Modern designs of Aso Oke has made this old traditional cloth become one.of the most sought-after fashion items and fav of many celebrity men and women for their Owambe. Many Aso Oke weavers now structurally manipulate and combine animal and floral motifs into their designs and this has made Aso Oke more appealing to celebrities to rock for their occasion.
Aso-Oke is hand-woven made by the Yoruba and typically sewn together to make local clothing. Festivals, coronations and weddings are not complete without Aso-Oke. This is why fashion-savvy ladies go for the best when they are going for Aso-Oke. Not even the men are exempted from these lovely Aso Oke designs. Aso Oke, be it Sanyan which is woven from anaphe wild silk and cotton yarn, or Alaari Aso Oke woven with either synthetically or locally grown cotton and shinning threads, sometimes with perforated pattern and Etu bears dark indigo colours with tiny white stripes noted for their simplicity have all worn a new look because of the creativity many Aso Oke weavers have put into their collections.
All these eye-catching colours that Aso Oke now comes in have set many Aso Oke merchants apart these days and has made them the favourites of many celebrities whenever they have the event.
Right now some Aso Oke merchants are hot in town and no big parties in town are complete without seeing celebrities rocking some of their eye-catching Aso Oke. One of them is Adejoke Gele owned by Mrs Joke Okeowo. Her soft net “Aso-Oke” is rocked by many rich men’s wives and kids at weddings and wondered? Her gele is now the in-thing in town because many love the uniqueness of her gele. Many celebrity women love to wear it whenever they wear their HOH Luxury Lace. Dr. Folasade Okoya, Mrs. Modupe Oguntade, Mrs. Kofoworola Adebutus, Jokotade Ogunwunsi are few of the many who rock Adejoke headgears. Have you seen Dr Shade Okoya and admired headgear? The creativity of the weaver and her ability to infuse the traditional “Damask Aso-Oke” with net and local “Tapapa” sets her apart. Despite the price, many rich celebrities will not wear any Aso Oke other than Adejoke Gele.
What about Jaderon Aso Oke? She is the latest Aso merchant who designs for Lagos kings and queens and her name is Ronke Fawole of Jaderon Aso Oke in Lagos Island. The Ogun State graduate’s designs are unique and she also plays with rare colour combinations which have set her apart. Oba Oniru, Oba Elegushi and many others have officially made her their Aso Oke plug and many brides in Lagos don’t joke with her collections.
Do you know popular Lagos fabric merchant, Sukurat Kalejaiye? The brain behind Shukkys Fabrics on Lagos Island has a daughter who is a big player in the Aso-Oke sector. Though in her early 30s, she is doing so well that she has built an enviable Aso Oke brand in 5 years. Check Shadiat Aso Oke out, you will see that
Shadiat Alasooke is quite big with a uniqueness you can’t find anywhere else. She has a beautiful iridescent color that suits the modern bride. She has handled many big celebrity weddings of rich kids. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, she was one of those who made more sales because of her unique collections.
Loola Blings situated at Gbagada has set herself apart with the use of Luxury Applicaque and Trimmings on her Aso Oke. The trimmings are not rather handwoven and this has made many celebrities embrace her brand. For now, she is the only Aso-Oke merchant who does that in that sector. Her office in Gbagada Phase 2 is always a beehive of activities on daily basis.
Many call Lara Alfred of RINIMES Ville, the Queen of Blings when it comes to Aso Oke. She runs 2 branches of Rinimes Ville in Lagos and her Lekki and Ikeja stores are always filled with Celebrities who come to buy her unique Aso Oke. Apart from the fact that she doesn’t cut corners, her uniqueness with creativity and ability to customize designs; the shapes, sizes & colour combinations of every crystal stone according to her customer’s needs, stands her out. She also travels far and wide to sort out crystals and Swarovski to embellish her Aso Oke. From patterned stones, a million stones to diamanté stones among others.
Interestingly, she provides only top-notch exclusive Aso Oke with crystals, Swarovski, sequin, petals and pearls to suit her customers. She also carefully chooses the threads and weave her Aso Oke in order to get the finest quality & texture. Many mother’s brides in Lagos wear RINIMESVille collections a lot.
Herthesis Concept Aso Oke has been in existence for the past 15 years. It is run by Ebony Pretty Celebrity Babe in her 30s and the brand became officially known in 2008. Her indigenous Aso-Oke designs are fit for both celebrants and guests of different occasions such as weddings, inaugurations, child naming ceremonies, the celebration of life events and so on. In addition to being indigenous, she makes custom-made designs that align with current trends and modernisation with a bespoke touch that portrays the richness of the Aso Oke fabric across the various ethnic groups in Nigeria. Being the 3rd generation of Aso Oke merchants has also set her apart from other Aso Oke merchants. It is not just her store that is a beehive of activities, her page has so many A-list clients. She got the name of her brand from her name Hadisa.
Though Deroyal Sells Fabrics, but she is also a big player in Aso Oke. After her marriage few years ago many brides now know that her collections are unique, many have also come to associate with her bride.
Ask about Jenrewa Aso Oke and Mastic Aso Oke in Ibadan, they are the biggest and hottest Aso Oke merchants in Ibadan now. You will even mistake Jenrewa Aso Oke for lace because of its exquisite collections. Her Oluyole store is always filled with Ibadan-rich celebrities. Just so good that Oteniara, the biggest Ibadan Makeup artist always loves to work with Mastic or Jenrewa Aso Oke.
– Abiola Orisile
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