Spiritually fashionable

Spiritually fashionable This body of works by Adetona Omokanye interrogates how belief systems, tradition, and culture shape the way people dress. It brings Egúngún’s couture into sharp relief in a way that is indeed critical and novel. Egúngún, which refers to a fancifully masked figure, is an essential element in the traditional religion and culture of the Yorùbá people of West Africa. While most persons think of the Egúngún only in its extraordinary, spiritistic terms; as the object of Yorùbá ancestor reverence, juxtaposing it with regular African models, innovatively provokes his audience to visualize the “masquerade” as a fashion spectacle. Thinking of the Egúngún in this way forces us to critically re-evaluate our definitions of what constitutes indigenous fashion, native fabric, traditional style, and local attires. It also compels us to consider the reality and mechanics of the “esoteric fashion” dressing reserved for only a closed group. The works demonstrate how elements of culture such as traditional religious practices and customary notions of beauty, grooming, and embellishment influence fashion styles.