Lace Fabric as a Nigeria culture

The rich cultural heritage of Nigeria cannot be said to be complete without the strong sentiments Nigerians attach to fabrics and clothing’s and this can be evident in the style and way of dressing mostly during occasion and festivals. Last week, an exhibition on the   African Lace: A History of Trade, Creativity and Fashion was held at the National Museums and Monument Onikan in Lagos and Austin Jacobson was there to witness the various arrays of lace fabrics and attires that have come to be a main stay of the Nigerian culture, Except

FG is seeking more collaboration with local and foreign organizations in propagating Nigeria cultural heritage

The Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation Alhaji Ibrahim Mahe, has said that the federal government is looking forward to more collaboration with both local and international organizations to ensure the propagation of Nigerian rich cultural heritage.

He made this statement while delivering his key note address during the opening of the exhibition titled African Lace: A History of Trade, Creativity and Fashion and a collaborative effort between the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Museum of Ethnology Vienna, Austria and The British Museum in London.

According to him, for many years now, lace has become fabric of choice by most Nigerians, especially people of Southern Nigeria, who regard lace as conveying supreme elegance.

He said the trend has continued to define the appearance of Nigerians worldwide and become an intrinsic element of our festive clothing and fashion. In fact many people around the world have had the opportunity of seeing and admiring the brightly colored or snow-white lace dresses worn by Nigerians to commemorate one occasion or the other.

Speaking further, he said the exhibition, apart from been intended to showcase African Lace in Nigeria in a variety of perspectives also complies with one of the key areas of museum work which include preserving cultural heritage, communicating knowledge, and demonstrating the important role of museums as centre of research on material culture of man.

Mahe stated that it would suffice to ask at this juncture   what  is the special quality of Lace fabrics that makes them so attractive to Nigerians. He said there are two major reasons that can be attributable to the popularity of lace, the fabric’s lightness, airiness and the perceived prestige value which signal the high status of the wearer.

Nigerians he said obviously have a preference for opulent and striking clothing and the lace fabric provides them with the right fabric to achieving this. It should be noted that lace was not originally part of the traditional clothing of Nigerians and was never part of the fashion or culture of any ethnic group, although certain textiles display features reminiscent of industrial embroidery textiles.

The Permanent Secretary explained that lace made its first incursion into the Nigerian society during European trade in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. Its elements were seen on their dresses and those of their children, especially girls.

They used lace materials on dining tables, window blinds and other forms of decoration at home and in the office and to decorate the undergarments of ladies, young girls and flamboyant women’s dresses.

Speaking further, he said children of the rich who traveled abroad for further education in Europe who came in contact with dresses made of lace found them fashionable for use at home and as gifts for parents, relations, suitors and other loved ones.

The use of lace thus become popular half a century later among the middle and upper classes, most especially among the people of southern Nigeria. He disclosed that  in 1976 the federal government of Nigeria placed a ban on its importation due to its ‘reckless use’ and the outrageous designs that exposed and revealed much of the body especially a variant of  the fabric called “won-yo-si” seen as the ultimate in sexy dressing. The holes on this particular fabric were so large that much of the body is revealed especially for the females.

The permanent secretary stated that the phenomenon of Aso-ebi, which literally translates as uniform of relative or a common cloth for relatives and friends, helped in the widespread use of lace. At social gatherings, lace is worn to celebrate special occasion. The result of this uniform clothing gives a spectacular sight when you see a group of women sitting together or dancing through the streets in identical wrappers and head ties.

The popularity of lace was so great that it adapted to suit traditional dress styles or to embellish other traditional forms of dress. In the south-west in fact, the traditional clothing of both men and women was increasingly fashioned out of lace materials. The men’s Agbada (gown), buba (blouse) and sokoto (trousers) originally made from other fabrics, were now made wholly in lace.

 So too the women’s IRO (wrapper), buba (blouse), Iborun (shawl) and gele (head tie) were all made from lace materials. While the trade in lace has decreased since it’s peak in the late 1970’s and 80’s, it is still being used in large quantities but imported less from Europe, Austria and Switzerland, and more from India and China. Nonetheless, lace will continue to play a central role in Nigerian’s fashion scene. This is because it is seen more or less as traditional in the fashion and popular culture of Nigeria.

Also speaking at the occasion the Director General of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments Mr. Yusuf Abdullah Usman said that this exhibition gives an overview of the development of clothing traditions in Nigeria and a style chronology of lace fashion.

He said since 1970, the lace fabric offers insight into the society life and vibrant fashion scene of Nigeria especially the south –west. It highlights creativity, opulence, and the joy of social gatherings and group celebration in Nigeria.

The exhibition attracted a lot of visitors in Austria and we hope the Nigeria version which is taking place now you will invoke a feeling nostalgia among our traders who had the opportunities of trade deals with Austrian producers and the elegant Nigerian women who patronized these lace merchants in Nigeria.

Usman opined that it is hope the exhibition will be a catalyst to further research into the history and cultural significance of the lace fabric in Nigeria. Let me also inform you that for the first time a book titled, African Lace: A history of Trade, Creativity and Fashion in Nigeria, a catalogue from the Lace exhibition is available for sale at this venue.

The Director General applauds the continued contributions of the Ford Foundation to the development of museums in Nigeria. According to him, they facilitated the training of some of the staff of the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, through the British Museum, to enhance their professional knowledge.