By Chinazam Ikechi-Uko.
There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a Lagosian in Moon Boots. Now and then, life throws me in a haze of confusion and I find myself fascinated by little things such as how they put songs on vinyls or how one survives the Lagos heat in thick garments.
This is simply a domino effect of the popularity of Moon Boots, thanks to viral sensation, Aliyah Interlude who catapulted a trend titled Aliyah Core. This style could be categorised by the heavy use of fishnets, mini skirts, ear muffs, bright hair clips and Moon boots. With the help of the internet, it was only a matter of time before the street-style, Aliyah Core hit the Lagos streets, irrespective of the irrationality of wearing Moon boots. For the record, I support the Moon boot wearers, do not let degrees and climate stop you from being an IT girl. Nevertheless, this new style has crawled its way into our street style and this was an event that celebrates just that.
December in Lagos for a fashion lover has skyrocketed in value in the past few years. There is a level of excitement and interest in fashion as a whole that I have never seen in the coastal city. Fashion season falls between the latter weeks of October and the inceptive days of November- Scorpio season. Then came a crack in the wall, Street Souk, the largest streetwear festival in Africa, founded in 2018 by Iretidayo Zaccheus, a two-day event in mid-December. Since then, there has been a burst of fashion events falling in December, it isn’t even Christmas week and I have been to 5+.
THE BIRTH OF THE ONE-TRICK PONY:
This was a logical decision, the target audience is young adults, and there are several reasons why they wouldn’t be available if it fell during the typical fashion season in Lagos. However, Street Souk’s relationship with the youth goes beyond we want to sell clothes to the cool kids; Street Souk itself is run by cool kids who want to create a platform and community for a growing community- high street.
Streetwear is a relatively new and underdeveloped denomination of fashion; it is fashion made with the intent of hanging out with friends, white-girl dancing at La Taverna because the Chilean wine did something to you or simply attending festivals and concerts. We all love the creative garments we see on the runway, in stores and on Zendaya, however, practically speaking, they are not designed for your everyday wear. The need for stylish attires for these outings birthed High Street. Think running to classes and errands meet High fashion, because of the casual nature of streetwear, it became popular in young adult spaces.
But Streetwear had a fatal flaw, a flaw so obvious that when you see the word streetwear, the image in your head is a bunch of T-shirts with logos slapped across it. Streetwear lacked the artistic flair of fashion, it was not seen as an art, but rather a business, an ephemeral one dubbed Logomania. Logomania is the art of fashion houses selling merchandise as regular clothes; rather than buying a Fendi design, just buy a Tee from Fendi with the word Fendi across it. This was the madness that infected the streetwear houses and Nigeria was not safe from this infection.
DING DONG, THE PONY IS DEAD… DYING:
The 2022 Street Souk hosted an array of merchandise labels but this year was significantly better. The idea that the only streetwear style was branded tees, joggers and hoodies is finally going to the netherworld, laying its bed next to the gladiator sandals.
Your brand’s name or logo should not have to assault my eyes for me to know you are wearing a certain brand. Its craftsmanship and design should speak for itself and for the first time, streetwear in Nigeria is on that path. Whilst there were still a few patients of logomania; there were many brands who played and reinvented what Streetwear could mean.
Street Souk has been an epicentre of Logomania in Africa, but, be that as it may, Iretidayo has championed home brands and has created a stage giving African brands a fair shot at a global market. Though not perfect, the streetwear community would not have experienced this major shift if there was no Street Souk for the kids to express themselves. As a cheerleader for the industry at large, it was a breath of fresh air to see streetwear with an artistic twist.
STREETWEAR MEETS FANTASY:
My favourite part about art is its subjectivity; how basic things such as language and numbering systems affect our approach to art. For example, in languages where death is described with masculine articles, poets, sculptors and painters whose mother tongue are these, unconsciously depict death as a man- a grim one if you are English. A similar trait can be spotted in streetwear because our ideas on “casual wear” are rooted in our everyday lives, designs from streetwear predominately come from reality. Whereas high fashion designers derive inspiration from mythology, movies, foreign cultures and questionable kinks, streetwear usually comes from what you see everywhere.
However, a couple of brands spun this around, what if… the streets were an imaginary one, one where your name was a siren whose brother was killed by a weeping angel and you’ve spent 4 hours dressing up to visit an elf named Legolas. There have never been any rules and who says my streetwear can not be rooted in delusions that I defend to my death? For a self-proclaimed Saturnian, I was sold on the brands that took a fantasy approach to streetwear:
WANDE ESAN came with the rock ‘n’ roll, with its 50s-inspired dresses and Elvis Presley partying with Liberace motifs. I can not help but fawn over their garments, I have not seen streetwear in this light so this was innovative and brilliant.
Next, there was THANDI, they were more of a sci-fi, I just crash-landed my TARDIS at Kuramo beach so now I am here to showcase what’s the latest fashion in outer space. One look at THANDI’s designs and the vision of the creative director, Ehinor Okojie is very obvious.
Then there was the corset takeover with Corset Closet, a treasure trove for lovers of the cinched waist silhouette.
Lastly, in the fantasy department was STUDIO BONNITA who took a folkloric approach. They went heavy on the lacy, ribbon coquette aesthetic which takes you down a floral fantasy.
THE WORLD IS A LITTLE FURRY:
Another fascinating take on streetwear is how crochet and other woolly fabrics have become a staple. The streets can not just get enough of its crocheted shrugs and there were a few crochet stands at Street Souk to cement its place.
Crochet Goodie was one of the belles of the streetball. With bright-coloured crocheted items ranging from bikinis to bags, there was an item for everyone. 21 Wool Street also held it down for the crochet lovers and by the time I arrived, they had a sold-out stall.
Next, we had streetwear brand, NSE Supply. NSE Supply (Never Stop Elevating Supply) decided to experiment with a few woolly textiles and introduced their stellar line of hooded scarves. The NSE stall also had military-inspired designs with a cropped utilitarian jacket and mini skirt being my favourite.
THE THRIFTS:
When preparing for the next Street Souk, it is paramount that you remember these three things, for they are constant; there will be traffic on Wilmot Point Road; the after-party might not hold; and the thrift stores will always deliver. I have attended every Street Souk, and never was there a thrift store that didn’t come correct. It is also amazing that the Street Souk team appreciates the art of making a cyclic economy in fashion.
Thriftkon, Tlw Thrift, Hemntzang, and Angel’s Closet were the thrift vendors at Street Souk and they all introduced different themes; Angel’s Closet had vintage accessories; Hemntzang had super cool boots; Tlw Thrift had so many bows, it was a TikTok soft girl’s dream; Thriftkon had a graffiti-inspired approach with its painted pants and tops.
Street Souk 2023 showcased the evolution of streetwear in Nigeria, breaking away from logomania and promoting explorations of streetwear as an art. The festival provided a platform for the growing high-street fashion community and African brands. The industry has come a long way, and we are excited to see what the future holds. Good job to the team and everyone involved.