Is Adire Fading?

A few years back, Adire (Yoruba for tie dye fabric) took centre stage on the fashion scene particularly among lovers of traditional wear. In recent times the famous made-in Abeokuta fabric seems to be receding. Ndubuisi Eluwa, in this piece, examines the situation wondering if Adire could be gone for ever.

Some call it Adire, others call it Kampala. By whichever name it is called, one thing is certain, it refers to tie dye cloth produced mainly among the Yoruba of south western Nigeria. A few years back, this fabric was the toast of lovers of traditional wear particularly due to its beautiful colours, patterns and designs. Many were in love with it until it seemingly lost its hold on the consuming public.

That was not the first time Adire would take centre stage in the fabric market. History has it that Adire, a major local craft in the towns of Abeokuta and Ibadan, always, at some point or the other, attracts buyers not just from Nigeria but also from all over West Africa.

Between the late 80s and early 90s, Adire was noted to have been a major attraction among lovers of traditional wear. Although the craze for it slowed before the mid 90s, market watchers however note that Adire resurfaced at the wake of Nigerian movies with most of the Nollywood stars, especially the ladies, sewing and donning dress styles made from the fabric. This, analysts say, helped in promoting the indigenous fabric brand. Gladys Nzeama, a fashion forward lady, recalls how as a younger girl she insisted that her parents buy her Adire for Christmas instead of brocade which was planned for every family member. She recalls that her love for the fabric then was not unconnected with the fact that she admired the styles movie personalities at the time were making with Adire.

However, keen observers of both market and fashion trends agree that since the turn of the century trends in traditional fashion have tilted more towards Ankara and other newer textiles such as Woodin and Java, thereby prompting speculations that it is over for Adire.

M2 survey reveals that Adire still maintains a good shelf presence at some locations around Lagos. At Oshodi textile market, one of the locations where a section of stalls maintain a good stock of this indigenous fabric, the traders disagree with the notion that Adire is losing relevance in the scheme of things in the fashion industry.

Taiwo Balogun, one of the traders who spoke to M2 argues that the fabric is not about leaving the stage any time soon. She admits that the demand for it is not what it used to be though.

Her words: “Though the demand for it is not as high as it was some years back, it does not in any way suggest that it is no longer in vogue because there are people who still find it very appealing. Low sales are not peculiar to Kampala fabrics alone. Traders in today’s Nigeria will testify that the economic situation has affected sales generally.” She further discloses that very often customers come to her shop with fashion catalogues or society magazines in which people used Adire for Aso ebi (group clothing), requesting for those designs and patterns. She buttresses her point this way: “Besides if indeed it is over for Adire then we would not be in business but we are.”

“Though it is not as commonly worn as it used to be some years back, one cannot but admit that a lot of people still find it fashionable to wear Adire fabric,” says Funmi Akinropo, a fashion designer and interior decorator while corroborating Balogun’s position.

She adduces some reasons why Adire may have seemed silent on the fashion scene in recent times. According to her, the thick nature of Kampala makes it difficult to manipulate into different desirable styles, a situation which she says has given Ankara the edge. Her words: “The thick nature of Kampala is actually a disadvantage for it because designers find it difficult to manipulate it into different desirable styles which we find easier with Ankara.”

Akinropo also claims that Adire is perceived more as a Yoruba fabric, a perception she says tends to limit its acceptance among other tribes in Nigeria, whereas Ankara is more generally accepted. “There is also an ethnic angle to Adire,” she says. “What I mean is that many consider it a Yoruba fabric and this has contributed to its being pushed to the background,” she posits.

But Roseline Ndukwe, a consumer feels otherwise. For her, it is common in the fashion scene to see certain fabrics and styles dominate the scene at one season and disappear only to resurface at another season. “I think it is more of a seasonal thing and it is common with fabrics and fashion styles. I will not be surprised if tomorrow Kampala becomes the toast of traditional outfit lovers,” Ndukwe submits.

Nzeama also believes that the attempts by some individuals to import Adire from overseas at some point also affected the love for the fabric. “I believe the attempt by some individuals to bring in Adire from London affected the acceptance because the quality was not up to the quality that Adire lovers were used to,” she says. But like Ndukwe, Nzeama is optimistic that Adire will still regain its former position on the fashion scene.

Analysts posit that trends in the fashion industry, which are driven by individual taste, ultimately determines what happens in the textile market. Going by the current fashion trend which industry players say favours Ankara and a few other imported fabric brands, the big question therefore is how soon will Adire regain its relevance in the fashion scene? Only time will tell.