The theme was Present and Forgotten – The Amalgamation of Igbo Culture. A collaboration of Vlisco fabrics and the Nigerian Designer, Fruche. There were also pieces by Gozel Green however this article will be mainly focused on Fruche.
Captured by Yagazie Emezi, this wonderful story was presented to us, about the Igbo Culture predating the arrival of arrival Christianity. When a husband dies, same sex marriage could take place in a home where a child isn’t conceived. The woman could choose a wife and experience normal marriage rites. In other to have children the woman would have to find a man and the child would bear the name of the woman-husband. In some other cases, a single affluent woman could choose a wife or various wives.
In this lookbook this tradition was captured with the women at ease in their home and confident in their identity.
Prior Western religion and colonial Powers, the body art known as Uli was popular amongst igbo women as they decorated their bodies for events and also used it to create murals of their homes. Uli drawings could be abstract or in some cases they represent aspect from daily life such animals, nature and home accessories. With the entry of western religion and colonial Powers this body art tradition was deemed as “primitive” and women were encouraged not to draw on their skins but on their clothing. This resulted to a distract decline of the body art.
Uli is still practiced as well as same-sex marriage in Igboland and this work of art was created in other for people to learn more about culture.
Photographed by Yagazie Emezi
Designed by Fruche
Modelled by Gift Robert and Chisom Ilozumba
Uli Art by Sophia Oragudosi
