Neo Nubian Adebayo Lawal: Powering Fashion Through Culture
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Ibrahim Adebayo Lawal: Weaving Power into Culture
Ibrahim Adebayo Lawal isn’t just making clothes—he’s crafting identity. A quiet force from Ilorin, Kwara State, Lawal has turned a deep love for indigenous fabrics into a powerful brand of cultural expression.
Born in 1979, he represents the new African dream: bold, driven, and rooted.
From Mischief to Mastery
Lawal’s love for fashion started in the most unexpected way—as a mischievous boy who teased poorly dressed classmates. But that early spark became a calling.
He fell in love with local fabrics. At just 13, he began his apprenticeship under Alhaji Drammeh, a Senegalese textile expert in Nigeria. For six years, Lawal learned the craft, hands-on.
He later trained under Nigerian fashion legends like JimiKing and Princess Abba Folawiyo. These years gave him more than skill—they gave him vision.
He didn’t just want to style people. He wanted to revive culture through cloth.
Fashion Meets Folklore
In 2013, Lawal held a stunning exhibition titled Memory and Metaphor at the African Artists’ Foundation. Through embroidery, quilting, and Aso-Oke, he brought Yoruba stories to life.
Each piece told a tale—of power, deity, and imagination. His series, Agbara Asa—which means “The Power of Culture”—reimagines masquerades and myths as living art.
“Nigerians haven’t fully tapped into the potential of indigenous fabrics,” he says. “Adire, Aso-Oke, and Northern textiles all have global potential.”
Carrying Culture to the World
Lawal has showcased his work across Nigeria’s major cultural events. From the Yoruba World Film Festival to World Culture Day, his fashion doesn’t just turn heads—it sparks dialogue.
His credits include:
- Agbara Asa Fashion Show, PMAN HQ, Lagos
- Black History Month, CBAAC
- Olokun Festival, beach soccer and fashion segments
- Shobande Talent Hunt, Lagos
- National Integration Workshop, Lekki
Lawal blends style and substance, always returning to culture as his canvas.
Building a Fashion Empire
Today, Lawal runs the Ibrahimovic Arts and Fashion Empire, a creative hub rooted in Nigerian aesthetics and global ambition.
He wants corporate Nigeria to embrace culture in the workplace.
“We live in a tropical country,” he says. “Why not promote indigenous fabrics? Let our dress reflect our pride.”
A Message to Young Dreamers
Lawal’s journey wasn’t easy. But he kept going—through hardship, rejection, and hunger for knowledge. Along the way, Professor Tunde Babawale and others from CBAAC supported him.
“I didn’t even know him,” Lawal says of Babawale. “But he saw me once and believed in me. That was God-sent.”
Now, he gives back by mentoring youth, urging them to find purpose.
“People don’t fail just because they lack money. They fail because they lack vision and attitude.”
Neo-Nubians and the Power of Now
Lawal stands among Africa’s new vanguard—the Neo-Nubians.
They are tech-savvy, risk-taking, and culturally awake. They rise from hard places with bold ideas, reshaping fashion, tech, art, and culture.
For them, the night is over.
They have found their morning.
