{"id":1050,"date":"2014-02-01T12:15:03","date_gmt":"2014-02-01T12:15:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.feelnubia.com\/?p=1050"},"modified":"2025-02-18T13:41:40","modified_gmt":"2025-02-18T13:41:40","slug":"ibrahim-adebayo-lawal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/feelnubia.org.uk\/index.php\/2014\/louder-culture-and-interviews\/ibrahim-adebayo-lawal\/","title":{"rendered":"Neo Nubian Adebayo Lawal: Powering Fashion Through Culture"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This article has been archived<\/p><\/div>\n

Ibrahim Adebayo Lawal: Weaving Power into Culture<\/h1>\n

Ibrahim Adebayo Lawal<\/strong> isn\u2019t just making clothes\u2014he\u2019s crafting identity. A quiet force from Ilorin, Kwara State<\/strong>, Lawal has turned a deep love for indigenous fabrics<\/strong> into a powerful brand of cultural expression.<\/p>\n

Born in 1979<\/strong>, he represents the new African dream: bold, driven, and rooted.<\/p>\n

From Mischief to Mastery<\/h2>\n

Lawal\u2019s love for fashion started in the most unexpected way\u2014as a mischievous boy who teased poorly dressed classmates. But that early spark became a calling.<\/p>\n

He fell in love with local fabrics<\/strong>. At just 13, he began his apprenticeship under Alhaji Drammeh<\/strong>, a Senegalese textile expert in Nigeria. For six years<\/strong>, Lawal learned the craft, hands-on.<\/p>\n

He later trained under Nigerian fashion legends like JimiKing<\/strong> and Princess Abba Folawiyo<\/strong>. These years gave him more than skill\u2014they gave him vision.<\/p>\n

He didn\u2019t just want to style people. He wanted to revive culture<\/strong> through cloth.<\/p>\n

Fashion Meets Folklore<\/h2>\n

In 2013, Lawal held a stunning exhibition titled Memory and Metaphor<\/em> at the African Artists\u2019 Foundation<\/strong>. Through embroidery<\/strong>, quilting<\/strong>, and Aso-Oke<\/strong>, he brought Yoruba stories to life.<\/p>\n

Each piece told a tale\u2014of power<\/strong>, deity<\/strong>, and imagination<\/strong>. His series, Agbara Asa<\/em>\u2014which means \u201cThe Power of Culture<\/strong>\u201d\u2014reimagines masquerades and myths as living art.<\/p>\n

\u201cNigerians haven\u2019t fully tapped into the potential of indigenous fabrics,\u201d he says. \u201cAdire, Aso-Oke, and Northern textiles all have global potential.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Carrying Culture to the World<\/h2>\n

Lawal has showcased his work across Nigeria\u2019s major cultural events<\/strong>. From the Yoruba World Film Festival<\/strong> to World Culture Day<\/strong>, his fashion doesn\u2019t just turn heads\u2014it sparks dialogue.<\/p>\n

His credits include:<\/p>\n