Recently, the Ecobank Pan African Centre in Lagos hosted Inside Africa Fashion 54 (IAF 54), a landmark exhibition bringing the fashion stories, textiles, and craftsmanship of all 54 African countries into one physical space. Founded by cultural archivist Tejumola Maurice-Diya of The Fashioned Museum, IAF 54 is the result of nearly two years of documenting Africa’s fashion heritage country by country. Her goal: preserve these stories from an African perspective before someone else tries to claim them. In this interview with MARY NNAH, Maurice-Diya shares discoveries from the field, like learning that Aso Oke began as a wound dressing material and later evolved into ceremonial cloth. She talks about why young Africans are gravitating toward indigenous fabrics over Ankara, the trade and shipping challenges across 54 nations, and how she hopes IAF 54 will inspire young creatives to reflect on their identity and the role of heritage in what they create
What inspired you to create IAF 54 and document the fashion stories of all 54 African countries in one archive?
I find that Nigerians, and Africans in general, are very creative people. I believe a platform is ideal to express that creativity, so the entire world can see the beauty that African designers and creatives have to offer. This platform, in particular, focuses on bridging the gap between the older and the younger generation. But it also bridges the gap between the world and Africa, helping people to see what Africans stand for. And expressing our culture from our perspective, as opposed to the other way around.
