evolved into a cultural staple on the African continent and the world at large. The growth of the country’s fashion scene is marked by innovative designers who fuse past and present inspirations to create fashion pieces that leave a lasting creative impact. Fashion brand SimiTeds has engraved its mark on Nigerian fashion through the brilliance of the designers — head designer Alexander Adewale and creative designer Opeoluwa Ajimoti — creating a standard of delicate craftsmanship that sets Simiteds apart from the rest. The brand couples its African roots with an international outlook, positioning itself as one of the most exciting brands to come out of the continent.

The SS24 Egungun collection bears the ingenious craftsmanship that has become closely associated with the Simiteds brand. “Egungun” — which translates into masquerade — is the visible manifestation of departed ancestors that periodically revisit the human community for celebration and blessings within the Yoruba worldview. The collection blends African folklore and fabric with Western-style tailoring which brings an air of vibrancy to the pieces that make up Egungun SS24. It bodes as a strong strategy to insert Yoruba and African culture into the global scene in a way that the beauty of our continent can be appreciated in multiple spaces.

The designers teamed up to craft the Egungun collection with the intention to infuse bits of the actual regalia into the design, offering a fashionable twist to a cultural staple. The collection comes in a three-piece capsule that consists of a cap, shirt and trousers. These pieces are expertly crafted from a blend of different fabrics that are prominent within Yoruba culture such as aso oke, adire and shredded batik. The Egungun collection is tailored as a true-to-size, form-fitting ensemble; and with the use of indigenous Yoruba fabrics Simiteds continues its strategy to popularise the stylish nature of our culture.

Alexander Adewale and Opeoluwa Ajimoti worked in tandem to conceptualise the blueprint for the Egungun SS24 collection. Alexander’s role as the head designer of the collection arms him with the mantle of crafting the overarching themes and concepts that guide the creation of this capsule. He also sets and maintains the tailoring standard, ensuring that only the best work is associated with the SimiTeds brand. Together with Opeoluwa, their hands-on involvement in the production process is essential to the creation of concepts and execution of the SS24 collection.

A collection of this nature does not come to life without dedicated execution. Opeoluwa Ajimoti, as creative designer, is central to the production process in line with her driven, hands-on nature. It involves sourcing the best quality batik and adire fabrics, crafting ideas around the final wearers. The nature of Egungun SS24 is a break from the norm, and this avant-garde outlook is birthed by Ajimoti’s design skills and creativity. Coupled with the boisterous depictions of Simiteds clothing, this collection is created to give a modern, larger-than-life twist to traditional art.

In a conversation with Opeoluwa, she informed us about her travels through some west African countries to check out different fabrics whilst still doing the research during the conceptualising phase of creating this collection. She also spoke on distribution partnerships she worked on across Africa and Europe to push the collection.

In tune with the traditional origins of the collection, Egungun SS24 gives its wearer a regal feel that oozes class and confidence. The stylish tailoring of the pieces ensures that the regal nature of the clothes does not come as a surprise, but rather as a parallel of the important role the Egungun masquerade plays in the Yoruba worldview. The wearer automatically assumes an aura of affluence once they are clad in the collection’s pieces. As a result, the collection adds dynamism to the wardrobes of fashion-forward individuals that have an eye for eclectic pieces. Simply put; the Egungun SS24 collection is a beautiful work of art that is worth having.

She continues to pioneer seismic shifts within the African fashion space. While the clothes are of immense quality, there is a level of expertise that is evident through other aspects of the presentation of the Simiteds brand. Perspectives of what is possible within the fashion space are constantly shifted in a progressive manner through his work.

Collections like this are an indication of the direction that Simiteds and Opeoluwa Ajimoti want to take fashion. Blending tradition with a detailed approach to tailoring will surely put Yoruba and African culture on the big screens within the world of fashion. The nature of Egungun SS24 makes it a must-have for fashion heads across the globe.